-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread ribs.
Load rating (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.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire at the maximum permissible infla
tion pressure for that tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressure to which a tire may be
in flated. Also called "maximum inflation pressure ."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the number of occupants
seated in the vehicle up to the total seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle .
Outer diameter
means the overall diameter of an inflated new tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteriors of the sidewalls of
an inflated tire, including elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs .
Ply
means a layer of rubber -coated parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those installed regular production
options weighing over 5 lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard
items which they replace, not previously considered in curb weight
or accessory weight, including heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof rack, heavy duty battery, and special trim.
Radial ply 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.
Recommended inflation pressure
see =:> page 235, "Cold tire inflation pressure".
Reinforced tire
means a tire designed to operate at higher loads and at higher infla
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Reinforced
tires my be identified as "XL", "xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the
sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and tube assembly upon
which the tire beads are seated .
Rim diameter
means nominal diameter of the bead seat. If you change your wheel
size, you will have to purchase new tires to match the new rim diam
eter.
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges .
________________________________________________ T_ i _r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ fflllll
•
S idewa ll
means that portion of a tire between the tread and bead.
Speed ra ting
extended periods of time. The ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
t o 186 mph (298 km/h) =>
page 247. You may not find this informa
tion on all tires because it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applicab le, is molded on the tire
sidewa ll and indicates the maximum perm issible road speeds=>
&
in "Winter tires" on page 250.
T ire pre ssu re m onit orin g sys te m *
means a system that detects when one or more of a vehicle's tires
are under inflated and illuminates a low tire pressure warning tell
tale.
Tre ad
means that portion of a tire that comes into contact with the road .
Tread sepa ra ti on
means pu lling away of the tread from the tire carcass.
Tr ea dw ear indi cato rs ( TW I)
means the projections with in the principal grooves designed to give
a visual indication of the degrees of wear of the tread . See
~ page 244, "Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)" for more information on
measuring tire wear.
U ni form Tire Q ua lity G radin g
is a tire information system developed by the United States National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (N HTSA) that is designed to
help buyers make re lative comparisons among tires. The UTQG is
not a safety rating 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 combine with other
considerations, such as price, brand loya lty and dealer recommen- dations
. Under UTQG, tires are graded by the tire manufacturers in
three areas : treadwear, trac tion and temperature resistance. The
U TQG information on the tires, molded into the sidewalls.
U .S . DOT Tire Identifi cation Number (TIN )
This is the tire's "serial number" It begins with the letters "DOT" and
indicates that the ti re meets a ll federa l standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it was manufactured,
and the last four numbers represent the week a nd year of manufac
ture . For example,
DOT ... 2209 ...
means that the tire was produced in the 22t h week of 2009. The
other numbers are marketing codes that may or may not be used by
t he tire manufacturer. This information is used to contact
consumers if a tire defect requires a recall.
Vehi cle cap acity we ight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus 150 lbs. (68 kilograms)
times the vehicle's tota l seating capacity as l is ted on the label
located on the driver's side B -pi llar.
V eh icle 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 max imum loaded vehicle weight
and dividing by two.
Ve hic le normal lo ad on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is determined by distrib
uting to each ax le its share of the curb weight, accessory we ight,
and normal occupant weight (distributed in accordance with tab le
below =>
page 238) and dividing by two . ._
Vehicle care I t •
___ T_ i_ r_e _s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_ e_ e _ ls _________________________________________________ _
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
4
2 2 in front
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
Fig. 148 Tire pressure
label: located
on
driver 's side B-pillar
Tire pressure generally refers to the amount of air in a tir e 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.
* ,. ~ =cc- ------------------gl
( SEATING CAPAOTY '.TOTAl l :FRONT I :CE NTER I '.REAR I )
Toea,m....,_ oroa,.,pan11anda,golhould ,-!IICN
SIZE COLO TIRE PRESSURE
- KPa,- PSI
- KPa,- PSI
- KPa,- PSI MANUAL FOR
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION SEEOWNER'S I
Fig . 149 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 .
Th e tire pressure label located on driver's side 8 -pillar on your Audi
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 . .,
________________________________________________ T_ i _r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ l'III
•
If yo u w is h to impr ove com fort when operat ing the vehi cle at
nor mal load (up t o 2 occupant s), you c an adju st tire pres sur es to
th ose spe cified f or norm al v ehi cle lo ad . B efo re op era tin g the vehicle
at maximum load , you mu st in crease the tire pre ssure s to tho se
s pe cifi ed for m aximum vehi cle lo ad =>
& .
Bear in mind that the tire pressure mon itor ing syst em * can only
monitor the tire pressures you have stored. The system does not
recogni ze th e load cond ition o f you r vehicle .
T he effec tiveness of the tire pressu re monitoring system * will be
impaired if you store no rmal load pressures bu t then operate the
vehicle at its maximum load=>& . See the
illustra tion=>
page 238, fig . 148 for the location of the label
on driver's side 8 -pillar (co lor of the actual label and exact location
on the vehic le wi ll vary slightly).
Note that the following tab le is accurate at the time of going to
press and is subject to change . In the event of discrepancies, the t ire
pressure label (on dr iver's side 8 -pillar) always takes precedence .
The table below lists the recommended cold tire i nflation pressures
for the Audi mode l covered by your Owner 's Litera ture at the
vehicle's capacity weight and the tire sizes insta lled on the respec
tive models as original equipment , or as a factory option .
Engine
(displ ace
m ent in
liter ) Tir
e design ation Tire pr es sur e front Tire press ure re ar
4 -c ylinder
2 .0 225
/55 R16 95H All Se ason
225 /50 R17 94H All S eason
2 2 5/5 0 R17 94W XL High Perf orma nce
245 /45 R17 95H All Sea son
2 45 /45 R17 95 V XL High Perform ance
245 /40 R18 93H All Se ason
245 /40 R18 93V XL High P erformance
255 /35 R19 96V XL High Perform ance
normal lo ad
conditi on (up to
2 occup ant s)
PSI kPA
32 220
32 220
32 220
32 220
32 220
32 220
32 220
32 220
full load
c ondition
PSI kPA
32 220
32 220
32 220
32 220
32 220
32 220
32 220
32 2 20
Vehicle care
n o rm al l oa d
full load
co ndition (up
condition
to 2 o ccupant s)
PSI kPA PSI kPA
29 200 29 200
29 200 29 200
29 200 29 200
29 200 29 200
29 200 29 200
29 200 29 200
29 200 29 200
29 200 29 200
I t •
-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Engin e
(displa ce
ment in
lit er) Tire designation
Tir
e pressure front Tire pressure rear
normal load full load normal load
full load
condition (up to condition c
ondition (up
condition
2 o ccupants ) to 2 occupants)
6 -cylinder
3.2 245
/45 R1 7 95H All Season
245 /45 R17 95V XL High Performan ce
245 /40 R18 93H All Season
245 /40 R18 93V XL High Performan ce
255 /35 R19 95V XL High Performance
XL
= reinforced
PSI
32
32
32
32
32
The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is located on a label on
the driver's side B-pillar .
Because technica l changes may be made to vehicle equip ment
during the mode l year, always compare the tire size designat ion on
the tire pressure la bel on y our vehicle with the tires on your vehicle.
Make sure tha t the t ire size information on the veh icle labe l is the
same as the size of the tires on the vehicle. Th is is especially impor
t ant if the vehicle belongs to someone e lse or you boug ht 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 a lso depends
on making su re tha t load limits a re not exceeded . Vehi cle loa d
inc ludes everybody and everything in and on the vehicle. These load
limits are technically referred to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating ("GVW R"). The Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each of the vehicle's two
ax les. The Gross Vehicle We ight Rat ing and the Gross Ax le Weig ht
Rating are listed on the safety comp liance sticker labe l located on
t he driver's side B- pillar. The tir e pressure labe l on y our Audi lists
the maximum combined weight of a ll of the occupants and luggage
kPA PSI kPA kPA kPA
220 32 220 29 2 00 29 200
220 32 220 29 200 29 200
220 3 2 220 29 2 00 29 200
220 32 220 29 2 00 29 200
220 3 2 220 29 200 29 200
or other ca rgo that the veh ic le can carry. For the location o f the t ire
pressure label::::;, page 238, fig. 148.
& WARNING
Overloading a vehi cle can cause loss of vehicle control , a crash or
other accident, serious personal injury, and even death .
• Carrying more weight th an your vehicle was de signed 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 c an fail suddenly
causing loss of control and a crash .
& WARNING
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can lead to a
s erious o r fatal a ccident .
-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
When should I check the tir e pressure?
The correct ti re pressure is especially i mpor tant a t high speeds . The
pressure should therefore be checked at least o nce a month and
a lways before star tin g a j ourn ey.
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Adjust the tire pres sure to the loa d you are ca rrying. After changing
a wheel
or replacing whee ls you have to adjust the tire pressures on
a ll whee ls. In addition, y ou must the n ini tia lize the new tire pres
sures in the tire pressu re monitoring system*:::::,
page 253.
& 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 appears in the instrument
cluster , stop and in spect the tire s.
• Incorrect tire pressure and /or underinflation can cause
increased tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability.
• Incorre ct t ire 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 pre ssure s for all
tires on the vehicle . The appli cable pressure values are located on
a sticker on the driver' s side B -pillar.
• Onl y when all tires on the vehicle are filled to the correct pres
sure , the tire pre ssure 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 spe cified tire pressure values for the tires and the correct pres
sures for the function of the tire pre ssure monitoring sy stem *.
• Always inflate tires to the recommended and correct tire pres
sure before driving off.
& WARNING (continued )
• Driving with underinflated tires bend more , letting them get
too hot re sulting in tread separation, sudden tire failure and lo ss
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 servi ce station
to che ck the tire pres sure and add air as required .
0 Note
Driving without valve stem caps can cause damage to the tire
va lves. To prevent this, always ma ke sure that fac tor y in st alled va lve
stem caps on all wh eels are securely mounted on the valv e.
'£> For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires w ill also increase the fue l consumption. •
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or weight that any vehic le and
any tire can ca rry. A vehicle that is overloaded wil l not handle wel l
and is more difficu lt to stop . Overloading can not on ly lead to loss
of vehic le contro l, but can also damage important parts of the
ve hicle a nd can l ead to sudden t ire fa ilure, i nclud ing a b lowout an d
sudden deflation that can cause the vehicle to crash .
Yo ur sa fety an d that o f yo ur passenge rs als o dep ends on making
sure that load limits are not exceeded . Vehicle load includes every -
b ody and eve rythi ng in and on the vehic le . These loa d limits are
~
______________________________________________ T_ ir_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_ e_ls __ __
•
technically referred to as the vehicle's Gross Vehi cle We ight Rating
("GVWR") .
T he "GVWR" includes the weight of the bas ic veh icle, al l factory
insta lled accessor ies, a full tank of fue l, oil, coolant and other f luids
p lus ma ximum load. The maxim um load includes the number o f
passengers that the vehicle is intended to carry ("seating capacity")
w it h an assu med weight o f 15 0 l bs (68 kg) for eac h passe nger at a
designated seating position and the total weight of any luggage in
th e veh ic le .
T he
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR"l is the maximum load that
can be applied a t each of the vehic le's two axles .
The Gross Ve hicle W eig ht Rati ng and the Gross A xle Weigh t Rating
a re l isted on the safety compliance sticker labe l located on the
dr iver's s ide B -p il lar . Y o ur Aud i has 4 seat ing positions, 2 in the fron t
and 2 in the rear for total seating capacity of 4. Each seating posit ion
has a sa fet y b elt
=> page 125, "Safe ty be lts" .
T he fact t hat the re is an uppe r lim it to your ve hicle's G ross V ehic le
Weight Rati ng means tha t the total we igh t of w hateve r is bei ng
ca rried in the vehicle is lim it e d. T he m ore pass engers in t he veh ic le
or passengers who are heavier than the standard weights assumed
mean that less we igh t ca n be ca rried as lu ggage .
T he tire pressure labe l o n you r Audi also lists the max imum
c o m bined weig ht of all of t he oc cupan ts a nd lu ggage or other ca rgo
t h at the ve hicle can carry. For the locat ion of the label
=> page 238,
fig . 14 8.
& 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.
& WARNING (continued )
• Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly,
including a blowout and sudden deflation , causing loss of control
and a crash .•
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 238, fig. 148.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle. ..,
Vehicle care I t •
-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,.