-~_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 flation pressures at maximum capacity for the new, origina l equip
ment tires that were on your vehicle at the time it was manufac
tured. For the location of the label
~ page 291, fig. 229 .
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 295, "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 re aso n .
Reme mber 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. On
USA vehicles, the tire pressure label is located on the driver's side 8-pillar
. On Canada vehicles , the tire pressure label is located either
on the driver's side B -pi llar or inside the fuel fi ller flap . The ti re pres
sure labe l lists the recommended co ld 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 p ressu res for normal load conditions, please see chapter
=> page 291.
• Turn the va lve stem cap counte r-clockwise to remove it from the
tire valve.
• Place the air pressure gauge on the valve.
• T he tire pressures should only be checked and adjusted when
the tires are co ld . The s lightly raised pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced .
• Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are carrying.
• Reinstal l the valve stem cap on the valve.
Wh en should I ch ec k th e tir e pr ess ure?
The correct tire pressure is especially important at high speeds. The
pressure should therefore be checked at least once a month and
a lways before starting a journey . Do not forget to check the tire pres
sure for the spare wheel.
When should I adjust the tire p res sure s?
Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are carrying . After changing
a wheel
or replacing whee ls you have to adjust the tire pressu res on
a ll wheels . In addition, you must then initialize the new t ire pres
sures in the tire pressure monitoring system*~
page 307.
& WARNING
Incorrect tire pre ssur es a nd/or und erinflat ion can lead sudden t ire
fa ilure , loss of cont rol , co llision , seri ous person al inj ury or e ven
death.
• When the w arning symbol
f) a ppe ars in the in strument
cluste r, stop and inspe ct th e tires .
________________________________________________ T.:......... ir--=e :....:s:......: a--=n..:.. d.::..:..... w..:....:.... h :....:..:e:....:e:..: 1-=s :..._ __
•
& WARNING (continu ed )
• Incorrect tire pressure and /or under inflation can cause
in creased tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability .
• Incorrect t ire pressures and /o r underinflat ion can also lead to
sudden tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation,
causing lo ss of vehicle control .
• The driver is respon sible for the correct tire pressures for all
tires on the vehicle. The applicable pre ssure values are located on
a sticker on the driver 's side 8-pillar or on the inside of the fuel
filler flap .
• 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 value s for the tires and the correct pres
sures for the function of the tire pressure monitoring system *.
• Always inflate tires to the re commended 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.
• Ex cessive speed and /overloading can cause heat build-up ,
s udden tire failure and lo ss of control .
• If the tire pres sure is too low or too high , the t ires 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 t ire pressure and add air as required.
0 Note
Dr iving wi thout valve stem caps ca n cause damage to t he tire
valves. To prevent this, always make sure that factory instal led va lve
stem caps o n all wheels are sec urely mou nted on the va lve .
c£> For the sake of the environment
Underi nflate d tir es w ill a lso inc rease the fue l consu mptio n.•
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are li m its to the a mou nt o f load or weig ht th at any ve hic le and
any tire can carry . A vehicle that is overloaded wil l not handle wel l
and is more diff icu lt to stop . Overload ing ca n no t only lead to loss
of vehic le control, but can also damage important parts of the
ve hicle a nd can lead to sud den tire failu re, i nclu di ng a bl owou t and
sudden deflat ion that can cause the vehic le to crash.
Your safety an d that of your passengers also depends on ma kin g
su re tha t load l imits are not exceeded . Vehicle load includes eve ry
body and everything in and on the vehic le. These load limits are
t echnica lly re ferred to as the ve hicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR"l.
The "GVWR" in clu de s th e we ig ht of t he basi c veh ic le, all fac tory
insta lled accessories, a ful l tank of fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids
plus m aximu m load. The maxi mum l oad inc lude s the n umber of
passen gers 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 lugga ge in
the vehicle. If you tow a trailer, the weight of the trailer hitch and the
to ngue we ig ht of th e loaded tra iler must b e included as par t of th e
vehic le load.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is the m aximum loa d th at
can be applied at each of the vehicle's two ax les. _,,,
Vehicle care I t •
-~_T_ i_ r _e _s _ a _ n_d _ w_ h_e_ e_ l _s _____________________________________________ _
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
are listed on the safe ty comp liance st icker labe l located either on
the driver's s ide B -p illa r or on the inside of the fue l fi ller f lap. Aud i
has 4 seating positi ons, 2 in the front and 2 i n the rear f or total
seating capacity of 4. Each seat ing position has a seat belt
=> page 179, "Safety belts".
T he fact t hat there is a n up per l im it to your ve hicle's Gross Vehic le
Weight Rating means that the total we ight of whatever is being
carried in the vehic le (i nclu ding the we igh t of a traile r hitch and th e
tongue weight of the loaded trailer) is limited. The more passengers
in the ve hic le o r passen gers w ho are heavier tha n the standa rd
weights assumed mean that less weight can be carried as lug gage .
The ti re p ressu re labe l o n yo ur A udi a lso list s the maxi mum
comb ined we ight of a ll o f th e occupa nts a nd luggage o r ot her cargo
that the vehicle can carry. For the location of the la bel=>
page 291,
fig . 229.
& 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
ri sk of the loss of vehicle control.
• The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehicle with in a safe distance .
• Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly ,
in cluding 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 vehi cle 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 pla card (tire infla
tion pressure label)=> page 291, fig. 229.
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 291, fig. 229. ~
-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Tire pr essure
Inco rrect tire pressure causes prematu re wear and can cau se
sudden tire blow-out. For this reason, tire pressure must be checked
at least once a month
~ page 293 .
Driving style
Dr iv ing fa st around curves, heavy acceleration and hard brak ing
increase tire wear.
Rotating tire s for more even wear
For all four t ires on your vehic le to have the same service life, we
recommend that the front and rea r tires are rotat ed acc ord ing to the
tire manufacturer 's suggested tire rotation intervals. Please
remembe r the f ollo wi ng :
• Tire rotat ion i nterva ls m ay d iffer from the vehic le serv ice inte r
vals outl ined in your Maintenance and Warranty Book let.
• The longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle, t he
more it wears at certain points; the refo re, we recommend that you
f ollow the tire manu facturer's sug ges ted t ire rotat ion i nte rvals.
• Vehicles with fro nt-w hee l dr ive e xper ience more tread wear on
the front wheels compared to all -wheel drive (quattro®l .
• Please rotate tires as sh ow n~
page 297, fig. 232 .
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction -specific tires
~ pag e 318 .
Wheel balancing
T he w heels o n new v ehic les are balanced. However, various s itua
tions during everyday driving can cause them to become unba l
anc ed, resu lti ng in vib rati ons yo u ca n usually feel thro ugh t he
steer ing whee l.
U nba la nce d w heels must be re ba lance d to avoid excessive wea r on
steering, suspension and tires. A whee l must a lso be reba lanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect w hee l al ig nm ent ca n cause e xcess ive ti re wea r, impa iring
t h e s afety of th e veh ic le. If t ires show excessive wear, have the
w hee l a lig nme nt checke d by a n autho rize d Aud i deale r or qualifie d
wo rkshop.
All wheel drive
Vehic les with quattro® must always have tires of the same size,
co nstruct ion an d tread ty pe. For deta ils see ~
page 240.
& 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 in crease 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 ,
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 _ l_s _________________________________________________ _
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unm atched t ires and / or wheels o r improper
tire and wheel combinations can lead to lo ss of control , collision
and se rious per sonal injury .
• Always use tires , rim s and wheel bolts that meet the specifica
t ions of original f actory -installed tire s or other combinations that
have been spe cifically approved by the vehicle manufacturer .
• T ires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly ,
especially at high speeds . Tires that are more than 6 years old c an
only be used in an emergen cy and then with spec ial care and at
lower speeds .
• Never mount used tires on your vehi cle if you are not sure of
their "previou s history." Old used tires may have been damaged
e ven though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
• All four wheels must be fitted w ith radial tires of the same type ,
size (rolling circumference ) and the same tread pattern . Driving
with different tires reduces veh icle handling and can lead to a loss
of control.
• If the spare t ire is not the same as the tires that are mounted
on the vehicle -for example with winter tires -only use the spare
tire for a short period of time and drive with e xtra care . Refit the
normal road wheel as soon as safely possible.
• Never drive faster than the ma ximum 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,
in cluding a blowout and sudden deflation and lo ss of control.
• Tempe rature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and
not over or under inflated .
• For technical reasons it i s not always po ssible to use wheel s
from other veh icles - in some cases not even wheels from the
same vehicle model .
& WARNING (continued )
• If you install wheel trim discs on the vehicle wheels, make sure
that the air flow to the brakes is not blocked . Reduced airflow to
the brakes can them to overheat , increasing stopping distances
and causing a collision .
• Run flat tires may only be used on vehicles that were equipped
with them at the factory . The vehicle must have a cha ssis designed
for run flat tires and a fa ctory-installed tire pressure monitoring
system* that indicates a loss of tire pressure. Incorrect use of run
flat tires can lead to vehicle damage or acc idents . Check with an
authorized Audi dealer or tire specialist to see if your vehicle can
be equ ipped with run f lat tires . If run flat t ires are used , they must
be installed on all four wheels . Mixing tire types is not permitted.
0 Note
• For technical r eas ons, it is not gen erally possible t o us e the
whee l rims from other veh icles . ihis can ho ld true for whee ls of the
same veh ic le type.
• I f the spare tire is different from the tires that you have mounted
o n yo ur vehicl e (f or example wi nter tires or wide p rofile t ires), then
use the spare tire for a short period of time on ly and drive with extra
care . Rep lace the flat tire wi th the ti re m atchi ng t he o thers on you r
vehic le as soon as possib le.
• I f you should put diff ere nt w heels and tires o n your v ehicle (e. g.
winter wheels and tires), you must be certain that the wheels and
t ires are c ompatib le wi th the tire p ressu re monitoring system* .
Otherwise the system will register a malfunction and a fau lt
mes sage will be displayed . For more info rmation, contact your
author ized Aud i dea ler.
0 Note
• When insta lling new t ires, be care fu l not to damage the va lves o r
tire pressure mon itoring system* sensors. .,_
__________________________________________________ T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e _ e_l_s __ lllll
•
• Never drive without the valve stem cap. The valves could get
damaged.
• If the sensors must be replaced, then the valve must also be
replaced at the same time.
For the sake of the environment
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
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire side wall
between tread shoulder and maximum section width~
page 299,
fig. 233.
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. •
Vehicle care
I t •
___ T_ ir_e_ s _ a_ n_d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s _________________________________________________ _
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 a ll four wheels.
Make sure you purchase snow tires that are the same size and
construction type as the other tires on your vehicle.
Your vehicle is equipped with all -whee l drive, this wi ll improve trac
tion during winter driving, even with the standard tires. However,
we strong ly recommend that you a lways equip all four whee ls 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 stopp ing distances.
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and snow.
Winter tires (snow ti res) must a lways be fitted on a ll four wheels.
Compatible tire pressure monitoring sensors must be installed on
a ll fou r winter tires for the tire pressure monitoring system* to func
tion proper ly=>
page 301.
Ask your authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop for permitted
wint er tire size s. Use only radial winter tires.
Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the tread is worn down to a depth of 0.157 inch (4 mm).
Only drive with winter tires under winter conditions. Summer tires
handle better when there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °C) .
If you have a flat tire, see notes on spare wheel =>
page 299.
Please always remember that winter tires may have a lower speed
rat ing than the tires originally installed on your vehicle at the time
it was manufactured. Please see=>
page 300, "Speed rating (letter code)" for a listing of the speed
rating letter codes and the
maximum speed at which the tires can be driven .
T he speed rating letter code(=>
page 290) is on the side wall of the
tire =>
page 299.
& WARNING
Winter tire s hav e maximum speed l imit s that m ay be lower than
yo ur veh icle' s ma xim um speed . Al ways kno w the ma ximum speed
before driving off . Never drive fa ste r th an the speed permitted for
yo ur spe cifi c w inte r tir es. Thi s will cause dam age to the tire s
leading to an a ccident and seriou s personal injury to you and your
p as sengers.
& WARNING
Driving f aster th an the m aximum speed for whi ch t he winter tire s
on your v ehi cle w ere de sig ned can cau se tire failur e including a
blow out and sudden def lation , lo ss of con trol, c rashe s and se riou s
personal injuries . Have worn or damaged tire s repl aced immedi
ately .
• Winter tires hav e maximum speed r ating that may be lower
than you r vehicle 's maxi mum speed .
• Never d riv e fa ster than the sp e ed for which the winter or other
tire s in sta lled on your vehicl e are r ated .
& WARNING
Always adju st your dri ving to the r oad and tr aff ic c ondit ions .
Ne ver let th e good acceleration of the winter tire s and all -wheel
dri ve t empt you into t aking extra risks. Alw ay s rem embe r:
• When br aking , an all -wheel driv e vehicl e handle s in the same
w ay as a fr ont drive vehi cle .
• Drive ca refull y and redu ce you r speed o n ic y and slipp ery road s,
e ven wint er tire s cannot h elp u nde r bla ck ice c onditi ons.
~
__________________________________________________ T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ _
•
ffi For the sake of the environment
Use summe r tires whe n weather co nditio ns perm it. Th ey are
quieter, do not wear as quic kly and reduce fue l consumption. •
Snow chains
Snow cha ins may be fitted only to the front wheels, and only to
certa in t ire s izes. Ask your author ized Aud i dea ler on wh ic h tir e
s izes snow chains can be used .
The snow c hai ns mu st have low -pro file l inks and must n ot be thicker
than 0.53 inch (13 .5 mm), including the loc k.
R emove wheel cente r covers a nd trim di scs bef ore p utting snow
c h ains on you r ve hicle=:>
0 . For sa fety reasons cove r caps must
then be fitted o ver the wheel bo lts . These a re avai lable fr om autho
r iz ed Au di deale rs.
& WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehicle or installing them
incorrectly can increase the risk of loss of control leading to
serious per sonal injury.
• Snow chains are available in different sizes. Always make sure
to follow the instructions provided by the snow chain manufac
turer.
• When driving with snow chains never drive faster than the
speed permitted for your specific snow chains.
• Always observe local regulations .
0 Note
• Remove snow chains before driving on roads not covered with
s no w to avoid da mag ing tires a nd wea ring the s now cha ins down
unnecessari ly. •
Snow chains, which come into direct contact with the wheel rim,
can s cratch or damage i t. Therefo re, ma ke s ure t hat the sn ow cha ins
are suitably covered . Check the pos itio n of the snow c hains after
driv ing a few ya rds a nd co rrec t if necessa ry . Fo llow the i nstr uct ions
from the snow chain manufacturer when doing so.
[ i ] Tips
W here snow cha ins are manda tory on certa in roads, t his no rmally
a lso a ppl ies to ve hic les with all wheel d rive. •
Wheel bolts
Wheel bol ts mus t alw ays be ti ght en ed to the corr ec t
t orque .
The de sign of whee l bolts i s matched t o the fac to ry ins tal led rims. I f
d ifferent rims are fitted, the correct wh eel bo lts with the ri ght l ength
and c orrectly s haped bo lt head s mus t be use d. T his ensu res that
w hee ls are fitted securely and that the brake sys tem func tio ns
co rrectly.
I n certa in c ircumsta nces, you may not use w heel bo lts fr om a
different vehicle -even if it is the same model=:>
page 341.
& WARNING
Improperly tightened or mainta ined wheel bolts can become loose
causing loss of control , a collision and serious personal injury .
• Always keep the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel hubs
clean so the wheel bolts can turn easily and be properly tightened.
• Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel
hubs . They can become loose while driving if greased or oiled ,
even if tightened to the specified torque .
• Only use wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed .
• Never use different wheels bolt s on your vehicle.
Vehicle care
I t •