
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.•

________________________________________________ T_ i_ re _ s_ a_ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l _s _ ....... JIII
Tire service Life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of different
things including proper installation and balancing,
correct tire pressure and driving style.
_/l
l '-------- ,)
Tread Wear Indic ator (TWI )
Fig. 2 54 T ir e t read :
t rea d we ar i ndicators
( T WI)
Fig . 255 Rotati ng
t ir e s fo r mo re e ve n
w ea r
Th e or iginal t ires on your veh icle have 1/16 inch ( 1.6 mm) high "wear
ind icators"=> fig . 254 running across the tread . Depending on the
make, there w ill be six to e ight of them evenly placed around the tire.
Marks on the t ire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other symbols) indi
cate the posit ions of the tread wear indicators . Worn tires must be
replaced. Different fig ures may apply i n other countr ies => ,& .
Vehicle OP-eration
Tire pres sur e
Incorrect tire pressure ca uses premature wear and can cause sudden
tire blow-out . For this reason, tire pressure m ust be checked at least
once a mo nth =>
page 313.
Driv ing style
Driving fast around curves, heavy acceleration and hard braking
increase tire wear .
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the same service life, we
recommend that the fron t and rear tires a re rotated accord ing to the
t ire manufact urer's suggested tire rotation intervals . Please
remember the follow ing:
• T ire ro tat ion interva ls may differ from the ve hicle service in tervals
outlined in your Warranty
& Maintenance book let.
• The longer one tire is used in one location on the veh icle, the more
i t wears at certain points; therefore, we recommend that you follow
the t ire manufacturer's suggested tire rotation intervals.
• Vehicles with front-whee l drive experience more tread wear on the
front wheels compared to all-wheel dr ive (quattro
® ).
• Please rotate tires as sh own => fig. 255.
• Extra care must be taken when rotat ing d irection-spec ific tires
=:> page 341.
Wheel balancing
The w heels on new vehicles are balanced . H oweve r, various sit uat ions
dur ing everyday dr iving can cause them to become unbalanced,
resulting in vibrations yo u can usu a lly fee l through the s teering
wheel.
Unbalanced whee ls must be rebalanced to avoid excessive wear on
steering, suspension and t ires . A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed. _,,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

___ T_ i_ r _e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e_ l_ s _______________________________________________ _
Inco rrect wheel al ignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can cause excessive tire wear, impairing
the safety of the vehicle . If tires show excessive wear, have the wheel
alignment checked by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified wo rk
shop .
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles with quattro ® must always have tires of the same s ize,
constr uction and tread type . For details see~
page 257.
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure c an lead to loss of control , a cra sh and seriou s
personal injur y!
• Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire i s worn down
to the wear ind icators .
• Worn tire s are a s afety hazard, they do not grip w ell on wet
roads and increa se your risk of "h ydroplaning" and lo ss of control.
• Always keep chemical s that can cause tir e damage, su ch as
grea se , oil , gasoline and brake flu id away from tires .
• Tires age even if they ar e not b eing used and can fail suddenly ,
especially 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
lower speeds .
• Never mount u sed tir es on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history. " Old used tires m ay have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control. •
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in.
Fig. 256 Tire specifica tion cod es on t he sidewall of a tire
No.
©
@
®
©
©
©
Descript ion
Passenger car tire (where applicable)
Nom inal width of tire in mi llimeters
Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
Radial
Rim diameter code
Load index and speed rating

________________________________________________ T_i_re _ s_ a _ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ _
0
-
©
®
@
-
@
U.S . DOT tire identification number
Audi Original tire
Sever snow conditions
Tire ply composition and materials used
Treadwear, traction and temperature grades Ma ximum perm issible 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 characteris
tics of the vehicle and can make a major contribution to good road
holding and safe handling when in good condition and properly
inflated =>
&.
We recommend that all work on tires and wheels be performed by an
authorized Audi dealer. They are familiar with recommended proce
dures 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 320.
Always buy replacement radial tires that have the same specifications
as the tires approved for your vehicle by Audi. Replacement tires must
always have the same load rating specification as the original equip
ment or approved optional tires listed in the table=>
page 310.
Audi-approved specification tires are specially matched to your
vehicle and its load limits, and can contribute to the important road-
Safety first
holding, driving characteristics, and safety of the vehicle. The table
(=>
page 310) lists specifications of the tires approved for the Audi
models covered by your Owner's Literature.
The tire pressure label located either on driver's side B-pillar or inside
the fuel filler flap (=>
page 310, fig. 253) lists the specifications of
the original equipment tires installed 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 318, fig. 256. This infor
mation identifies and describes the fundamental characteristics, the
quality grade of the tire and also provides a tire identification number
for safety standard certification and in case of a recall.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it easier to choose the correct
tires. Radial tires have the tire specifications marked on the sidewall,
for example:
255/45 R 18 99 H
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
45 Height/width ratio in percent (aspect ratio)
R Tire construction: Radial
18 Rim diameter code (in inches)
99 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 tire has some mud and snow capa
bility
The tires could also have the information of direction of rotation
=>
page 306 .
Vehicle care Technical data

-Tires and wheels
---------------------------------------------
Tire manufacturing date
The manu fac tu rin g date is also indica ted on the tire sidewa ll
(poss ibly only on the
inner s ide of the w heel):
"DOT . .. 2209 ... "means, fo r example, the t ire was prod uced in the
2 2n d week of 200 9.
Speed rating (letter code )
The speed rat ing lett er code on the w heels ind icates t he maxim um
permissible road speeds => & in "Winter t ires" on
page 323 .
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 1 06 mph (1 70 km/h)
S up to 110 mp h (1 80 km /h)
T up to 118 mph ( 190 km/ h)
U up to 124 mp h (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 16 8 mph ( 270 km/h)3
)
Y up to 186 mp h (298 km/h)3>
Your vehicle is normally factory eq uipped with t ires, which possess
ex cellen t dr iv in g ch aract eri sti cs a nd give your Audi op timum driv ing
comfort. A n elect ronic spe ed limiter=>
page 26will normally prevent
your vehicle from goin g faste r tha n the t ire speed rating =>& .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN) and tire
manufacture date
Th is is the t ire's "ser ial nu mber" . It begi ns w ith t he letters "DOT" a nd
ind ic at es that t he tire mee ts all f ed eral stan dards. The nex t two
numbe rs or lette rs i ndicate the p lant where it was ma nufactu red, and
the last four numbers rep resent t he week an d year of manu fact ure.
For example, the numbers 2209 mean the tire was produced in t he
3l For t ire s w ith a m axim um spee d capability ove r 14 9 mph (240 km/h), t ire
man ufac turers somet imes use the l etters "ZR. "
22nd week of 2009 . The other numbers are market ing codes that
m ay o r m ay not be use d by the tire ma nufa cture r. T his inf orm ation is
used to contact cons umers if a ti re de fect requires a recall.
Audi original tire
T ires with t he ident ification "AO" or "RO" have been specially
mat ched w ith yo ur Audi. We recommend using o nly these t ires
b ecause t hey meet the hig hest standards regarding safety a nd
dr iv in g ch arac teris tic s when use d cor rec tly. Yo ur au thor ized Audi
dealer will g lad ly provide you with more info rmation .
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of p lies indicates the number of layers of rubber-coated
f a b ric in the tire. In ge ne ral, the g rea ter the n umbe r of plies, the
more weight a t ire can support. Tire manufacture rs also must indi
c a te the mate rials in the t ire, w hich incl ude stee l, nylo n, polyester,
and others .
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the maximum load in kilograms and pounds
th at can be ca rr ied by the tire .
Tire quality grading for treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and temperature grades=> page 322.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
Thi s number is the greatest amo unt o f air press ure t hat should eve r
be pu t in the tire unde r norm al driv in g cond iti ons.
Replacing tires or rims on vehicles equipped with
tire pressure monitoring system*
T he wheels on yo ur vehicle are eq uipped w ith a senso r which
con stantl y m onitor s the a ir pressure insid e the tire, an d th en tra ns
m its this info rmation to the tire press ure monito ring system *.
If you
a re goi ng to repl ace t he w heel rims on your ve hicle, m ake sur e the
new rims also have these sensors . The sensors m ust be compat ible
w ith the tire pressure mo nitoring sys te m* on you r ve hicl e. ..,_

Tires and wheels Ill
----------------
If you install rims, which do not have the sensors, or have sensors
w hich are not compa tible, then the tire pressure moni toring sys tem *
w ill not wo rk p roperly. I n this case, t he tire pressure monitor ing
system * wo uld not be ab le to monitor the tire pressure or warn yo u if
it is necessary .
• The battery inside of the tire pressure sensor has a limited service
l ife.
• Always dr ive wit h the
valve stem caps securely mo unted. We
recommend using factory ins ta lled
valve stem caps. As k your autho
r ized Audi dea ler to rep lace lost
valve stem caps .
Th e insta llation of repl acement tir es w ith s teel co rd bo dy plies in the
t ire sidewa ll may ca use ma lfunctio n of the tire pressure mo nitoring
system *, and is not recommende d (cord material informat io n i n
molded on the ti re s idewall).
Always check your tire pressure monito ring system* indicator afte r
re plac ing one or mo re tires on your vehicle. If the tire press ure m oni
to ring system* indicator flashes, or is on, your system is not working
pro perl y. Yo ur repla ceme nt tire might be incomp atible with your t ire
pressure monitoring system*, or some component of the tire pres
sure mon itor ing system * may be damaged.
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and / or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can lead to loss of cont rol, collision
and seriou s per sonal injury .
• Always use tires, rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifica
tions of original fa ctory-in stalled tires or other combination s that
have been specifically appro ved by the vehicle manufacturer.
• 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 u sed in an emergen cy and then with special care and at
lowe r speeds.
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history." Old used tires may have been damaged
Safety first
& WARNING (co ntinued )
eventhoughthedamagecannotbeseenthatcanleadtosudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
• All four wheels must be fitted with radial tires of the same
type, size (rolling circumference ) and the same tr ead pattern.
Driving with different t ires reduces vehicle handling and can lead
to a lo ss of control.
• If the spare ti re is not the same as the tires that are mounted
on the vehicle - for example with w inter tires - only use the spare
tire fo r a sho rt pe riod of t ime and drive with extra 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 tire s cause heat build-up, sudden tire failure,
including a blowout and sudden deflation and loss of control.
• Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated
and not over or underinflated.
• For technical reasons it is not always possible to use wheels
from other vehicles - in some c ases not even wheel s from the same
vehicle model.
• 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 distance s
and causing a collision.
• Run flat tires may only be u sed on vehicles th at were equipped
with them at the factory. The vehicle must have a chassis designed
fo r run flat tires and a factor y-in stalled tire pres sure monitoring
system* that indicates a loss of tire pre ssure. 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 with run flat tires . If run flat tires are used , they must
be installed on all four wheels. Mixing tire types is not permitted . ..,_
Vehicle care Technical data

-Tires and wheels
PW-------------------
0 Note
• For techn ica l reasons, it is not generally poss ible to use the wheel
rims from other vehicles. This can hold true for whee ls of the same
vehicle type.
• If the spare tire is different from the tires that you have mounted
on your vehicle (for example w inter tires or wide profile tires), then
use the spare tire for a short period of time only and drive with extra
care . Replace the flat tire with the tire match ing the others on your
vehicle as soon as possible.
• If you should put different wheels and tires on your vehicle (e.g.
winter wheels and tires), you must be certain that the wheels and
tires are compatib le with the tir e pressure monito ring system*.
Otherwise the system will register a malfunction and a fault message
w ill be displayed . For more info rmation, contact your Audi dealer .
0 Note
• When install ing new tires, be careful not to damage the valves or
tire pressure monitoring system* sensors.
• 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
• T emperatu re A B C Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire side wall
between tread sho
ulder and maximum section width =>
page 318,
fig. 256.
Fo r example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA, Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal Safety Requirements
in addition to these grades.
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate
of the tir e when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and one half (11/2)
times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actua l conditions
of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characte ristics 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 con trolled conditions on specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and concrete . A tire marked C may have poor trac
tion 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.
Susta ined high temperature can cause the materia l 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