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Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most abused parts
of a motor vehicle.
Tires may be the least appreciated and most abused parts of a
motor vehicle. Tires are, however, one of the most important parts
of a vehicle, particularly considering the comparative ly sma ll patch
of rubber on each tire that assures that all- important contact
between you, your vehicle and the road .
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, making sure that your vehicle
and its tires do not have to carry more weight than they can safely
handle, avoiding damage from road hazards and regu lar ly
inspecting tires for damage inc luding cuts , slashes irregular wear
and overa ll condition are the most important things that you can do
to help avoid sudden tire failure including tread separation and
b lowouts .
Avoiding dama ge
If you have to drive over a curb or similar obstacle, drive very slow ly
and as close as possible at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chemica ls includ ing grease, oil, gasoline and brake
f luid off the tires.
I nspec t the tires regularly for damage (cuts, cracks or blis ters, etc.l.
Remove any foreign bodies embedded in the treads.
Storing tires
Mark tires when you remove them to indicate the direction of rota
tion . This ensu res you to be ab le to mount them correctly when you
reinstal l them. When removed, the wheels or tires shou
ld be stored in a coo l, dry
and preferably dark place.
St ore t ires in a vertical posit ion if they a re not mounted on rims, in
a horizontal position if they are mounted on rims.
New tire s
New tires have to be broken in~&.
The tread dep th of new tires may va ry, according to the type and
make of tire and the tread pattern.
Hidden d ama ge
Damage to tires and rims is often not readily visible. If you notice
unusua l vibration or the vehicle pul ls to one side, this may indicate
that one of the tires has been damaged . The tires must be checked
immed iately by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
Unidire ction al tir es
A unidirectio nal tire can be iden tif ied by arrows on the s idewa ll, that
point in the direction the tire is designed to rotate. You must follow
the specified direction of ro tation . This is necessary so that these
tires can deve lop their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road
noise, wear and hydroplaning resistance . For more information
~ page 318.
in. WARNING
Ne w tire s or tire s that are old , worn or damaged cann ot pro vide
m aximum cont rol and braking ability.
• New tires tend to b e slippery and mu st also be broken-in . To
redu ce the ri sk of lo sin g control , a colli sion and seriou s per sonal
inj uries , dri ve wi th spe cia l c are for t he first 350 m iles ( 560 km l.
• Driving with worn or damaged t ire s can lead to lo ss of co ntrol ,
s udd en tire failure , in clu ding a blowout a nd sudden deflation , .,,_
Vehicle care
I t •
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-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
& WARNING (continued)
crashes and serious personal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately.
• 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
low speed.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power seats, radio, and heater, to
the extent that these items are available as factory-installed equip
ment (whether installed or not).
Aspect ratio means the ratio of the height to the width of the tire in percent.
Numb ers of 55 or lower indicate a low sidewall for improved
steering response and better overall handling on dry pavement.
Bead
means the part of the tire that is made of steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation means a breakdown of the bond between components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the tire.
& WARNING (continued)
• 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.
• If you notice unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one side
when driving, always stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the wheels and tires for damage . •
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer
for a tire of a designated size that has not been driven for more than
a couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in the three hour period
before the tire pressure is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight means the weight of a motor vehicle with standard equipment
including the maximum capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi
tioning and additional weight of optional equipment.
Extra load tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads and at higher infla
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Extra load tires
may be identified as "XL",
"xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the side
wall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
means the load-carrying capacity of a single axle system, measured
at the tire -ground interfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR"l
means the maximum total loaded weight of the vehicle.
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Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread ribs.
L oad ra ting (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated to carry for a given
inflation pressure. You may not find this information on all tires
because it is not required by law.
M ax im um l oad ra tin g
means the load rating for a tire at the maximum permissib le infla
tion pressure for that tire.
Ma ximum l oaded v ehi cle weigh t
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehic le capacity weight, and
(ct) Production options weight
M ax im um (p er mi ssibl e) infl ati on pr essur e
means the maximum cold inflation pressure to wh ich a tire may be
inflated. Also ca lled "maximum inflation pressure."
Normal occ upa nt wei ght
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the number of occupants
seated in the vehicle up to the to tal seating capacity of your vehicle.
O ccupant di stributi on
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle .
Outer di am eter
means the overall diameter of an inflated new tire.
O ve rall wi dth
means the linear distance between the exteriors of the sidewa lls of
an inflated tire, includ ing elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Pl y
means a layer of rubber -coated para lle l cords.
P rodu ction opt io ns wei ght
means the combined weight of those installed regular production
options weighing over 5 lbs . (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard
i t ems wh ich they replace, not previously considered in curb weigh t
or accessory weight, including heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof
rack, heavy duty battery, and specia l trim .
Radi al p ly tire
means a pneumatic tire in which the ply cords that extend to the
beads are laid at substantially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread .
Reco mm ended infl ati on pr essu re
see => page 288, "Cold tire inflation pressure".
Rein force d tir e
means a tire des ign to operate at higher loads and at higher infla
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Reinforced
t ires may be identi fied as "XL", "x i", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the
sidewall.
R im
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and tube assembly upon
wh ich the t ire beads are seated.
Rim di amet er
means nominal diameter of the bead seat. If you change your whee l
size, you wi ll have to purchase new tires to match the new rim diam
eter .
Rim siz e de sig nation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim wid th
means nominal distance between rim flanges.
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_L_T~ ir~e :..:s~ a~n~ d~ w~ h ~e~e~ l~ s '.,_ ______________________________________________ _
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the tread and bead.
Speed rating
means the speed at which a tire is designed to be driven for
extended periods of time. The ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298 km/h)=>
page 300. You may not find this informa
tion on a ll tires because it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applicable, is molded on the tire sidewa ll and indicates the maximum perm issible road speeds=>
&
in "Winter tires" on page 304.
Tire pressure monitoring system*
means a system that detects when one or more of a vehicle 's tires
are under inflated and illuminates a low tire pressure warning te ll
tale.
Tread
means that portion of a tire that comes into contact with the road.
Tread separation
means pu lling away of the tread from the tire carcass.
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the principa l grooves designed to give
a visual indication of the degrees of wear of the tread . See
=>
page 297, "Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)" for more information on
measuring tire wear.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire information system developed by the United States National
Highway Traffic Safety Adm inistration (NHTSA) that is designed to
help buyers make relative comparisons among tires. The UTQG is
not a safety rati ng and not a guarantee that a tire will last for a
prescribed number of miles (kilometers) or perform in a certain way.
It simply gives tire buyers additional informat ion to combine with
other considerations, such as price, brand loyalty and dealer recom-mendations. Under UTQG, tires are graded by the tire manufac
t urers in three areas: treadwear, traction, and temperature resis
tance . The UTQG information on the tires, molded into the
sidewalls.
U .S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN }
This is the tire's "seria l number". It begins with the letters "DOT"
and indicates that the tire meets al l federa l standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it was manufactured,
and the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufac
ture. For example,
DOT ... 2209 ...
means that the tire was produced in the 22nd week of 2009 . The
other numbers are marketing codes that may or may not be used by
the tire manufacturer . This information is used to contact
consumers if a tire defect requires a reca ll.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus 150 lbs. (68 kilograms)
times the vehicle's tota l seating capacity as listed on the label
located either on the driver's side 8-pillar or on the inside of the fuel
filler flap.
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is determined by distrib
uting to each axle its share of the maximum loaded vehicle weight
and dividing by two.
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is determined by distrib
uting to each axle its share of the curb weight, accessory weight,
and normal occupant weight (distributed in accordance with table
below =>
page 291) and dividing by two. _..
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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. 229 Tire pressure
label: located either on
driver's side B-pillar or
inside the fuel filler flap
Tir e pressure generally refers to the amount of air in a tire that it
needs it to do its job and safely carry the combined load of the entire
vehicle and its contents. T ire pressure is measured in kilopascals
(kPa), the international measuring unit and in pounds per square
inch (PSll. 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.
(.
~ ( SEATING CAPACllY JOTAL l:FRONT l:CENTER I )!EAR I )
TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION
Tot--w,lglodOCC1>-,ndQ,gc>"""-"1 ___ "90,_ , ...
TI RE SIZE CotO TIRE PRESSURE
FRO NT -KPa, - PSI
REAR -KPa, -PSI
Fig. 230 Tire pressure
label
Main taining 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.
On USA vehicles, the tire pressure label is located on the driver's
side B-pillar. On Canada vehicles, the tire pressure label is located
either on the driver's side B-pillar or inside the fuel filler flap . The tire
pressure label lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures ..,.
Vehicle care I I irechnical data
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for the vehic le at its maximum capacity weight and tires that were
on your veh ic le at the time it was manufactu red .
If you wish to improve comfort when operating the vehicle at
normal load (up to 3 occupants) , you can adjust tire pressures to
those specified for normal vehicle load. Before operating the vehicle at maximum load, you must increase the tire pres sures to those
s pecified for maximum vehicle load =>
&.
Bear in mind that the tire pressure monitoring system* can on ly
m onito r the tir e pres sures you have stored. The sys tem does not
recognize the load condition of your veh ic le.
The effectiveness of the tire p ressure monitoring system* will be
impaired i f you store normal load pressures but then operate the
vehic le at its maximum load=>&. See
the illustrat ion=>
page 291, fig. 229 for the location of the label
ei ther on d river's s id e B-p illar or ins ide the fuel fille r fl ap (c olor of
the actual label and exact location on the vehicle w ill vary sl ight ly).
N ote that the fol lowing tab le is accurate at the time of going to
press and is subject to cha nge . In the eve nt of d iscrepa nc ies, t he tire
pressure label (On USA vehic les, the tire press ure labe l is located on
t he drive r's sid e B- pilla r. On Ca nada ve hicles, the tir e pressu re label
is located either on the driver's side B-pillar or inside the fuel fil ler
fl ap) always takes prece den ce.
T he tab le below l ists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures
f o r the A udi m odel co vered by your Owner's Litera ture at the
veh ic le 's capacity we ight and the ti re s izes installed on t he respec
tive mode ls as o rigi nal eq uipment, o r as a facto ry opti on.
Engine Tire designation Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
(displace- normal load normal load
ment in condition (up to full load
condition (up full load
liter)
condition condition 2 occupants) to 2 occupants)
PSI PSI kPA kPA
4-cylinder 225/50 R17 94H All Season
32 2 20 33 23 0 29 200 33 230
2 .0
245/45 R17 95H All Season 32 220 33 230 29 200 33 230
245/40 R18 93H All Season 33 230
35 240 29 20
0 35 24 0
255 /35 R19 96V XL High Performance
32 220 33 230 32 220 33 230
265 /30 R20 94V XL High Performance 30 210 3 3 230 29 200 33 2 30
& -cylinder 225 /50 R17 94H All Season
33 230 35 240 29 200
33 230
3 .2
245/45 R17 95H All Season
33 230 35 240
29 200 33 230
245 /40 R18 93H All Season 33 230 36 250 29 200 35 240
255/35 R19 96V XL High Performance 32 220
35 24
0 32 22 0 33 23 0
265 /30 R20 94V XL High Performance
30 2
10
33 230 29 200 33 230
XL
= reinforced or extra load tire . It may also appear as xi , EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire sidewall.
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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 •
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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 .