268 Tire s and wheel s
speed before driving off . Never drive faster
than the speed permitted for your specific
winter t ires. This will cause damage to the
tires leading to an accident and serious
personal injury to you and your passen
gers .
A WARNING
Driv ing faster than the maximum speed
for which the w inter t ires on your vehicle
were designed can cause tire fa ilu re in
cluding a blowout and sudden deflat ion,
loss of control, crashes and serious per
sonal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires
rep laced immed iate ly.
- Winter tires have maximum speed rating
that may be lower than your vehicle's
maximum speed .
- Never drive faster t han the speed for
which the winter or other tires installed
on your vehicle are rated.
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and
traffic conditions. Never let the good ac
celeration of the winte r tires and all -wheel
drive tempt you into taking extra r is ks. Al
ways remembe r:
- When brak ing, an all -wheel drive vehicle
handles in the same way as a front drive
vehicle .
- Drive carefu lly and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
canno t he lp under black ice condit io ns.
@ For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather cond i
tions permit . They are quieter, do not wea r
as quickly and reduce fue l consumption .
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted on ly to the front
wheels, a nd only to certa in tire sizes. Ask yo ur
author ized Audi dealer on wh ich tire sizes
snow chains can be used. The snow chains must have
low -profile links
and must not be thicker than 0 .53 inch
(13.S mm), includ ing the lock.
Remove whee l cen ter cove rs and t rim discs
before putting snow chains on your vehicle
¢ 0 . For safety reasons cover caps m ust then
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are avail
a ble from authori zed Aud i dealers.
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your veh i
cle o r instal ling them incorrectly can in
crease the risk of loss of cont rol leading to
serious pe rsonal injury .
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes . Always make sure to follow the in
structions p rov ided by t he snow cha in
manufac turer.
- When driving with snow cha ins never
d rive faster than the speed permitted for
your specifi c snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations.
@ Note
-Remove snow chains before dr iv ing o n
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wea ring the snow
chains down un necessa rily .
- Snow chains, which come into direc t con
tact with the whee l rim, can scratch or
damage i t. Therefo re , make sure tha t the
snow chains are s uitably covered. Check
t he pos ition of t he snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces
sary. Follow the inst ructions from the
snow chain man ufacturer when do ing so.
(I) Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory on cer
tain roads, th is normally a lso applies to ve
hicles w ith all whee l dr ive .
designated seating position) and luggage
weight~&. .
Gros s Axle W eight Rating
The G ross Axle Weight Rating is the maximum
l oad that can be applied at each axle of the
vehicle
q .&. .
Vehicle capacit y weight
The vehicle capac ity we ight (max. load) is list
ed either on the dr iver's side B-pillar or inside
the fuel filler flap.
Roof weight
The maximum perm issible roof weight is 165
lbs. (7 5 kg). The roof we ight is made up of
the we ight of the roof rack system and the
weight of the object be ing transported
qpage 74, Roof load .
.&, WARNING
- The actual Gross Axle Weight Rat ing at
the front and rear axles shou ld not ex
ceed the permiss ible weights, and their
combination must not exceed the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rat ing .
- Exceeding permissib le weight ratings can
result in vehicle damage, accidents and
personal injury.
CD Note
- The vehicle capacity weight figures apply
when the load is distributed evenly in the
vehicle (passengers and luggage). When
transporting a heavy load in the luggage
compartment, carry the load as near to
the rear axle as possib le so that the vehi
cle's handling is not impa ired.
- Do not exceed the maximum permissible
axle loads or the maximum gross vehicle
weight. Always remember that the vehi
cle's handling will be affected by the ex
tra load. Therefore, adjust you r speed ac
cord ingly.
- Always observe loca l regu lations.
-
G ene ral in formation 29 1
Dimensions
The specifications refer to the basic model.
Differences may occur depending on the mod
el type and options ordered, for example, tire
sizes.
CD Note
When driving up steep ramps, on rough roads, over curbs, etc. it is important to re
member that some parts of your vehicle,
such as spoilers or exhaust system compo nents, may be close to the ground . Be
careful not to damage them .
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