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Tire manufacturing date
The m an ufac tu ring date is a lso indicated on the tire sidewall
(poss ibly on ly on th e
inner side of the w hee l):
"DOT . .. 2209 . .. " means, fo r example, that the tire was produced in
t he 22nd wee k of 20 09.
Speed rating (letter code)
The speed ra ting letter cod e on th e w heel s in dicates t he maxi mum
permissible road s peeds =>
& in "W inte r tires" on page 2 61.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 m ph (158 km/h)
R up to 1 06 mph (170 km/h)
S up to 1 10 m ph (180 km/h)
T up to 1 18 mph (1 90 km/ h)
U up to 124 mp h (200 km/ h)
H up to 130 mp h (210 km/ h)
V up to 149 mp h (240 km/ h)6>
Z over 1 49 mp h (24 0 km/h)6>
W up to 1 68 mph (270 km/h)6>
Y up to 186 m ph (298 km/h)6>
Your vehicle is normally factory equipped with t ires, which possess
ex cellen t driving chara cteris tics and give y our A udi op tim um driv ing
comfort. An elect ronic speed
Li miter=> page 20 will normally prevent
yo ur veh icle from going faste r tha n the ti re speed rating =>
&-
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN) and tire
manufacture date
T hi s is the t ire's "serial number" . It beg ins wi th the letters "DOT" and
ind ic at es th at the t ire mee ts all f edera l stand ards. The nex t two
num bers or letters indicate the p lant where it was manufactured, and
the last four num bers represent the wee k and year of man ufacture .
For example, t he nu mbers 2209 mean tha t th e tir e was prod uced in
Gl For tires w ith a max im um speed capab ili ty ove r 149 mph (2 40 km/ h), tire
manufac tur ers sometimes use the letters "ZR."
Safety first
t he 22nd week of 2009 . The other numbers are marketing codes that
ma y or m ay not be use d b y the ti re manu facture r. This i nform ation is
used to contact consumers if a tire defec t requires a recall.
Audi Original tire
Tires with the ide ntificat ion "AO" or "RO" have been specially
m at ched w ith yo ur Audi. We recommend using on ly these tires
because t hey meet the highest standards regard ing safety and
dr iv ing c haracteris tic s when used cor rect ly. Yo ur authorize d Audi
dealer w ill gladly provide you wi th m ore information .
Maximum Load Rating
Thi s number ind icates the maxim um load in kilograms and pounds
that can be carried by the tire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and temperat ure grades=> page 260.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
Thi s number is the greatest amount of air pressure that sho uld ever
be pu t in the tire under norm al dri ving cond itions .
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/ or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can le ad to loss of control , collision
and seriou s personal injury.
• Always use tires, rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifica
tions of original factory -installed t ires 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,
especially at high speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at lower speeds.
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history." Old used tires may have been damaged
~
Vehicle care Technical data
__________________________________________________ T_i_ r _e _s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e _ l_s __ _
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a compa ra tive ra ting based on the wear rate
of the tire when tested unde r co ntrolled conditions on a specified
government test co urse.
For examp le, a tire g rade d 150 would wea r o ne and one half (1 1/2)
times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100.
Th e relat ive performance o f tires depends upon t he ac tual con ditions
o f their use, however , and may de pa rt s ig ni ficantly from the norm
due to variations in driv ing ha bits, service prac tices an d differences in
roa d characterist ics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, Band C. Those
grades represent the tire's ab ility to s to p on wet pavemen t as
meas ured under controlled condit ions o n spec ified governme nt test
s u rfaces of asphalt and conc rete. A tire mar ked C may have poo r trac
ti on perfo rma nce => & .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (t he h ighest), B, a nd C, rep resenting
the t ire's resistance to the gene rat ion of heat and its ab ility to dissi
pate hea t when test ed unde r co ntro lled condi tions o n a spe cifi ed
indoor laboratory test wheel.
S ust ain ed high te m peratu re can cause t he mate rial of the tire to
degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperatu re ca n lead
t o sudden tire fail ur e=> & .
Th e g rade C cor responds to a leve l of performance which all
passenger car tires m ust meet under the Fede ral Motor Vehicle
Safety Standa rd No. 109. G rades Band A rep resent higher levels of
per formance on the labo ratory test whee l than the minimum
req uired by law .
Safety first
& 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 e xcessive loading, either separately or in combination, can
c ause heat buildup and po ssible tire failure .•
Winter tires
W inter tires can improve vehicl e handling on snow and
ic e. A t temper atures belo w 45 °F (7 °C) we recommen d
ch angin g to win ter tires .
In some heavy snow areas , loca l gover nments may requ ire true
wi nte r o r "snow" t ires, those with very deep ly c ut trea d. These tires
should only be use d in pairs and be i nstalled on all fo ur w heels . Mak e
sure you purchase snow tires that are the same size a nd constr uction
t ype as the ot her tir es o n your ve hicle.
If your veh icle is eq uipped with all-wheel drive*, th is will improve
t raction during w inte r drivin g, eve n with t he standard tires . However,
we st rongly recomme nd that you a lways equi p all four w hee ls on your
vehicle with correctly fitte d winter t ires or a ll-season ti res, w hen
wi nter road conditions a re expe cte d. Thi s also improves the vehicle 's
bra king pe rformance and re duces stop ping distances.
S u mme r tir es pro vide less g rip on ice and snow .
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fi tted on all fo ur whee ls .
Ask yo ur autho rized Audi deale r or qu alified wor kshop for permitted
winter tire sizes . Use only ra dial w inte r tir es. ..
Vehicle care Technical data
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& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Snow chain s are available in different sizes. Always make sure
to follow the instructions provi ded by the snow chain manufac
turer.
• Wh en driving with snow cha in s never drive fa ster than the
speed permitted for your specific snow chains .
• Always observe local regulations.
0 Note
• Remove snow chains before d riving on roads not cove red w it h
snow to avoid damaging t ires and wearing t he snow chains down
unnecessar ily .
• Snow chains, which come into direct contact wi th the wheel rim,
can scratch or damage it . The refore, make s ure that the snow chai ns
are sui tably covered. Chec k the pos it ion o f the snow cha ins afte r
driving a few yards and correct if necessary . Follow the instructions
from t he snow chain man ufacturer when doing so .
[ i] Tips
• Where snow chains are mandatory on certa in roads, this normally
also app lies to ve hicles wi th A ll W hee l Dr ive.
• If snow chains are installed, the tire p ress ures s houl d not be
sto red in the tire pressure moni to ring system (TPMS) . Otherwise the
system could malfunction ~
page 267. •
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must al ways be tight ened to the c orrect
torqu e.
The desig n of whee l bolts is matc he d to the fa ct ory in stalled rims. If
different r ims are fitted, the cor rect wheel bo lts wi th t he r igh t length
and correctly s haped bolt hea ds must be used . Thi s ensures that
Safety first
wheels are fitted securely and that the brake system funct ions
cor rectly .
I n certa in circumstances, yo u may not use wheel bo lts from a
different vehicle -even if it is the same mo del.
& WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel bolts can be come
loose causing loss of control, a collision and serious personal
injury.
• Always keep the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel hubs
clean so the wheel bolt s can turn easily and be properly tightened .
• Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and the th reads in the wheel
hub s. They can become loose while driving if greased or oiled, even
if tightened to the specified torque.
• Only use wheel bolt s that belong to the rim being installed .
• Never use different wheels bolts on your vehicle .
• Always maintain the correct tightening torque for the wheel
bolts to reduce the risk of a wheel loss. If the tightening torque of
the wheel bolts is too low, they can loo sen and come out when the
vehicle is moving . If the tightening torque is too high , the wheel
bolt s and thread s can be damaged and the wheel can become
loose.
0 Note
T he specified torq ue for the wheel bo lts is 90 ft lb (120 Nm) with a
t o le rance of ± 7,4 ft lb( ± 10 N m). Tor qu e wheel bo lts diagonally.
After cha nging a wheel, the torque must be checked as soon as
pos sible wi th a t orque w rench -prefer ably by an auth oriz e d Aud i
dealer or qualified workshop .•
Vehicle care Technical data
________________________________________________ T_ i_ re _ s_ a_ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l _s _ ........
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that ill uminates a low tire pres
sure telltale when one or more of your tires is signif icantly 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
ti re causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire fa ilure. Unde r
inf lation also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle's handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper 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 te lltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS malfunction ind i
cator to indicate when the system is not operating properly. The
TPMS malfunction indicator is combined w ith the low tire pressure
telltale . When the system detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximate ly 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 indicator is illum inated, the system may not
be able to detect or signa l low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
ma lfunctions may occur for a var iety of reaso ns, includ ing the instal
lation of replacement or alternate tires or wheels on the vehicle that
prevent the TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the TPMS
malfunction telltale after replacing one or more tires or wheels on
yo ur vehicle to ensure that the replacement or alternate tires and
wheels allow t he TPMS to continue to funct io n properly .•
Vehicle OP-eration
App lies to vehicl es: wi th t ire p ress ure m onit ori ng syst em
Tire pressure indicator appears
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument cluster
informs you if the tire pressure is too low or if there is a
system malfunction.
Fig. 176 Display:
under inflation
warning
Fig . 17 7 Display:
System malfunction
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitoring system compares
the tire tread circumference and vibration characteristics of the indi
vidual tires.
If the pressure decreases in one or more tires, this is indi-
cated in the instrument cluster with a warning symbol and a
message ~ fig. 176 . The driver message in the display goes out after
5 seconds . The driver message can be displayed again by pressing the
I CHECK) button©~ page 8, fig. 2. If on ly one tire is affected, the
display will i ndicate its pos it ion. ._
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
________________________________________________ T_ i_ re _ s_ a_ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l _s _ ....... fflll
Applies to vehicles : with tir e pressure monitor ing syste m
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
(Stepl)
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels are rotated or
changed, the TP MS must be reset in the menu display.
Fig. 1 78 Wip er l ev er:
C ont rol s f or the m enu
display
Fi g. 17 9 Disp la y:
Sta rt me nu
[ Reset) button ® and rocke r switch @=> fig. 178 func
tions:
To open the menu
- Press the (Reset] button ® until the menu disp lay
=> fig. 179 appears
Vehicle OP-eration
Selections and settings
-Press the rocker switch @ to reach a menu display. The
swi tch is operated the sa me as the display (up/down).
Entering and confirming
- Press the [ Reset) button®·
Returning to the Start menu
- Press the [Reset) b ut ton longer than 2 seconds to return
f rom any m enu lev el to th e Start menu .
[ i ] Tips
• Before resetting the TPMS, t he cur rent pressures of a ll four tires
must correspond to the specified values. Adjust the tire pressure and
reset the p ressure in the tire pressure mon ito ring system according
to the load you are carrying=>
page 249.
• Do not sto re the ti re press ures if snow chains are i nstalled . Othe r
wise the system could malfunction .•
App lies to vehicles : w ith t ire pressure monitoring system
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
(Step2)
Fig . 18 0 D ispla y: Ti re
p ress ure
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
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Safety first Vehicle care Technical data
What do I do now? -
------------------
& WARNIN G (con tinued )
• Always make sure the spare tire and e ven a flat tire are secured
in place and not loo se , otherwi se they could fly forward , causing
personal injury to pa ssengers in the veh icle in an accident or
s udden maneu ver .
• Never use the jack suppl ied with your Audi on another vehicle ,
particularly on a heavier one . The jack is only suitable for use on
the vehicle it came with .•
A pp lies to vehicles: with compact s pare wheel
Compact spare wheel
The compact spore wheel is only intended to be used for
a short time.
Fig . 184 Compact
sp are w hee l In t he
wh eel well
You w ill find the compa ct spa re wheel unde r the floo r in the luggage
compartment . It is secured with a large nut.
Using the compact spare wheel
The compact spare wheel is on ly intended for emergencies until you
c an rea ch a repair shop . Rep lace it as quick ly as poss ible w ith a normal
wheel.
T here are some restrictions on the use of the compact spare wheel
=> & -The compact spare w heel has been developed especially for
Vehicle OP-eration your type of vehicle.
It must not be exc
hanged for the compact spare
w heel from ano ther type of ve hicle.
No rma l summer or winter tires m ust no t be insta lled on the compact
spare wheel rim.
Snow chains
F or technical reasons, the use of snow chains on t he compact spare
wheel is
not permitted .
If
you do have to drive wit h snow chains and have a tire fail ure on a
front wheel, in stall the spa re whee l in pla ce of a rear wheel. In stall
the snow chains on the rear whee l and use it to replace the defective
front wheel.
Using the spare wheel
Th e spar e whee l is o nly inte nded fo r eme rge ncies unti l you ca n rea ch
a repair shop. Replace it as quick ly as possible with a norma l wheel.
Th ere are some restr ictions on the use of a spare wheel~
&-The
spare whee l has bee n developed especially for your type of vehicle .
It
must not be exchanged for the spare whee l from another type of
vehicle.
Norma l summer or winter tires must not be installed on the spare
wheel r im .
Snow tires
For technical reasons, the use of snow chains on the spare wheel is
not permitted .
If
you do have to drive w it h snow chain s and have a tire fa ilure on a
front wheel, insta ll the spare wheel in place of a rear wheel. Install
the snow chai ns o n the rear whee l and use i t to replace the defec tive
front wheel.
& WARNING
Always store jacking equipment, spare wheel in the luggage compa rtment. Tighten screw for the spare wheel securely. Under ._
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service iTechnical data
What do I do now? -________________ Vflll
- Move selector lever to position Pon an automatic trans
mission; put manual transmission in
first gear=> &.
-If you are towing a trailer: unhitch the trailer from your
vehicle.
- Take the
tool and the spare tire=> page 270 out of the
luggage compartment.
& WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured while changing a wheel if
you do not follow these safety precautions:
• If you have a flat tire, move a safe distance off the road. Turn
off the engine, turn the emergency flasher on and use other
warning devices to alert other motorists.
• Make sure that passengers wait in a safe place away from the
vehicle and well away from the roadway and traffic.
• To help prevent the vehicle from moving suddenly and possibly
slipping off the jack, always fully set the parking brake and block
the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel being changed. When one front wheel is lifted off the ground, placing the automatic
transmission in "P" (Park), or engaging a gear in a manual trans
mission will
not prevent the vehicle from moving.
• Before you change a wheel, be sure the ground is level and
firm. If necessary, use a sturdy board under the jack .
• After installing the spare wheel, make sure that you remount
the flat tire/wheel in its storage area properly and tighten the
knurled retaining screw securely. •
Safety first
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow the sequence described
below step-by-step and exactly in that order.
1. Remove the decorative wheel cover*. For more details see
also =>
page 274, "Decorative wheel covers" or
=> page 275, "Wheels with cap-covered wheel bolts".
2. Loosen the
wheel bolts=> page 276.
3. Locate the proper mounting point for the jack and align the jack below that point=>
page 276.
4.
Lift the car with the jack=> page 2 76.
5. Take the
flat wheel off and then put the spare on
=> page 278.
6. Tighten all wheel bolts lightly.
7.
Lower the vehicle with the jack.
8. Use the wheel bolt wrench and
firmly tighten all wheel
bolts=>
page 276.
9. Put the decorative
wheel cover* back on.
& WARNING
Always read and head all WARNINGS and information~ & in
"Raising the vehicle" on
page 276 and~ page 279. •
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not complete without the following
actions.
- Store and secure the replaced wheel in the spare wheel
well. .,._
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data