Intelligent t echnology L ______________________________________ _
Servotronic® - advanced power
steering system
The power steering systems uses the power of the
running engine to allow precise steering with little effort .
The advanced Servotronic® power steering system senses the road
speed and ele ct ronically adjusts power assistance to provide
comfortable and safe steering response exactly matched to the
veh icle speed .
Power steering will not work if the engine is off . As a resu lt, the
steeri ng wheel will be hard to turn.
T he power steeri ng fluid level is checked du ring the sched uled main
tenance services .
0 Note
If there is an electronic malfunction, servotronic will still function
like a conventional power s teer ing system, provid ing a cons tant
steering support force that is no longer proportionate to the vehicle
speed. This is most noticeable when t urning the s teer ing wheel at low
speeds (for example when park ing) , - more effor t will be required
than us ua l.
• Be aware of the d ifferent than usual steering response and adjust
your stee ring force accord ingly .
• Have the prob lem checked and set r ight by an Audi dealer as soon
as possib le.
[ i ] Tips
• When the e ngine is running, neve r hold the stee ring whee l turned
all the way to the rig ht or to the left for longer than 15 seconds. The
powe r steering pump wi ll overheat the hydra ulic fluid if yo u keep
holding the steering wheel turned all the way . This is likely to damage
t he power s teer ing system . •
If the power steering system s hou ld fa il entirely, or if the engine
is no t ru nning (fo r examp le, while be ing towed), you will st ill be able
to steer the vehicle. However,
considerably more effort will be
req uired to do so .
• If the power steering system should have a leak, or is not func
tioning prope rly, con tact your au thor ized A udi dealer immedia tely.
• The power steer ing system requires a specia lly formulated
hyd raulic fluid. The power steer ing rese rvoir is the one loc ated
farthest to the rear on the left s ide of the eng ine compartme nt
=>
page 2 76 . T he correct fluid leve l in the reservo ir is im port an t fo r
proper functioning of the power steeri ng .•
Dr"ving with your quattro®
With all wheel drive, all four wheels ore driven.
General information
With all wheel d rive, power is d istributed to all four wheels. This
h appens a utomatically depending on your dr iv ing style and t he road
conditions at the time . See also =>
page 238, "Electronic different ial
loc k (ED L)".
T he all whee l dr ive concept is designed for high engine power . Your
veh icle is except ionally powe rf ul and has excellent driving character
istics both under normal driving condit ions and on snow and ice .
Always read an d fo llow safety precautions =>& .
Winter tires
When driving in the winter, your vehicle with a ll whee l drive has an
adva ntage, even w ith regular t ires . In winter road cond it io ns it may
be advisable to mount winte r tires (or all-seaso n tires) for improved
dr iveability a nd b rak ing: t hese tires mus t be mounted on
all four
wheels . See also => page 307, "Winter ti res" .
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certa in roa ds, this norma lly a lso
applies to veh icles with a ll w heel drive =>
page 308, "Snow chains" . Iii-
-~_C_ le_ a_n_ i_ n_ g=- a_ n_d__. p_ ro_ t_e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
0 Note
• Never try to remove dirt, mud or dust if the surface of the vehicle
is dry. Never use a dry cloth or sponge, since this could scratch your
vehicle's paint or windows.
• Never wash your car in bright sunlight. Drops of water act as
magnifying lenses and may damage your paint.
• When you wash your car in the winter: if you rinse your vehicle with
a hose, be careful not to aim the stream of water directly at locks, or
at door or hatch openings -they can freeze shut.
• Never use sponges designed to remove insects, or any kitchen
scouring sponges or similar products. They can damage your paint
finish.
• You should remove debris (such as insects) from the headlight
lenses on a regular basis, for example when refueling your vehicle .
Never use a dry cloth or sponge to clean the headlights. Only use wet
cloths or sponges to prevent scratches .
It is best to use soapy water.
<£> For the sake of the environment
In the interest of the environment, the vehicle should only be washed
in special wash bays. •
Washing your vehicle with a power washer
Cleaning the exterior of your car with a high-pressure
power washer is safe as long as you observe a few simple
rules.
- Before using the power washer, make sure you have read
and understood the WARNINGS=>
& in "General infor
mation" on
page 256 .
- Always follow the operating instructions for the power
washer. -
Make sure that the jet on the spray hose produces a "fan
shaped spray".
- Do
not hold the spray nozzle too close to soft materials.
When cleaning the vehicle with a power washer always follow the
operating instructions. This applies particularly to the
operating
pressure
and the spraying distance . Maintain a sufficient distance to
soft materials such as rubber hoses and sound/vibration deadening
materials (particularly on the underside of the engine hood). Do not
use a jet which sprays water in a
direct stream or one that has a
rotating jet.
Water temperature should not exceed 140
°F (60 °() .
& WARNING
Never wash tires with a jet that sprays water in a direct stream.
This could cause invisible damage to the tires and weaken them,
even if the spray is from a relatively long distance and for a short
time. Damaged and weakened tires can fail and cause accidents
and personal injury.
0 Note
To avoid damaging your vehicle, always make sure that there is sufficient distance between the spray head and soft materials like rubber
hoses , plastic parts and sound-deadening materials. Never aim the
spray head at the same point for a long time. This also applies to
cleaning headlights and painted bumpers. Remember: the closer the
nozzle is to the surface of the material, the greater the stress on the
material. •
-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
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 304. You may not find this information on
all tires because it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applicable, is mo lded on the tire
sidewall and indicates the maximum permissible road speeds=>
& in
"Winter tires" on
page 307.
Tire pressure monitoring system*
means a system that detects when one or more of a vehicle's tires are
unde rinflated and illuminates a low tire pressure warning te lltale.
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 princ ipal grooves designed to give a
visual ind ication of the degrees of wear of the tread. See=>
page 301,
"Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)" for more information on measuring
tire wear.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire informat ion system developed by the United States National
H ighway Traff ic Safety Adm inistration (NHTSA) that is designed to
help buye rs 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 (ki lometers) 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 dea ler recommenda
tions. Under UTQG, tires are graded by the tire manufacturers in three areas: treadwear, traction, and temperature
resistance. The UTQG
info rmat ion on the tires, molded into the sidewalls.
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
This is the tire 's "serial numbe r". It beg ins with the letters "DOT" and
ind icates that the tire meets all federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters ind icate the plant where it was manufactu red, and
the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufacture.
For examp le,
DOT ... 2209 ...
means that the tire was produced in the 22nd week of 2009. The
o ther numbers are marketing codes that may or may not be used by
the t ire manufacturer. Th is informat ion is used to contact consumers
if a tire defect requires a recall.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and l uggage 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 ins ide of the fu el 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 max imum 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
ut ing to each axle its share of the curb weight, accessory weight, and
normal occupant weight (distributed in accordance with tab le below
=>
page 295) and dividing by two. ~
-~_T_ i_ re _ s_ a_n _ d_ w_ h _e_ e_ ls _________________________________________________ _
holding, driving characteristics, and safety of the vehicle . The table
(::::>
page 295) lists specifications of the tires approved for the Audi
models covered by your Owner's Literature.
The tire pressure label (On USA vehicles, the tire pressure label is
located on the driver's side B-pillar. On Canada vehicl es, the tire pres
sure label is located either on the driver's side B-pillar or inside the
fuel filler flap)(=>
page 295, fig. 213) l ists the specifications of the
orig inal 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 303, fig. 216. This infor
mation identifies and descr ibes the fundamental characteristics, the
quality grade of the tire and also provides a tire identification number
for safety standard cert ification and in case of a reca ll.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it easier to choose the correct
tires. Radia l tires have the tire specifications marked on the sidewall,
for examp le:
P255 / 35 Rl9 96V 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
35 Height/w idth ratio in percent (aspect ratio)
R Tire construction: Radial
19 Rim diameter code (in inches)
96 Load rating code
Y Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xl", "E XTRA LOAD", or "RF" Indicates that the tire is a"Rein
forced" or an "Extra Load" tire
M+S (or "M/S") Indicates that the tire has some mud and snow capa
bility The tires could a
lso have the information of direction of rotation
=>
page 291 .
Tire manufacturing date
The manufacturing date is also indicated on the tire sidewall
(poss ibly only on the
inner side of the wheel):
"DO T ... 2209 ... "means, for example, that the tire was produced in
the 22nd week of 2009.
Speed rating (letter code)
The speed rating letter code on the wheels ind icates the maximum
permissible road speeds =>
& in "Winter tires" on page 307.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mp h (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 equipped with tires, which possess
excellent driving characterist ics and give yo ur Audi optimum driv in g
comfort. An electronic speed limiter=>
page 29 will normally prevent
your vehicle from go ing faster than the tire speed rating::::>
&-
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN) and tire
manufacture date
This is the tire's "serial number". It begins with the letters "DOT" and
ind icat es that the tire meets all federal standards. The next two
~
3l For tires w ith a maximum speed capability over 149 mph (240 km/h), t ire
man ufact urer s sometimes use the letters "ZR."
________________________________________________ T_i_re _ s_ a _ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ _
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it was manufactured, and
t he last f our num be rs represen t the wee k an d ye ar of man ufacture.
For examp le, t he numbers 2209 mean that the t ire was prod uced in
the 2 2nd week of 2009. The ot her num bers are marketing co des that
may or may not be used by the t ire manufacturer . Th is information is
used to contact consumers if a tire defect requires a reca ll.
Audi Original tire
Tir es wi th the identifi cat io n "A O" or "RO" have bee n specially
matched w it h your Aud i. W e recommend using only these t ires
because t hey meet the hig hest standards regard ing safety and
driv ing c ha racteris tics when used correct ly . Yo ur aut ho rize d Aud i
dealer wi ll gladly p rovide you with more information.
Tire ply composition and materials used
T he num ber o f plies ind ica tes the numbe r of layers o f rubber -coa ted
fab ric in the tire. I n ge neral, th e greater the n umber of plies, the
more weight a tire can support . Tire manufacture rs a lso must in di
cate the mater ials in the t ire, which incl ude stee l, nylon, polyes ter,
and others .
Maximum Load Rating
This num ber indicates t he maximum load in kilog rams and pounds
tha t can be carr ied by the t ire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance
T read wea r, traction and tempe rat ure gra des => page 306 .
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is the g rea tes t a mou nt o f air pressure th at sh ould ever
be put in the t ire under normal driv ing cond itions.
Safety first
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/ or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combination s can lead to loss of control, collision
and serious personal injury.
• Always u se tire s, rim s and wheel bolts that meet the specifica
tions of original factory -installed tires or other combinations that
have been specifically approved by the vehicle manufacturer.
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
e specially at high speed s. Tires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
lower speed s.
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history ." Old u sed tires may have been damaged
eventhoughthedamage cannotbeseenthatcanleadtosudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
• All four wheels must be fitted with radial t ires of the same
type , size (rolling circumference ) and the same tread pattern .
Driving with different tires reduces vehicle handling and can lead
to a loss of control.
• If the spare ti re is not the same as the t ires that are mounted
on the vehicle -for example with winter tires -only use the spare
tire for a short period of time 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 becau se tire s that are driven faster than
their rated speed can fail suddenly .
• Overloading tire s cau se 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 unde rinflated.
• For technical reasons it is not always possible to u se wheels
from other vehicles- in some cases not even wheels from the same
vehicle model. ..,_
Vehicle care Technical data
________________________________________________ T....:.i.:....r -=e -=s -=.: a..:.n .:.... d::..:__ w:..:....: h..:. e -=-= e:...:l-=s --"'
Sa fety 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 .
Your vehicle is equipped wi th all-whee l dr ive, this wi ll improve trac
ti on dur ing w inter dr iv in g, even w it h th e stand ard tire s. Howeve r, we
strong ly recommend t hat you a lways equ ip all four wheels on yo ur
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 .
Ask yo ur aut horized Audi dealer o r q ualified wor kshop for permitted
winter tire sizes . Use only rad ia l w inte r tir es .
Winter tires lose t heir effectiveness whe n the trea d is worn down to
a dep th of 0 .157 inch ( 4 m m).
Only dr ive w it h w inter t ires u nder w inte r cond it io ns. S u mme r tir es
hand le better w hen the re is no snow or ice on the roads an d the
t empe ra tu re is a bove 45
°F (7 °() .
If you have a flat ti re, se e notes on s pare w hee l=> page 303.
P lea se al way s rem em ber th at win ter tire s ma y have a lower speed
rating t han the t ires or iginally installed on yo ur veh icle at t he t ime it
was ma nufact ured. Please see=>
page 304, "S pee d rat ing ( letter
code)" for a lis ting of the s peed rating letter codes a nd the maxim um
speed at which the tires can be dr iven .
Th e spee d ratin g le tt er code( =>
page 294 ) is on the s ide w all o f the
t ire=>
page 303 .
& WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits that may be lower than
your vehicle'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
passenger s.
& WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed for which the winter tires
on your vehicle we re designed can cause tire failure including a
blowout and sudden deflation, loss of control, crashes and serious
personal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires replaced immedi-
ately. .,,_
Vehicle care Technical data
IIIL-_T.:..:..: ir:....:e~ s=---= a~ n:..:..: d:......: w..:....:.. h:....:e~ e= ls=--------------------------------------------------
& WA RNING (conti nu ed )
• Winter t ires have ma ximum speed rating that may be lower
than your vehicle' s maximum speed .
• Never drive faster than the speed for which the winter or other
tires installed on your vehicle are rated .
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and t raffic conditions.
Never let the good ac celeration of the winter tire s and all-wheel
drive tempt you into taking extra risks . Always remember:
• Wh en braking, an alt-wheel drive vehicle handle s in the same
way as a front drive vehicle.
• Drive carefully and reduce your speed on icy and slippery roads,
even w inter tires cannot help under black ice conditions.
~ For the sake of the environment
Use summe r tires when weather condit ions permit. They are quieter,
do not wea r as quickly and redu ce fuel consumpt io n.•
Snow chains
Snow c hains may be fitted only to the front wheels, and only to
certain tire sizes. Ask your authorized Audi dealer on which tire sizes
snow chains c an be u sed.
T he snow cha ins must have low-profile links and m ust not be thicker
t han 0 .53 in ch ( 13 .5 mm), incl uding the lock .
Remove wheel center covers and t rim discs befor e put ting snow
chains on your vehicle=:,
0. For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fi tted ove r th e wheel bo lts. These a re available from auth orized
Audi dealers.
& WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your veh icle or installing them
in correctly can incre ase the risk of loss of control le ading to
serious personal injury.
• Snow chains are available in different size s. Always make sure
to follow the instructions provided by the snow chain manufac
turer .
• When driving with snow chains never dri ve faster than the
s peed permitted for your specific snow chain s.
• Always observe local regulations.
0 Note
• Remove snow chains before d riving on roads not covered with
s now to avoid d am ag ing t ires and wear ing t he snow chains dow n
unnecessarily.
• Snow chains, which come into direct contact with the wheel rim,
can scratch o r damage it. Therefo re, make sure that the snow chains
are sui tably cove red. C heck t he pos it ion of the snow cha in s a ft e r
dr iving a few yards and correct if necessary . Fo llow the instruct ions
from t he snow ch ain man ufactur er when doing so.
[ i ] Tips
Whe re snow chains are mandatory on certain roads, t his normally
also app lies to ve hicles with all wheel drive. •
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must al ways be tightened to the c orrect
torque .
The desig n of wheel bo lts is matched to the factory installed rims. If
differen t rims a re fitted, the co rrect wheel bolts wi th the r ig ht length
and correctly shaped bolt heads must be used. This e nsures that ..,_
-~_T_ i_ re _ s_ a_n _ d_ w_ h _e_ e_ ls _________________________________________________ _
• 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 underinflat ion, which could eventually cause tire failure. If
you believe that a tire may have been damaged, replace the tire as
soon as poss ible .
• Th ese tires may wear more quickly than others.
• Please also remember that, whi le these tires deliver responsive
hand ling, 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 rat io, ultra
high performance tires originally installed on your vehicle are
intended for maxim um dry and wet road performance and handling.
They are not suitable 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 equivalent.
Refer to=:,
page 307for more detailed information regarding winter
tires .•
Tire pressure monitoring system
Ap plies to ve hicl es : w it h t ire pressur e m onito rin g syst em
General notes
Each tire , including the spare (if provided), shou ld be checked
month ly when cold and inflated to the inflation pressure recom
mended by the veh icle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or t ire
inf lation pressure label. (If your vehicle has t ires of a diffe rent size
than the siz e indicated on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure
label, you should determine the proper tire inflation pressure for
those tires). As
an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that illumi nates a lo w tire pres
sure telltale when one or more of your tires is significantly under
inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illuminates,
you should stop and check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure. Driving on a significantly under-inflated
tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure . Under
inf lation also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle's handling and stopping ability.
Please note tha t the TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire mainte
nance, and it is the driver's responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not reached the level to trigger
illumination of the TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS malfunction indi
cator to indicate when the system is not operating properly. The
TPMS malfunction indicator is comb ined with the low tire pressure
telltale. When the system detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximately one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the ma lfunction ind icator is illuminated, the system may not
be able to detect or signal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of reasons, including the insta l
lation 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 replacing one or more tires or wheels on
your vehicle to ensure that the replacement or alternate tires and
wheels allow the TPMS to cont inue to function properly. •