
________________________________________________ T_i_re _ s_ a _ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ l!'II
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Tires age even if they are not be ing used and can fail suddenly ,
e specially at high speeds . Tires that are more than 6 year s old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at low
s peed .
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weigh t (in excess of those sta ndard items wh ich
may be replaced) of automatic transmission, power steer ing, power
bra kes, powe r win dows, power sea ts, radio, and heate r, to the exte nt
that these items are available as factory-insta lled equipment
(whet her i ns ta lled or no t).
Aspect ratio
means the r atio of t he he ight to t he widt h of the t ire in percent.
N umbers of 55 or lower indicate a low sidewa ll for improved steer ing
res ponse and bet ter over all h andling on dry p avemen t.
Bead
means the part of the t ire that is made of stee l wi res, w rapped or
re in forced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a brea kdown of the bond between components in the bead.
Cord
means the st rands forming the plies in the ti re.
Safety first
& W ARNING (co ntinued )
• Never mount u sed tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history ." Old u sed tires may have been damaged
eventhoughthedamagecannotbeseenthatcanleadtosudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
• If you notice unusual vibr ation 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 t ire pressu re recom mended by the vehicle manufa ctu rer
for a tire of a desig nate d size that has not been driven for more than
a couple of m iles ( kilomete rs) a t low speeds in the t hree hour per io d
before the tire pressu re is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
means the weight of a moto r vehicle wit h standard equipment
incl uding the max imum ca pac it y of fue l, o il, and coo lan t, air condi
tioning and additiona l weig ht of optional eq uipment.
Extra load tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads and at higher inflat ion
pressures than t he co rresponding sta ndard t ire. Extra load tires may
be identif ied as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewa ll.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ( "GAWR ")
means the loa d-carrying capac ity of a sing le ax le system, measure d at
the t ire-grou nd interfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR")
mea ns the maximum tota l loaded we ig ht of the vehicle .
Vehicle care Technical data

-~_T_ i_ re _ s_ a_n _ d_ w_ h _e_ e_ ls _________________________________________________ _
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread ribs.
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated to carry for a given infla
tion pressure. You may not find this information on all tires because
it is not required by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating fo r a tir e at the maximum permissible inflation
pressure for that tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressure to which a tire may be
inflated. Also called "maximum inflation pressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the number of occupants seated
in the vehicle up to the total seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distr ibution of occupants in a vehicle .
Outer diameter
means the overall diameter of an inflated new tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteriors of the sidewalls of
an inflated tire, including elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber -coated paralle l cords.
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those installed regular production
options weigh ing over 5 lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard
items which they replace, not previously considered in curb weight or
accessory weight, including heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof
rack, heavy duty battery, and special trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which the ply cords that extend to the
beads are laid at substantially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread .
Recommended inflation pressure
see=> page 307, "Cold tire inflation pressure".
Reinforced tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads and at higher inflation
pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Reinforced t ires may
be identified as "XL ", "x l", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and tube assembly upon
wh ich the tire beads are seated .
Rim diameter
means nominal diameter of the bead seat . If you change your wheel
size, you w ill have to purchase new tires to match the new rim diam
eter .
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nom inal distance between rim flanges.

________________________________________________ T_i_re _ s_ a _ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ _
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
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 320. You may not find this information on
all tires because it is not required by law .
The speed rating letter code, where applicable, is molded on the tire
sidewall and indicates the max imum permissible road speeds=>
& in
"Winter tires" on
page 323.
Tire pressure monitoring system*
means a system that detects when one or more of a vehicle's tires are
underinflated and illuminates a low tire pressure warning telltale.
Tread
means that portion of a tire that comes into contact with the road.
Tread separation
means pulling away of the tread from the tire carcass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the principal grooves designed to give a
visual indication of the degrees of wear of the tread. See=>
page 317,
"Tread Wear Ind icator (TWI)" for more information on measuring
tire wear.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tir e information system developed by the United States National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that is designed to
help buyers make relative comparisons among tires. The UTQG is not
a safety rating and not a guarantee that a tire will last for a prescribed
number of miles (kilometers) or perform in a certain way. It simp ly
gives tire buyers additional information to combine with other
considerations, such as price, brand loyalty and dealer recommenda
tions. Under UTQG, tires are graded by the tire manufacturers in three
Safety first
areas: treadwear, traction, and temperature resistance . The UTQG
information on the tires, molded into the sidewalls.
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
This is the tire's "serial number" It begins with the letters "DO T" and
indicates that the tire meets all federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it was manufac tured, and
the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufacture.
For example,
DOT ... 2209 ...
means that the tire was produced in the 22nd week of 2009 . The
other numbers are ma rket ing codes that may or may not be used by
the tire manufacturer . Th is information is used to contact consumers
if a tire defect requires a recall.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus 150 lbs. (68 kilograms)
times the vehicle's total seating capacity as listed on the label located
either on the driver's side B-pillar or on the inside of the fu e l filler
flap.
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is determined by distrib
ut ing 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 tab le below
=> page 310) and dividing by two. ._
Vehicle care Technical data

___ T_ i_ r _e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e_ l_ s _______________________________________________ _
Occ up ant loading and distribution for vehi cle normal load for various d esignated seating capacit ies
Designated seating capacity, num- Vehicle normal load , number of Occupant distribution in a nor
mally loaded vehicle
ber of occupants occupants
4
5
Cold tire inflation pressure
2
3
2 in front
2 in front, 1 in back seat
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
Fig. 252 Ti re pre ssure
l a bel : lo cate d eit he r o n
driver 's s ide B-pilla r or
in sid e t he fue l fill er
flap
TVIE' I IU COl.D 'nRI! MCUUM
PNIU DIMCNIIONII PMIIION Dtl "*lit A f:11101>
....
·-.. OIIICOUM
- KPA,. PSI
- KPA,. PSI
- KPA,. PSI
Fig. 2 53 Tire pre ssure
lab el
Ma inta in ing p roper tire pressure is one of the most important th ings
you can do to he lp avoid sudden tire fa ilure. Underinflated tires are a
ma jo r ca use of sudden t ire failure. Keep ing t ires a t the right pressu re
is a lso important for safe and responsive vehicle handling, tract ion,
bra king and loa d ca rry ing .
Tire pre ssures are particularly important
when the vehicle is be ing dr iven at higher speeds, and then espe
cially when he avily loaded even within the permi ssible load·
carr ying capacities approved for your veh icle.
Th e 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.
O n USA veh icles, the tire pressure label is lo cated on the drive r's side
8-pillar. On Canada vehicles, the t ire pressure label is located either
•
T ir e pressure ge nera lly refers to the amount of air in a t ire that it
needs it to do its job and safely carry the combined load of the entire
veh icle and i ts conten ts. Tir e pressure is measured in kilopascals
(kPa), the international measur ing unit and in pounds per square inch
(PSI) . Tire press ure is based in part on the veh icle 's design and load
limit -the greatest amount of weight that the vehicle can carry safe ly
and the t ire size . The proper tire pressure is frequently referred to as
the "recommended cold t ire inflation pressure." Air in the tires
expands when the ti re hea ts up because of i nterna l fr iction when it
flexes in use. The ti re p ressu re is highe r when the t ire has wa rmed up
than when it is "cold ." It is the inflation pressure in a "co ld" tire that
co unts . Therefo re, you should never let air out of a warm tire to
match "cold tire inflation pressure" recommendations . The t ires
would then be under inflated and could fail suddenly.
on the driver's side 8-pillar o r inside the fuel f iller flap. The ti re pres- ...

Tires and wheels Ill
----------------
sure label lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures for the
vehicle at its maximum capacity weight and tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
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 pressures to
those specified for maximum vehicle load~& .
Bear in mind that the tire pressure monitoring system* can only
mon itor the tire pressures you have stored . The system does not
recognize the load condition of your vehicle.
Th e effectiveness of the tire pressure monitoring system* will be
impaired if you store normal load pressures but then operate the
vehicle at its maximum load~.&, . See the
illustration
~ page 310, fig. 2 52 for the locat ion of the label
either on dr iver's side B-pillar or inside the fuel filler flap (color of the
actual label and exact location on the vehicle will vary slightly) .
Note that the following tab le is accurate at the time of going to press
and is subject to change. In the event of discrepancies , the tire pres
sure label (On USA vehicles, the tire pressure label is located on the
dr ive r's side B -pillar . On Canada veh icles, the tire pressure label is
located either on the dr iver's s ide B-pillar or inside the fue l f ill er flap)
always takes precedence.
The table below lists the recommended cold t ire inflation pressures
for the Audi model covered by your Owner's Literature at the vehicle's
capacity weight and the tire sizes insta lled on the respective models
as original equipment, or as a factory option .
Engine Tire designation Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
(displace- normal load full load normal load
full load
ment in conditiona> condition conditiona> condition
liter)
PSI kPA PSI kPA
a -cylinder 255/45 Rla 99H All Season
33 230 36 250 30 210 35 240
4.2
255/40 Rl9 l0OV XL All Season 36 250 39 270 33 38 260
255/40 Rl9 l00Y XL High Performance 33 230 36 250 30 210 35 240
265/35 R20 99V XL High Performance 35 240 38 260 32 220 36 250
275/35 R20 102V XL High Performance 38 260 41 280 35 240 44 300
a-cylinder 255/45 Rla 99H All Season 33 230 36 30 210 35 240
4.2 L
255/40 Rl9 l00V XL All Season 36 250 39 270 33 230 38 260
255/40 R19 l00Y XL High Performance 33 230 36 250 30 35 240
275/35 R20 102V XL High Performance 38 260 41 280 35 240 44 300
Safety first Vehicle care Technical data

Ill Tires and wheels
-------------------
Engine Tire designation Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
(displace- normal load
full load normal load
full load
ment in
liter) conditiona
> condition
conditiona> condition
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI
kPA
PSI kPA
12-cylinder
255/45 R18 99H All Season 36 250 39 270 32 220 35 240
6 .0
255/40 R19 lOOV XL All Season 41 280 44 300 36 250 39 270
255 /40 R19 lOOY XL High Performance 36 250 39 270 32 220 35 240
275/35 R20 102V XL High Performance 3 8 260 41
280 35 240 44 300
XL= reinforced or extra load tire . It may also appear as xl, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire sidewall.
a) norma l load cond iti on => page 310.
The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is located on a label
ei ther on the driver 's s ide B- pillar o r inside the f uel fille r flap .
Beca use techn ica l changes may be made to vehicle equipment during
the model year, always compare the tire size designation o n the tire
pressure labe l on yo ur vehi cle w it h the tires on your ve hicle. Make
sure that the tire size information on the ve hicle labe l is the same as
t he s ize of the tires on the vehicle. This is especia lly im portant if the
vehicle belongs to someone e lse or you boug ht the vehicle w it h
different r ims/ tires or you bo ugh t the vehicle as a prev iously owne d
veh icle .
Remember, your safety and that of your passengers also depends on
ma king sure that load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load includes
everybody and everything in an d on the vehicle . These load limits are
t echnically refer red to as the veh icle's G ross Ve hicle Weig ht Ra ting
("GVWR"). The Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is the max imum
load that ca n be applied at ea ch of the vehi cle's two axles. The G ross
Vehicle Weight Rating and the Gross Ax le Weight Rating are listed on
t he safety compliance sticke r label lo cated ei ther on the d river 's side
B-pil lar or o n the inside of the fuel filler flap. T he tire pressure label
on yo ur A udi lists the maximum comb ined weight o f all of the occu -pa
nts and luggage or other ca rgo that the ve hicle can carry . For the
loc atio n of t he tir e pressure label~
page 310, fig. 252.
& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control, a crash or
other accident, serious personal injury, and even death.
• Carry ing more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry
will prevent the vehicle from handling prope rly and increase the
ri sk of a lo ss of vehicle control.
• The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehicl e within a safe distance.
• Tires on a vehicle that ha s been overloaded can fail suddenly
causing lo ss of control and a crash .
• Always make sure that the total load being transported -
i ncluding the weight of a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehicle heavier than the
vehicle 's Gro ss Vehicle Weight Rating .
~

Tires and wheels -________________ fWII
is mor e difficult to s top . Ov erloadin g can not only lead to loss of
ve hicle cont rol , but can a lso dam ag e im por tant parts of th e veh icl e
and can lead to s udden t ire failur e, incl uding a blowout and sudd en
deflation that can cause the vehicle to c ras h.
You r saf ety an d that o f your p assenger s also d ep end s on maki ng sur e
tha t load limits a re not exceeded. Vehi cle load in cludes everyb ody
a nd every thing in and on the ve hicl e. The se l oad l imi ts are tech nicall y
referred to as the ve hicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVW R").
Th e "GVWR " includes the we ight of the basic vehicle, all factory
ins talled accessories, a f ull tank of fue l, o il, coola nt and o ther flu ids
plus maxim um loa d. The maxim um loa d i ncludes the number of
pass eng ers that t he v ehicle is inten ded to ca rry ("s eating capa city")
w it h an ass ume d we ight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each passenger at a
desig nated se ating pos it io n and t he tota l weig ht o f any luggage in
the vehicle . If you tow a tra iler , the weight of t he trailer hitch and t he
t o ngue we ig ht of th e load ed t rail er m ust be i ncluded as p art o f the
vehicle load.
Th e
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAW R") is the ma ximu m load that
can be a pplied at each of t he veh icle's two axles.
T he Gross Vehicle Weight Rati ng and the Gross Axle Weight Rat ing
a re list ed on the sa fe ty c ompl iance sticke r label loca te d ei the r on the
driver's side B-pilla r or on the inside of the fuel fille r flap . Your Audi
h as 5 se ating posit ion s, 2 i n the fro nt and 3 in t he re ar for to tal
seating capacity of 5. Ve hicles wit h power ind iv id ual rear s eats* have
4 se ating posi tions, 2 in the front and 2 i n the rea r for tot al sea ting
capacity of 4. Each seat ing pos ition has a safety belt =>
page 197,
"Safety be lts" .
Th e fa ct that th ere is an upper li mit to your ve hicle's Gross Vehicle
We ight Rating means that the total weight o f whatever is being
c ar ried in the vehicle ( including the we igh t o f a t rail er hit ch and the
tongue weight of the loa ded tra ile r) is limited. The mo re passengers
in the vehi cle or p assen gers wh o are he avie r than t he stand ard
we ights assum ed mean t hat less weight ca n be carried as luggage.
Safety first
The tire pressure label on yo ur Aud i also lis ts the maxim um combined
we ight of all of the o ccupant s and lug gage o r oth er c argo that t he
vehicle ca n car ry . For the location o f the label=>
pag e 310, fig. 252 .
& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control, a crash or
other accident, serious personal injury, and even death .
• Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry
will prevent the vehicle from handling properly and increase the risk of the loss of vehicle control.
• The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehicle within a safe distance.
• 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. .,_
Vehicle care Technical data

-Tires and wheels
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
l.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 310,
fig. 252.
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 310, fig. 252.
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.) 5. Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult this manual to
determine how this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load capacity of your
vehicle.
- Check the tire sidewall( ::::}
page 318,
fig. 256) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific tire.•