Tires and wheels Ill _____________ --=-=--=.:..:......:..::....:.=----
gauge and keep chec king the press ure until you reach t he press ure
th at i s cor rect fo r t he lo ad ( pass en ge rs and l uggage) and kind of
dr iving you plan to do .
If the press ure i n any t ire is too low, note the difference betwee n th e
pressu re in t he cold tire a nd the pressure you need and add the air
that you need to reach the correct pressure for t he ve hicle load
( pass enge rs and lugg age) f or th e tires on yo ur vehicle as l ist ed on t he
on your vehicle and in this manua l and the kind of driving you p lan to
do.
Never exceed the maximum inflation pressure listed on the tire
sidewall for any reason.
Remember that the ve hicle m anufac tur er, no t the tire manufa cture r,
determines t he correct tire press ure for the t ires on your veh icle.
It is important to check the tire pressure when the t ires a re co ld .
• Read the requ ired t ire pr essure from t he t ire pr essure lab el. T he
tire pressure labe l is locate d on t he driver's side 8- pillar. Th e tire pres
s u re labe l lists t he re com men ded col d tire inflat io n pr essures fo r the
vehicle at its maxim um capac ity we ight and the t ires t hat were on
yo ur vehicle at the t ime it was ma nufact ured. For r ecom mende d tire
pressures fo r norma l load cond it ions, please see chapter
=> page 318.
• Turn the valve stem cap co unter -clockw ise to remove it from the
t ire v alve.
• Place the air press ure gauge on the valve.
• The tire p ressures sho uld on ly be checked and adjusted wh en the
tires are cold. The slightly raised press ures of wa rm tires must not be
re du ced.
• Adjust the tire p ress ure to the loa d you are ca rry ing.
• Reinstall the valve stem cap o n the valve .
When should I check the tire pressure?
The correct tire press ure is especially important at high speeds. The
pressu re shoul d there fore be c hec ke d at least once a mo nth a nd
Safety first
always before start ing a journey . Do not forget to check t he t ire pres
s u re for the spare w heel.
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Adju st the tir e pre ssure to the load y ou ar e carry ing. A fter ch anging a
wheel
or replac ing wheels you have to adjust t he t ire p ressures on all
w heels. I n addition , you m ust th en s tore the new tire press ures i n the
t ir e pressu re monitoring system=>
page 335.
& WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can lead sudden tire
failure, loss of control, collision, serious pers onal injury or even
death.
• When the warning symbol appears in the instrument
cluster, stop and inspect the tires.
• Incorrect tire pressure and/or underinflation can cause
increased tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability.
• Incorrect tire pressure s 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 pressures for all
tires on the vehicle. The applicable pressure values are located on a sticker on the driver's side B-pillar.
• 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 values for the tire s and the correct pres
sures for the function of the tire pressure monitoring system.
• Always inflate tires to the recommended and correct tire pres-
sure before driving off. .,_
Vehicle care Technical data
& WARNING (continued)
• 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.
• Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly,
including 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 vehicle 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.
Safety first
Tires and wheels 11111
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 318,
fig. 239.
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 318, fig. 239.
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 lbs.) •
Vehicle care Technical data
Tires and wheels -________________ f!:f'II
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure cau se s prema ture we ar and c an cau se sudden
ti re blow-o ut. Fo r this reaso n, tir e press ure must be ch ecked at l eas t
once a mo nth ;:::,
page 320.
Driving style
Driv in g fast aro und curves, heavy a cce le ra ti on and hard bra kin g
increase tire wea r.
Rotating tires for more even wear
Fo r all fou r tir es on your ve hicle to have the same service life, we
re co mm end th at t he fron t and rear tire s ar e rotat ed acco rd ing t o the
tire ma nufact urer's s uggested tire rotation intervals. Please
remem be r th e fo llow ing:
• Tir e ro tat io n in terv als ma y differ from t he ve hicle serv ice in terv als
out lined in your Warranty
& Maintenance bo oklet .
• Th e long er o ne tire is used i n one location on t he veh icle, t he mo re
it wears at certa in po ints; t herefore, we recommend t hat you follow
th e tir e m an ufac ture r's sugges ted tire r ota tion in te rv a ls .
• Vehicles w ith fro nt-w hee l dr ive experience mo re tread wea r on the
fron t w heels compared to all-whe el driv e (qua ttro ®).
• P leas e ro tate tires as sh own ;:::, fig. 242.
• Extra care m ust be ta ken when rotat ing direction-specific tires
=:, p age 3 44 .
Wheel balancing
The w heels on new ve hicl es a re bala nced. However, v ario us sit uatio ns
dur ing everyday driving can cause them to become unba lanced,
re su lt ing in vibra tions yo u can usually fee l throug h the stee rin g
w hee l.
Unbalanced whee ls mus t be rebalanced to avoid excessive wear on
s t eer ing, suspension and t ir e s. A wheel must also b e rebalanced
w hen a new tire is installed.
Safety first
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrec t wheel a lignment can c ause excessive t ire wear, im pair ing
t he sa fety o f the ve hicle . If t ires s how exc essive wear, hav e the wheel
alignment checked by an author ized A udi dealer o r qualifie d wo rk
shop.
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles with quattro ® must a lways have tires of the same s ize,
constr uctio n an d trea d type . For details see ;:::,
page 258 .
& 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 ind icators .
• Worn tires are a safety hazard, they do not grip well on wet
roads and increase your risk of "hydroplaning" and loss of control.
• Always keep chemicals that can cause tire damage, such as
grease, oil , gasoline and brake fluid away from tires.
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
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
eventhoughthedamagecannotbeseenthatcanleadtosudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control. •
Vehicle care Technical data
________________________________________________ T_i_re _ s_ a _ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ __
holding, driv ing characteristics, and safety of the vehicle. The table
( =>
page 318) lists specifications of the tires approved for the Audi
models covered by your Owner's Literature .
Th e tire pressure label located on the driver's side B-pillar
=> page 318, fig. 240 lists the specifications of the original equ ip
ment tires insta lled on your vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to place standardized infor
mation on the sidewall of all tires=>
page 326, fig. 243. This infor
mation identifies and describes the fundamenta l characteristics, the
quality grade of the tir e and also provides a tire ident ification number
for safety standard certification and in case of a reca ll.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it easier to choose the correct
tires . Radial tires have the tire spec ifications marked on the s idewall,
for example:
P255 / 55 R 18 109 H XL
This contains the following information:
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars (where applicable)
255 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire from sidewall edge to side-
wall edge. In general, the larger the number, the wider the tire
55 Height/width ratio in percent (aspect ratio)
R Tire construction: Rad ial
18 Rim d iameter code ( in inches)
109 Load rating code
H Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" Indicates that the tire is a"Rein
forced" or an "Extra Load" tire
M+S (or "M/5") Indicates that the t ire has some mud and snow capa
bility
The tires could also have the info rmation of direction of rotation
=> page 314.
Safety first
Tire manufacturing date
The manufacturing date is a lso indicated on the tire sidewa ll
(poss ibly only on the
inner side of the wheel):
"DOT ... 2209 ... "means, for example, that the tire was produced in
t he 22nd week of 2009.
Speed rating (Letter code)
The speed rat ing letter code on the wheels ind icates the maximum
permissible road speeds =>
& in "Winter tires" on page 330.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (1 70 km/h)
S up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
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/h)
3>
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)3>
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)3
)
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)3>
Your vehicle is normally factory equ ipped with t ires, which possess
excellent driving characte ristics and give yo ur Audi opt imum dr iv in g
comfort. An electronic speed limiter=>
page 26will normally prevent
your vehicle from going faster than the tire speed rating
=> &.
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN) and tire
manufacture date
Th is is the tire's "ser ial number" . It begins w ith the letters "DOT" and
indicates that the tire meets all federal 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 manufacture .
For example, the numbers 2209 mean that the tire was produced in
~
3> F o r tires w ith a maximum speed capab ili ty over 149 mph (240 km/h), tire
manufact urers somet imes use the letters "ZR."
Vehicle care Technical data
________________________________________________ T_i_re _ s_ a _ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ _
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Run flat t ires may onl y be u sed on vehicles that were equipped
with them at the factory. The vehicle must have a chassi s de signed
for run flat tires. Incorrect use of run flat tires can lead to vehicle
damage or accident s. Check with an authorized Audi dealer or tire
specialist to see if your vehicle can be equipped w ith run flat tires .
If run flat tires are u sed, they mu st be in stalled on all four wheel s.
Mixing t ire types is not permitted.
0 Note
• For techn ical reaso ns, it is not generally poss ible to use the wheel
r ims from o ther vehicles. This c an hold t rue for wheels o f th e s ame
vehicle type.
• If the sp are tire is different from the tires t hat yo u have mo unted
on your vehicle (for examp le w inter t ires or wide profile tires), then
use the spare t ire for a short per io d of t ime on ly and d rive wi th ex tra
care . Replace the flat t ire with the tire matching the others on your
vehicle as soon as possible.
• Never dr ive without the valve stem cap . The valves could get
d amaged .
~ For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old t ires in accordance wit h the loca l req uirements .•
Uniform tire quality grading
• Tr ead we ar
• Tract ion AA A B C
• Temperatu re A B C
Quality g rades can be found where app licab le on the tire side wa ll
be tween tread s hou lde r an d max imum se ct io n w idt h~
page 3 26,
fig. 243.
Safety first For example:
Tread wear 200
, Tract ion AA , Temperat ure A.
All passenger car ti res must confo rm to Federa l Safety Requirements
in addition to these grades.
Tread wear
T he tread wear grade is a compa rative rat ing based on the wear rate
o f th e tire when tested under contro lled conditions o n a specifie d
government test cou rse .
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and one half (1 1/2)
ti mes a s we ll on t he governme nt co urse a s a tire graded 10 0 .
The relat ive pe rformance o f tires depe nds upon the actua l conditions
o f their use, however, and m ay depar t sig nificantly from the norm
due to variations in d riving hab its, se rvice practices and differences in
road characte rist ics and cl imate.
Traction
Th e traction grades , from highes t to lowe st, are AA, A, Band C. Those
grades repr esen t the t ire's ability to stop on wet pavemen t as
measu red under con trolled con dit io ns on s pecified government test
surfaces of asphalt and conc rete. A tire marked C may have poor t rac
tion performance ~& .
Temperature
The tempera ture grades are A (the highest), B, an d C, represen ting
t he t ire's res ista nce to the gene ra tion of heat a nd its ab ility to d issi
pa te heat when teste d unde r contro lled condi tions on a spec ified
indoor laboratory tes t wheel.
S ustained h igh temperature ca n cause the material of the tire to
degene rate and red uce tire li fe, and excessive tem per at ure c an lead
to sudden tire failure ~& .
Th e grade C cor responds to a leve l of perfo rmance which a ll
passenger car tires mus t meet under the Federal Motor Veh icle
Sa fety Standa rd No. 1 09 . G rades Band A represent higher levels of
performance o n the labo ra tory test w hee l than the minim um
req uired by law . .,_
Vehicle care Technical data
Tires and wheels Ill
----------------
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and traffic condit ions.
Never let the good a cceleration of the winter tires and all-wheel
drive t empt you into tak ing e xtra ri sks. Always rememb er:
• When braking , an all-wheel drive vehicle handle s in the same
way as a front drive vehicl e.
• Drive carefully and reduce your speed on icy and slippery road s,
even winter tires cannot help under black ice condit ions.
c£> For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather co ndit ions permit. They are qu ieter,
do not wea r as qu ickly and r educe fuel consumpt ion. •
Snow chains
Snow c hains m ay be fi tted on ly to the rear w heels, and only to cer tain
tire sizes . Ask your authorized Audi dea ler on wh ich tire sizes snow
c hains can be used .
Th e snow chains must have low-profile links and m ust not be thicker
than 0.53 inch ( 13 .S mm), including the lock .
Remove wheel ce nter covers and trim discs before put ting snow
chains on your vehicle~
0. For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fi tted over t he wheel bolts . T hese a re av ail able fro m auth o rized
Audi dealers.
& WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehicle or installing them
in correctly can increa se the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
Safety first
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Snow chains are available in different sizes . Always make sure
to follow the instruction s provided by the snow chain manufac
turer.
• When driving with snow cha ins never drive fa ster than the
speed permitted for your specific snow chains .
• Always observe local regulat ions.
0 Note
• Remove snow chains before driving on roads not covered wit h
snow to avoid damaging t ires and wear ing the snow chains down
unnecessar i Ly .
• Snow chains, whi ch come into direc t contac t wi th the w heel rim,
can scratch o r damage it. Therefore, make s ure that the snow chai ns
are sui tably covered. Chec k the pos ition of the snow chains after
dr iv ing a few yards and correct if necessary . Follow the instruct ions
from the snow chain ma nufact urer when do ing so.
• If the Adaptive Air Suspension* should malfunct io n, do not mount
or use snow chai ns because the ve hicle w ill be extreme ly low. If you
do d rive with snow chains on while the vehicle is at this level, the
snow c hains m ight severe ly damage the whee lhouse and other parts
of t he ve hicle .
[ i ] Tips
Whe re snow c ha in s are mandatory on ce rtain roads, t his norm ally
also app lies to vehicles with All Whee l Dr ive. •
Vehicle care Technical data
Tires and wheels -________________ fWII
• After any impact, immediately inspect your tires or have them
inspected by the nearest authorized Audi dealer. Replace a damaged
tire as soon as possible.
• Inspect your tires every 2,000 miles (3,000 km) for damage and
wear . Damage is not always easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of
air and underinflation, wh ich could eventually cause tire failure. If
you believe that a tire may have been damaged, replace the tire as
soon as possible.
• These tires may wear more quickly than others .
• Please also remember that, while these tires deliver responsive
handling, they may ride less comfortably and make more noise than
other choices.
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
All tires are designed for certain purposes. The low aspect ratio, ultra high performance tires originally installed on your vehicle are
intended for maximum dry and wet road performance and handling.
Th ey are not su itable for cold, snowy or icy weather conditions. If you
drive under those circumstances, you should equip your vehicle with
all -season or winter tires, which offer better traction under those
conditions. We suggest you use the recommended snow or all-season
tires specified for your vehicle, or their equiva lent.
Refer to~
page 330 for more detailed i nformat ion regard ing w inter
tires. •
Tire pressure monitoring system
General notes I)
Each tire, including the spare (if prov ided), should be checked
month ly when cold and inflated to the inflation pressure recom
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire
inf lation pressure label. (If your vehicle has tires of a different size
than the size ind icated o n the vehicle p lacard o r tire inflation pressure
Safety first
label, you should determine the proper tire inflation pressure for
t hose tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a t ire
pressure monitoring system ( TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pres
s ur e telltale when one or more of your tires is significantly under
inflated. According ly, when the low tire pressure te lltale illuminates,
you should stop and check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure. Driving on a sign ificantly under- inflated
tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure. Unde r
inflation also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle's handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper t ire ma inte
nance, and it is the driver's responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if unde r-inflation has not reached the level to trigge r
illumination of the TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been eq uipped with a TPMS mal function indi
cator to indicate when the system is not operating properly . The
TPM S malfunction indicator is combined with the low tire pressure
telltale . When the system detects a ma lfunct ion, the telltale will
flash for approximately one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated . T his sequence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indica tor is illum inated, the system may not
be able to detect or signal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
ma lfunctions may occur fo r a variety of reasons, including the instal
lat ion of replacement or alternate tires or wheels on the veh icle that
prevent the TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the TPMS
malfunction telltale after replac ing one or more tires or wheels on
your vehicle to ensure that the rep lacement or a lternate tires and
wheels allow the TPMS to continue to function properly .•
Vehicle care Technical data
Tires and wheels -________________ fff'II
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• The driver is responsible for maintaining the correct tire pres
sure s. You must check the tire pressures regularly.
• Under certain conditions (such as a sport y driving style , winter
cond ition s or unpaved roads) , the pre ssure monitor indicator may
be delayed.
• Ask your authorized Audi dealer if run-flat t ires may be used on
your vehicle. Your vehicle registration becomes invalid if you use
the se tires when not permitted. Damage to your vehicle or acci
dents could al so result.
[ i ] Tips
• Th e tire pressure monito ring system stops wo rking when there is
an ESP/ABS ma lf u nct ion.
• Using snow cha ins may res ult in a sys tem malfunction.
• The tire press ure mon itor ing system on your Audi was calibrated
u sing t ires wi th the "AO" or "RO" identifi cat ion . W e recommend
using these tires. •
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
If the tire pres sur e is adjuste d, wheels ore ro tated o r
change d, th e TP MS mus t be rese t via MMI .
- Tur n on th e ig nit ion.
- Select : Func tion button [C AR]> Systems* > Tire pressure
monitoring > Store now .
[I) Tips
Before resetti ng the T PMS, the curr ent pr essures of all fo ur tires
must co rrespond to the specif ied values. Adjust the tire pressure and
Safety first
reset the pressure in the t ire p ressure mo nitoring system acco rd in g
t o the loa d you are carry ing ::::>
page 318. •
Vehicle care Technical data