
-Tires and wheels
3. Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from
"XXX" kilo
grams or
"XXX" pounds shown on the
sticker=>
page 238, fig. 148.
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.)
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 246,
fig. 152) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific tire . •
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.
Fig. 150 Tire tread:
tread wear indicators
..__-lo..,.__,._~~--' (TWII
{ ------;g
0
r~~~~~~~~
• Fig. 151 Rotating tires
L_ __ ....::\ ;;~~~~~~~~~~~::::_ __ _J for more even wear
Tread Wear Indicator (TWll
The original tires on your vehicle have 1 /16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear
indicators" ~ fig. 150 running across the tread. Depending on the
ai,.

________________________________________________ T_ i _r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ _
•
make, th ere w ill be six to ei ght of them evenly placed around the
t ire. Ma rks o n th e tir e s idewall (f or e xam ple "TWI " or oth er symbo ls)
indicate the positions of t he tread wear indicators . Worn tires must
be re placed. Diffe re nt fig ure s may a ppl y in other countr ies=>& .
Tire pressure
Inc orr ect t ire p ressure causes prema ture wea r and ca n cause
sudden tire blow -out. For this reason, tire pressure must be checked
at leas t on ce a mont h=>
pag e 24 1.
Dri ving style
Dr ivi ng fa st aro und curves, heavy accele ration a nd hard bra king
increase tire wea r.
Rotating tires for more even wear
F or all four tires on your vehicle to have the same service life, we
r ec om men d that t he fr ont a nd rear ti res are rota ted acco rd ing to the
tire manufacturer 's suggested tire ro tation interva ls. Please
r eme mber the fo llo wi ng:
• Ti re rotation interva ls may differ from the vehicle servic e int er
va ls ou tlined in y our Wa rranty
& M ain te n ance Booklet .
• T he longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle, the
mo re it wears a t ce rtai n poi nts ; th erefore, we recom men d th at you
follow t he tire manufac turer's su ggested t ire rotation interv als .
• Vehi cles w ith front -w hee l d rive ex per ience more trea d wea r on
the front wheels compared to all -wheel drive (quattro®l .
• Ple as e rota te tires as shown=>
page 244, fi g. 15 1.
• Extra care must be ta ken when rotating direction -specific tires
=>
p age 2 73 .
Wheel balancing
The w heels on new vehic les are balanced. However, various situa
tions du ring everyday dr iving can cause them to become unbal
anc ed, resu lt in g in v ibrat io ns y ou can usual ly fe e l throu gh th e
steering whee l. U
nba lanc ed wheels must be r eba lanced to avoid excessive wear on
ste erin g, sus pen sion and tire s. A wh ee l mu st als o b e re b ala nce d
when a new tire is insta lled.
Incorrect wheel alignment
I ncorrect wheel alignment can cause excess ive tire wear, impairing
t he sa fety of the v ehicle. If t ire s s how e xcess ive wear, hav e t he
whee l a lignment chec ked by an authoriz ed Aud i d eal er o r qua lif ied
wo rk shop.
All Wheel Drive
V eh icles w ith q uattro ® must alwa ys ha ve tire s of the same siz e,
construction and t read t ype . For detai ls see=>
page 189 .
& 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.
• 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 chemicals 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,
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 speeds .
• 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. •
Vehicle care
I t •

___ T_ i_ r_e _s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_ e_ e _ ls _________________________________________________ _
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in.
F ig . 1 52 Tir e spec ifi cati on co des o n the sid ewa ll of a t ire
No . Desc ription
G)
®
©
©
©
©
Passenger car tire (where a pplicable)
Nominal width of tire in mi llimeters
Ratio of he ight to width (aspect ratio)
Radial
Rim diameter code
Load index and speed rating
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 special ly matched to the char
acteristics of the vehicle and can make a major contribution to good
road ho lding and safe hand ling when in good cond ition and prop
erly inflated
~ & .
We recommend that all 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
well as the proper facilities for disposing of the old tires.
Authorized Audi dea lers have the necessary information about tech
n ical requirements for insta lling or changing tires and rims .
Replacing tires and wheel s
Tires should be replaced at least in pairs and not individual ly (for
example both front tires or both rear tires together) .
Be sure to read and heed the information to the tire pressure moni
toring system *~ page
248 .
Always buy replacement radial 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 optiona l tires listed in the table
~ page 238.
Audi -app roved specification tires are specially ma tched to your
vehic le and its load limits, and can contribute to the important road-~

________________________________________________ T_ i _r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ !II
•
holding, driving characteristics, and safety of the vehicle. The table
(::::>
page 238) l ists specifications of the tires approved for the Audi
models covered by your Owner's Literature.
The tire pressure labe l located on driver's side 8 -pillar (::::>
page 238,
fig. 149) lists the specifications of the or iginal equipment tires
installed on your vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
Federal law requires tire manufac turers to place standardized infor
mation on the sidewall of a ll tires::::>
page 246, fig . 152. This informa
tion identifies and describes the fundamenta l characteristics, the
quality grade of the tire and also provides a tire identification
number for safety standard certification a nd in case of a recall.
Tire sp ec ifica tio ns
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it easier to choose the
correct tires. Radial tires have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewall, for example:
P 245 / 45 R 17 9 5 H
This contains the following information :
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars
245 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire from sidewall edge to side-
wall edge. In general, the larger the number, the w ider the tire
45 Height/width ratio in percent (aspect ratio)
R Tire construction: Radial
17 Rim diameter code (in inches)
95 Load rating code
H Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF") indicates that the ti re is a"Rein
forced" or an "Extra Load" tire
M+ S (or "M/S") Indicates that the tire has some mud and snow capa
bility
The tires could a lso have the information of direction of rotation
=>
page 234 .
Tire manuf acturing date
The man ufact uring date is also indicated on the tire sidewall
(possibly on ly on the
inner side of the wheel):
"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 t ires" on page 250.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106mph(170km/h)
S up to1 10mph(180km/h)
T upto118mph(190km/h)
U up to 124 mph (200 km/h) H up to 130 mph (2 10 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)3>
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)3>
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)3>
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)31
Your vehic le is normally factory equipped with tires, which possess
excellent driving characteris tics and give your Audi optimum
driving comfort. An electronic speed limiter:::>
page 25will normally
prevent your vehicle from going faster than the tire speed rat ing
=> & .
U.S . DOT Tire Identifi cation Number (TIN ) and tire
m anufa ctur e date
This is the tire's "serial number" . It begins with the letters "DOT"
and indicates that the tire meets all federa l standards . The next two
numbers o r 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 max imum speed capab il ity over 149 mph (240 km /h) , tire
manufacturers som etimes use th e le tters "ZR ."
Vehicle care I t •

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
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 carried by the tire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and temperature grades => page 249.
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 the sensors are to be installed on different rims , the seal, washer ,
and valve cap for each sensor must be replaced.
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 sys tem* , or some component o f the
tire pressure monitoring system* may be damaged.
& 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 use 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 emergency and then with special care and at
lower speeds.
• 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. .,_

________________________________________________ T.:......... ir--=e :....:s:......: a--=n..:.. d.::..:..... w..:....:.... h :....:..:e:....:e:..: 1-=s :...__IJlll
•
& W ARNING (continu ed )
• All four wheels must be fitted with radial tire s of the same type ,
s ize (rolling cir cumference ) and the same tread pattern . Driv ing
with different t ires redu ces vehicle h andling and can lead to a loss
of contro l.
• If the spare tire is not the same a s the tires that are mounted
on the vehicle -for e xample with winter tires -only use the spare
tire for a short period of time and dr ive with extra c are . Refit the
norm al 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
their 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 t ires that are properly inflated and
not over or underinflated .
• For te chnical reasons it is not always possible to use wheels
from other vehicles -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 blo cked . Redu ced airflow to
the brakes can them to overheat , in creasing stopp ing distances
and causing a collision .
• Run flat tires may only be u sed on vehicle s that were equipped
with them at the fa ctory . The vehicle must have a chassis de signed
for run flat tires and a factory -installed tire pressure monitoring
system* that indicates a loss of tire pressure. In correct use of run
flat tires can lead to vehicle damage or accidents . Check w ith an
autho riz ed Audi dealer or tire specialist to see if your vehicle can
be equipped with run flat tires . If run flat tires are used, they must
be installed on all four wheel s. Mixing tire types is not permitted .
0 Note
• For techn ica l reaso ns, it is not genera lly poss ib le to use t he
whee l rims from other vehicles. This can hold true fo r wheels of the
same vehicle type .
• I f the s pare t ire is d ifferent from the tires that you have mounted
on your vehicle ( fo r example win te r ti res or wide p rofile tires), then
use the spa re tire for a short period of time on ly and drive with extra
care. Replace t he flat tir e w ith the tire matching the others o n your
vehic le as soon as possib le.
• If you s hould put different whee ls a nd tires on your ve hic le (e.g.
winter wheels and tires), you must be certain that the whee ls and
t ires are co mpa tibl e w ith the tire pressure mon itor in g syste m*.
Otherwise the system w ill reg ister a malfunction and a fault
m essage w ill be d isplayed . For more info rma tion, co ntact your Aud i
dea ler.
0 Note
• When installing new tires, be careful not to damage the va lves or
tire p ressu re m on itoring system senso rs* .
• N ever drive without the valve stem cap. The valves could get
da mage d.
• I f the sensors must be replaced, then the valve must also be
r eplaced at the same time.
ci> For the sake of the environment
Dis p ose o f old tir es in acco rdance with the local requ ireme nts .•
Uniform tire quality grading
• Tread wear
• Traction AA A B C
• Temperature A B C
Vehicle care
I t •

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire side wall
between tread shoulder and maximum section width
=> page 246,
fig. 152.
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. •
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on snow and
ice. At temperatures below 45 °F (7 °C) we recommend
changing to winter tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments may require true
winter or "snow" tires, those with very deeply cut tread. These tires
should only be used in pairs and be installed on all four wheels.
Make sure you purchase snow tires that are the same size and
construction type as the other tires on your vehicle.
I f your vehicle is equipped with all-wheel drive *, this will improv e
traction during winter driving, even with the standard tires.
However, we strongly recommend that you always equip all four
wheels on your vehicle with correctly fitted winter tires or all-season
tires, when winter road conditions are expected. This also improves
the vehicle's braking performance and reduces stopping distances.
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and snow.

Tires and wheels -
----------------
•
Winter tires (snow tires) must a lways be fitted o n all four whee ls.
C om patible ti re p ressu re monito rin g sen so rs must be instal led on
a ll four wint er tires for the tire pr essure mon itor ing system* to func
tion proper ly =>
page 24 8.
As k you r auth orize d Aud i deal er or qua lifie d wo rksho p for per mitte d
winter tire sizes . Use only radial winter tires.
W in te r t ires lose the ir effec tive ness when the t read i s w or n do wn to
a depth of 0. 157 inch (4 mm).
On ly dr ive with w inter tires under winter conditions. Summer tires
h and le be tter when the re is no s now o r ice o n the roads and t he
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °C).
I f yo u have a flat t ire, see n otes on spa re w heel =>
page 246 .
Please a lwa ys reme mbe r tha t w inte r tires may h ave a lowe r speed
rating than the tires origi nally instal led on you r vehic le at t he time
i t was manu fac tur ed. P leas e se e=>
page 247, "S pee d rati ng (lett er
code)" for a list ing of the speed rating lette r codes and the
m axi mu m speed at w hich th e tire s ca n be dr ive n.
T he speed rating letter code(=>
page 237) is on the side wa ll of the
t ir e =>
page 246.
& 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
passengers .
& WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed for which the winter tires
on your vehicle were designed can cause tire failure including a
blowout and sudden deflation , loss of control , crashes and serious
& WARNING (continued )
personal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires replaced immed i
ately.
• Winter tires have maximum speed rating that may be lower
than your vehicle' s maximum speed.
• Never drive faster than the speed for which the winter or other
tires installed on your vehicle are rated .
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and traffi c conditions .
Never let the good acceleration of the winter tires and all -wheel
drive tempt you into taking extra risks. Always remember :
• When braking, an all -wheel drive vehicle handles in the same
way as a front drive vehicle .
• Drive carefully and reduce your speed on icy and slippery roads,
even winter tires cannot help under black ice conditions .
ci' For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather conditions permit. They are
q ui ete r, d o not wear as quickl y a nd re duc e fu el cons ump tion. •
Snow chains
Sno w chains may be fitted o nly to t he fro nt whe els, a nd o nly to
certain tire sizes . Ask your authorized Audi dealer on which tire
s iz es sn ow c hain s ca n be use d.
I f you are going to use snow chains, then you must install them on
the front wheels at least .
The s now chains must have l ow- pro file links a nd must n ot be thick er
than 0.53 inc h (13.5 mm), including the lock . .,_
Vehicle care I t •