Intelligent technology
'-----------------------------------------------
W inter tires
When d riving in the winter, your vehicle with A ll Whee l Drive has an
advantage, even with reg ula r tir es . In wi nter road cond it ions i t may
be advisab le to mount w inte r tires (or all-season tires) for imp roved
dr iveabili ty and braking: these tires m ust be mounted on
all four
wheels .
See also => page 323, "Winter tires".
Tire chains
Whe re tire chains are mandato ry on certa in roads, this normally also
applies to veh icles with A ll Whee l Drive=>
page 324, "Snow chains ".
Replacing wheels/tires
Veh icles with All Wheel Drive m ust always have t ires of the same size.
Also avoid tires with different trea d de pths . For details see page
=>
page 318, " N ew tires and replac ing tires a nd wheels" .
Off-Road driving?
Your Audi does not have enough ground clearance to be used as a n
off -road vehi cle. It is the re fore best to avoid ro ug h trac ks and uneven
ter rain as muc h as poss ib le. Also re fer to=>
page 263 .
& WARNING
Always adjust your dri ving to road and traffic conditions. Do not
let the extra safety afforded by All Wheel Drive tempt you into
taking ex tra risks.
• Although the All Wheel Drive is very effective, always
remember that braking capacity is l imited by tire traction. You
should therefore not drive at exce ssive speeds on icy or slippery
road surfaces.
• On wet road surfa ce s, be careful not to drive too fast because
the front wheels could begin to slide on top of the water (aqua
planing ). If this should occur, you will have no warning from a
sudden increase in engine speed as with a front-wheel drive
vehicle. Always drive at speeds which are suited to the road condi
tions - risk of crash. •
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy m ana gemen t con tr ols the distributi on of elec
trical ener gy an d thu s optimiz es the ava ila bility of elec
t ri cal ene rgy f or starting the en gine.
If a vehicle w ith a convent iona l energy system is not driven for a long
pe riod of time, t he b att ery is di sch arged by idling current con sumers
(e .g. immob ilize r). In certain c ircumstances it can result i n there
be ing insuffi cien t energy avai lab le to s tar t the engine.
I n te lligent e ne rgy management in yo ur vehicle ha ndles the dist ribu
tion of e lectrical energy . Starting ab ility is ma rkedly improved and
t he life of the battery is extended.
Basically, energy management consists of
battery diagnosis , idling
current management
a nd dynamic energy management .
Battery diagnosis
Batte ry diagnosis co nti nu ously deter mi nes the s tate of the batte ry .
Sensors determine battery vo ltage, battery current and battery
t empe rature. This determines the cur rent sta te of charge and the
power of the battery.
Idling current management
Id ling current management red uces energy consumpt ion while the
veh icle is s tanding. W it h t he ignition swi tched off, it con trol s the
energy supply to the var ious electrica l components. Data from
b attery di ag nos is is conside red .
Depe nding on the batte ry 's state of charge, individ ua l consumers a re
gradually t urne d off to prevent excessive discha rge of the batte ry an d
t hus main tain sta rting capabili ty .
Dynamic energy management
W hile the vehicle is being driven, dynamic energy management
dis trib utes the energy generated acco rding to the nee ds o f the indi -•
________________________________________________ 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_ 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 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 -________________ f!ffl
Safety Standa rd No. 109 . G rades Ba nd A rep resent higher levels of
p erf or ma nce on t he laborato ry tes t w hee l than t he mini mum
r e q uir ed by law .
& WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead
braking traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning or peak traction characteristics.
& WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or in combination, can
cause heat buildup and possible tire failure. •
Winter tires
Winter tir es co n imp rove ve hi cle ha ndlin g on sno w an d
ice. At temp eratur es be low 45 °F (7 °C) w e rec ommen d
ch angin g to wi nte r tires .
In some heavy snow areas, loca l gover nme nts may requ ire t rue
w inter o r "snow" tires, those with very deep ly cut trea d. These tires
sho uld only be used in pairs and be installed on all four wheels . Make
s ur e you pu rc h ase snow ti res t hat a re the same size and const ruction
type as the ot he r tir es o n your veh icle .
If your ve hicle is equ ipped w ith all-whee l drive* , this will improve
tra ction durin g w inte r dr iving, even wi th th e sta ndard ti re s . Ho wever,
we st rongly recomme nd that you a lways equip all four w heels on your
vehicle wi th co rrec tly fitte d win ter tires o r all- season tires, when
w inter road conditions are expected . T hi s also improves the veh icle 's
bra king perfo rma nce and re duces stop ping distances .
S um mer tir es p rovide less gr ip on ice and s now .
Safety first
Wi nter tires (snow tires) m ust always be fitted on all fo ur whee ls .
Compat ible tire press ure monitor ing sensors * must be installe d on
all four w in te r tir es fo r the tire pr essure mo nitoring sys te m * to func
tion pro per ly ~
page 320.
Ask your a uthor iz e d Audi dealer or qualified wor ksho p fo r per mitt ed
winter tire sizes . Use only rad ia l w inte r tires .
W inter tires lose their effectiveness w he n the trea d is wor n down to
a dep th of0 .1 57 inch (4 mm) .
Only drive w ith w inte r tires under w inte r con ditions. S ummer ti res
h and le be tter w he n t here is n o sno w or ic e on t he ro ads and the
temperature is above 45
°F (7 °().
If you have a flat tire, see notes on s pa re w hee l~ page 318 .
Please always re m em ber tha t win ter tires may have a lower speed
rating t han the t ires originally insta lled on yo ur veh icle at t he t ime it
w as manuf act ur ed . P lease see ~
page 320, "Spee d ratin g (le tter
code)" for a listing of the speed rating lette r codes and the maxim um
s peed a t whi ch the tires can b e driven.
T he spe ed rat ing letter code(~
page 309) is on the s ide wall of the
ti re ~
page 318.
& WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limit s that may be lower than
your veh icle's maximum speed. Always know the maximum speed
before driving off. Never drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific winter tires. This will cause damage to the tires
leading to an accident and serious personal injury to you and your
passengers.
& WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed for which the winter tires
on your vehicle were designed can cause tire failure including a
blowout and sudden deflation, loss of control, crashes and serious _,,
Vehicle care Technical data