__________________________________________________ T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ l9III
•
T he correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is located on a label
either on the driver's side B -pi llar or inside the fuel filler flap.
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 labe l 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 a lso 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 l is ted on t he safety compliance sticker labe l located
either on the driver's side B-pillar or on the inside of the fuel fi ller
flap. The ti re pressure labe l on your Audi lists the maximum
combined weight of a ll of the occupants and luggage or other cargo
t hat the vehic le can carry. For the location of the tire pressure label
=>
page 291, fig. 229.
& WARNING
O verl oad ing a vehi cle can c ause lo ss of vehi cle co ntrol , a cras h or
other ac cident , seriou s per sonal injur y, and even death .
• Carry ing m ore w eight t han yo ur vehic le was designed t o carry
will p revent the vehicle from ha ndling properl y and increa se the
ri sk o f a loss of vehi cle co ntrol.
• The br ake s on a ve hicle tha t has been o verloaded may not be
a bl e to st op the veh icle with in a sa fe di stan ce .
• Tires o n a veh icle th at ha s been ov erlo aded ca n fail sudd enl y
ca usin g l oss of co ntrol an d a c rash.
& WARN ING (c ontinued )
• Always m ake sure that the total load being tr ansported -
in cluding the weight of a trailer hitch and the t ongue we ight of a
loaded trailer -do es not m ake the vehicle he avier tha n th e
v ehi cle's Gr oss Vehi cle Weight R ating .
& WARNING
• In corre ct t ire pre ssure s an d/o r underi nfl atio n can lead to a
s eriou s or fatal a ccident.
• In corre ct tire pr essures and/or u nde rin fla tion cau se in cre as ed
tire wear and can affect th e handlin g of the vehicl e.
• Inc orre ct t ir e pre ssu res and /or underinfl ation can a ls o l ead to
s udden tire failure , including a blowout and sudden d eflation ,
ca usi ng loss of vehi cle contr ol. •
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires originally installed
on your vehicle is listed on the tire pressure label located
either on driver's side B-pillar or inside the fuel filler flap .
The recommended tire pressures are on the ti re pressure label and
in the table=>
page 291, "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 i t 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 "Co ld tire inf lation
pressure" recommendations=>
page 291. 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 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. ~
4. The resulting figure equals th e available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if the
" XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will
be five 150 lbs. passeng ers in your
v ehicle , the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5
X 150) = 650 lbs.)
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 capa city 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 299 ,
fig. 233) to determine the designat ed
load rating for a specific tire. •
Tires and wheels -
Tire service life
T he ser vic e life of ti res depends on a lo t o f different things
inclu ding p roper i nstallation and bal ancing, correc t tire
pressu re a nd drivi ng style .
(-----~
_____ __,,:)
Tread Wear Ind icator (TWll
N
"' 0 9
"" ~
Fig . 2 3 1 Tire tread:
tre ad we ar indi cato rs
(TWll
Fig . 232 Rotating tire s
for mo re even wear
The or iginal tires on your vehicle have 1 /16 inch ( 1.6 mm) high " wea r
indicators"=> fig. 231 running across the tread. Depending on the
make, the re w ill be six to eight of them even ly p la ced a rou nd the
t ire . Marks on the tire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other symbols)
indicate the positions of the tread wear indicators. Worn tires must
be r eplaced. Di fferen t fi gures may apply in other countries ::::>,& . .,_
Vehic le care I I Technical data
-~_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_ls _ ____. ffllll
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in.
Fig. 233 Tire specification codes on the sidewall of a tire
No.
G)
@
©
©
©
©
Description
Passenger car tire (where applicable)
Nominal width of tire in millimeters
Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
Radial
Rim diameter code
Load index and speed rating
0
©
U.S. DOT tire identificat ion number
Audi Original tire
Sever snow condit ions
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 specially matched to the char
acteristics of the vehicle and can make a major contribution to good
road holding and safe handling when in good condition 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 tools and spare parts as
well as the proper facilities for disposing of the old tires.
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary information about tech
nical requirements for installing or changing tires and rims.
Replacing tires and wheels
Tires should be replaced at least in pairs and not individually (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 301.
Always buy replacement radial tires that 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 optional tires listed in the table
=> page 291. ~
Vehic le care I I irechnical data
-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Audi-approved specification tires are specially matched to your
vehicle and its load limits, and can contribute to the important road
holding, driving characteristics, and safety of the vehicle . The table
(~ page 291) lists specifications of the tires approved for the Audi
models covered by your Owner's Literature.
The tire pressure label (On USA vehicles, the tire pressure label is located on the driver's side 8 -p illar. On Canada vehicles, the tire
pressure label is located either on the driver's side B-pillar or inside
t he fue l filler flap)( ~
page 291, fig. 230) lists the specifications of
the origina l equipment tires instal led on your vehicle at the time it
was manufactured.
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to place standardized infor
mation on the sidewa ll of all tires~
page 299, fig. 233 . This informa
tion identif ies and describes the fundamenta l characteristics, the
quality grade of the tire and a lso provides a tire identification
number for safety standard certificat ion and in case of a recall.
Tir e s pec ifica tio ns
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it easier to choose the
correct tires . Radial tires have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewa ll, for example:
P255 / 3 5 R19 96V XL
This contains the fo llowing information:
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars (where applicable)
25 5 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire from sidewall edge to side -
wa ll edge. In general, the larger the number, the wider the t ire
3 5 Height/width ratio in percent (aspect ratio)
R T ire construction: Radial
19 Rim diameter code (in inches)
96 Load rating code
Y Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" Indicates that the tire is a"Rein
forced" or an "Extra Load" tire
M+ S (or "M/S") Indicates that the t ire has some mud and snow capa-
bility
The ti res cou ld also have the information of direction of rotation
~ page 287.
T ire m anuf acturing d ate
The manufacturing date is a lso indicated on the tire sidewa ll
(possibly on ly on the
inner side of the wheel) :
"DOT ... 2209 ... " means, for example, that the tire was produced in
the 22nd week of 2009.
S pe ed ra ting
permissible road speeds~
& in "Winter tires" on page 304.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph ( 158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
s up to 110 mph (180 km/hl
T up
to 118 mph (190 km/h)
u up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240
km/hJ31
z over 149 mph (240 km/h)31
w up to 168 mph (270 km/h)31
y up to 186 mph (298 km/hJ31
Your vehicle is norma lly factory equipped w ith tires, which possess
excellent driving characteristics and give your Audi optimum
driving comfort. An e lectronic speed limiter ~
page 23will normally .,,_
31 For tires with a maximum speed capability over 149 mph (240 km/h), t ire
manufacturers sometimes use the letters "ZR."