
128  Driving  Safely 
area  because  the  rear  lid cannot  be  fully 
closed. 
- If you  absolutely  must  drive  with  the  rear 
lid open,  observe  the  following  notes  to 
reduce  the  risk of  poisoning: 
- Close  all  windows, 
- Close  the  power  top, 
- Open  all  air  outlets  in the  instrument 
panel, 
- Switch  off  the  air  recirculation, 
- Set  the  fresh  air fan  to  the  highest 
speed. 
A WARNING 
Always  make  sure  that  the  doors,  all win
dows,  the  power  top  and  the  rear  lid are 
securely  closed  and  locked  to  reduce  the 
risk  of  injury when  the  vehicle  is not  being 
used . 
-After  closing  the  rear  lid, always  make 
sure  that  it  is properly  closed  and  locked . 
- Never  leave  your  vehicle  unattended  es 
pecially  with  the  rear  lid left  open.  A 
child  could  crawl  into  the vehicle  through 
the  luggage  compartment  and  close the 
rear  lid becoming  trapped  and  unable  to 
get  out.  Being  trapped  in a  vehicle  can 
lead  to  serious  personal  injury. 
- Never  let  children  play  in or  around  the 
vehicle. 
- Never  let  passengers  ride  in the  luggage 
compartment.  Vehicle  occupants  must 
always  be  properly  restrained  in one  of 
the  vehicle's  seating  positions. 
(D Tips 
- Air  circulation  helps  to  reduce  window 
fogging.  Stale  air  escapes  to the  outside 
through  vents  in the  trim  panel.  Be sure 
to  keep  these  slots  free  and  open. 
- The  tire pressure  must  correspond  to  the 
load.  The tire  pressure  is shown  on  the 
tire  pressure  label. The tire  pressure  la
bel  is located  on  the  driver's  side  B-pillar. 
The tire  pressure  label  lists the  recom
mended  cold  tire  inflation  pressures  for 
the  vehicle  at  its maximum  capacity 
-
' 
weight  and  the  tires  that  were  on  your 
vehicle  at  the  time  it  was  manufactured. 
For recommended  tire  pressures  for  nor
mal  load  conditions,  please  see  chapter 
r::::>page  231. 
Tie-downs 
Applies  to  vehicles:  with  tie-downs 
The  luggage  compartment  is  equipped  with 
four  tie-downs  to secure  luggage  and  o ther 
items. 
Use the  tie-downs  to  secure  your  cargo  prop
erly 
r::::>  page  12 7,  Loading  the  luggage  com
par tmen t. 
In  a  collision,  the  laws  of  physics  mean  that 
even  smaller  items  that  are  loose  in the  vehi
cle will  become  heavy  missiles  that  can  cause 
serious  injury. Items  in the  vehicle  possess  en
ergy  which  vary  with  vehicle  speed  and  the 
weight  of the  item . Vehicle  speed  is the  most 
significant  factor. 
For example,  in a frontal  collision  at  a speed 
of 30  mph  (48  km/h),  the  forces  acting  on  a  10-lb  (4 .S kg) object  are  about  20  times  the 
normal  weight  of  the  item . This  means  that 
the  weight  of  the  item  would  suddenly  be  about  200  lbs.  (90  kg). You can  imagine  the 
injuries  that  a  200  lbs.  (90  kg)  item  flying 
freely  through  the  passenger  compartment  could  cause  in a  collision  like this. 
A WARNING 
Weak,  damaged  or  improper straps  used 
to  secure  items  to  tie-downs  can  fail  dur ing  hard  braking  or  in a collision  and  cause 
serious  personal  injury. 
- Always use  suitable  mounting  straps  and 
properly  secure  items  to  the  tie-downs  in 
the  luggage  compartment  to  help  pre
vent  items  from  shifting  or  flying  for
ward  as  dangerous  missiles. 
- When  the  rear  seat  backrest  is folded 
down,  always  use  suitable  mounting 
straps  and  properly  secure  items  to  the 
tie-downs  in  the  luggage  compartment 
to  help  prevent  items from  flying  

Intelligent  technology Notice  about  data 
recorded  by  vehicle 
control  modules 
Your vehicle  is not  equipped  with  an  Event Da
ta  Recorder  (EDR), installed  by some  manu
facturers  for the  express  purpose of  capturing 
data  for  retrieval  after  an accident  or  crash 
event.  EDR's are sometimes  called  "crash  re
corders". 
Some  state laws restrict  the  retr ieval or  down
loading  of  data  stored  by  EDR's that  were  in
stalled  in a vehicle  for  the  express purpose  of 
retrieving  data  after  an accident  or  crash 
event  without  the  owner's  consent. 
Although  your  vehicle  is not  equipped  with  an 
EDR,  it is equipped  with  a number  of  electron
ic  control  modules  for  various  vehicle  systems 
such as, for  examp le, engine  function,  emis
sion  control,  as well  as for  the  airbags  and 
safety  belts. 
These electronic  control  modules also record 
vehicle-related  data  during  norma l vehicle  op
eration  for  diagnostic  and repair  purposes. 
The  recording  capacity  of  the  electronic  con
trol  modules  is limited  to data  (no sound  is re
corded)  and only  a small  amount  of  data  is ac
tually  recorded  over a very limited  period  of 
time  and stored  when  a system  fault  or other 
condition  is sensed by  a control  unit. Some of 
the  data  then  stored  may relate  to vehicle 
speed,  direction,  braking  as we ll as  restraint 
system  use and performance  in the  event  of  a 
crash or  other  condition.  Stored  data  can only  be read and downloaded  with  special  equip
ment. 
Electronic  Stabilization 
Control  (ESC) 
Description 
ESC helps  to  improve road  holding  and vehicle 
dynamics  to  help  reduce the  probability  of 
skidding  and  loss of  veh icle control.  It  works 
only  when  the  engine  is running.  ESC detects 
Intelligent  technology  179 
certain  difficult  driving situations,  including 
when  the  vehicle  is beginning  to  spin  (yaw) 
out  of  control  and  helps you to  get  the  veh icle 
back under  control  by se lectively  braking  the 
wheels,  and/or  reducing engine  power  and 
providing  steering  ass istance to  help  hold  the 
vehicle  on  the driver's  intended  course.  The in
dicator  light 
JjJ in the  instrument  cluster 
blinks  when  ESC is taking  action  to  help  you 
control  the  vehicle. 
ESC has  limitations . 
It is important  to  remem
ber that  ESC cannot  overcome  the  laws of 
physics. 
It will  not  always be able to  help  out 
under  all  conditions  you may  come  up  against. 
For  example,  ESC may not  always be  able to 
help you  master  situations  where  there  is a 
sudden  change in  the  coefficient  of  friction  of 
the  road surface.  When  there  is a section  of  dry  road that  is suddenly  covered with  water, 
slush  or  snow,  ESC cannot  perform  the same 
way  it would  on the  dry  surface.  If  the  vehicle 
hydroplanes  (rides  on a cushion  of  water  in
stead  of  the  road surface),  ESC will  not  be 
able  to help  you  steer  the  vehicle because  con
tact  with  the  pavement  has been  interrupted 
and the  vehicle  cannot  be braked or  steered . 
During  fast  cornering,  particularly  on winding 
roads,  ESC cannot  always deal  as effectively 
with  difficult  driving  situations  than  at  lower 
speeds. When  towing  a trailer,  ESC is not  able 
to  help  you  regain  control  as it  would  if you 
were  not tow ing a trailer. 
A lways adjust  your  speed and driving  style  to 
road,  traffic  and weather  conditions.  ESC can
not  override  the  vehicle's  physical  limits,  in
crease the  available  traction,  or keep a vehicle 
on  the  road  if  road departure  is a  result  of 
driver  inattention.  Instead,  ESC improves  the 
poss ibility  of  keeping  the  vehicle  under  con
trol  and on  the road  dur ing extreme  maneu
vers by  using the driver's  steering  inputs  to 
help  keep  the  vehicle  going  in the  intended  di
rection.  If  you  are traveling  at  a speed that 
causes you to  run  off  the  road  before  ESC can 
provide  any assistance, you  may not  experi
ence the  benefits  of  ESC. 
• 
•  

228  Tire s and  wheel s 
-Never  mount  used  tires  on  yo ur vehicle  if 
you  are  not  sure  of  their  "previous  histo
ry."  Old  used  tires  may  have  been  dam
aged  even  though  the  damage  cannot  be 
seen  that  can  lead  to  sudden  t ire  failure 
and  loss  of  vehicle  control. 
- If you  notice  unusual  vibration  or  if the 
vehicle  pulls  to  one  side  when  driving,  al
ways  stop  as  soon  as  it  is safe  to  do  so 
and  check  the  wheels  and  tires  for  dam
age. 
(D Note 
Please  note  that  summer  and  winter  tires 
are  designed  for  the  cond itions  that  are 
Glossary of tire  and  loading  terminology 
Accessory weight 
means  t he comb ined  we ight  (in excess  of 
those  sta ndard  items  which  may  be  rep laced) 
of  au toma tic tra nsmission,  power  steer ing, 
power  brakes,  power  windows,  power  seats, 
radio,  and  heater,  to  the  extent  that  th ese 
items  are  availab le  as  factory -installed  equip
ment  (whether  installed  or  not) . 
Aspect ratio 
means  t he  ratio  of  the  he ight  to the  w idth  of 
the  tire  in  percent . Numbers  of  55  or  lower  in 
dicate  a  low  sidewall  for  improved  steering  re
sponse  and  better  overall  handling  on  dry  pavement . 
Bead 
means  the  part  of  the  ti re that  is  made  of 
steel  wires,  wrapped  or  reinforced  by ply cords 
and  that  is shaped  to  fit  the  rim. 
Bead separation 
means  a  b reakdown  of  the  bond  between 
components  in the  bead. 
Cord 
means  the  strands  forming  the  plies  in the 
tire .  typ
ica l in those  seasons . Audi  recommends 
using  winter  tires  during  the  winter 
months . Low temperatures  signif icant ly 
decrease  the  e lasticity  of  summer  tires, 
which  affects  tract ion  and  brak ing  ability. 
If  summer  tires  are  used  in very  co ld tem
peratures,  cracks  ca n form  on  the  tread 
bars,  res ulting  in  permanent  tire  damage 
that  can  cause  loud  driving  no ise  and  un
balan ced  t ires.  Audi  is  not  responsible  for 
th is type  of  damage . 
Cold tire  inflation  pressure 
means  the  tire  p ressu re  recommended  by t he 
vehicle  manufacturer  fo r a  tire  of  a  des igna ted 
s iz e that  has  not  bee n driven  for  more  than  a 
coup le  of  miles  (k ilometers)  at  low  speeds  in 
t h e three  hour  period  before  the  tire  pressure 
is  measured  or  adjusted. 
Curb weight 
mea ns  the  we ight  of  a  motor  ve hicl e w ith 
standard  equipment  including  the  max imum 
capacity  of  fuel,  oil,  and  coolant,  air  condi 
tioning  and  additional  weight  of  optiona l 
equipment. 
Extra  load  tire 
me ans  a t ire  design  to  operate  at  higher  loads 
and  at  h igher  inflation  pressures  than  the  cor
responding  standard  tire . Extra  load  tires  may 
be  identified  as  "XL", "x l" ,  "EXTRA LOAD", or 
"RF"  on  the  sidewall. 
Gross A xle Weight  Rating  ("GAWR ") 
means  the  lo ad -c a rry ing  c apac ity  of  a s ingle 
axle  system , measured  a t the  tire-ground  in
terfaces. 
Gross Vehicle Weight  Rating  ("GVWR ") 
mea ns the  maximum  total  loaded  we ight  of 
t h e ve hicl e.  .,.  

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  inflation  pressure.  You 
may  not find  this  information  on  all tires be
cause  it  is no t req uired  by  law. 
Maximum  load  rating 
means  the  load rating  for  a t ire at  the  max i
mum  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  distribution  of  occupants  in a vehicle. 
Outer  diameter 
means  the  overa ll diamete r of  an  inflated  new 
tire. 
Overall  width 
means  the  linear  distance  between  the  exteri
ors  of the  sidewalls  of  an  inflated  tire, includ 
in g  elevations  due  to labeling,  decorations,  or 
protective  bands  or  ribs. 
Ply 
means  a  layer of  rubber-coated  parallel  cords. 
Tires  and  wheels  229 
Production  options  weight 
means  the  combined  weight  of those  installed 
regular  production  options  we ighing  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,  heavy  duty 
battery,  and  special  trim. 
Radial  ply tire 
means  a  pneumatic  tire  in wh ich  the  ply cords 
that  extend  to  the  beads  are  laid  at  substan
tia lly 90  degrees  to  the  center line  of  the 
tread . 
Recommended  inflation  pressure 
see¢ page  228, Cold tire inflation  pressure. 
Reinforced tire 
means  a t ire  design  to  operate  at  higher  loads 
and  at  h igher  inflation  pressures  than  the  cor
re sp onding  standard  tire.  Reinforced  tires 
may  be  identified  as  "XL", "xl",  "EXTRA  LOAD", 
or  "RF"  on  the  sidewa ll. 
Rim 
means  a  metal  support  for  a tire  or  a  tire and 
tube  assembly  upon  which the tire  beads  are 
seated. 
Rim  diameter 
means  nom inal  d iameter  of  the  bead seat.  If 
you  change  your  wheel  s ize, you  will  have  to 
purchase  new  tires  to  match  the  new rim  di
ameter. 
Rim  size designation 
means  r im  diameter  and  width . 
Rim width 
means  nominal  distance between  rim flanges . 
Sidewall 
means that  portion  of a tire  between  the 
tread  and  bead. 
• 
•  

230  Tires  and  wheels 
Speed rating  (letter  code) 
means the speed at  wh ic h a tir e is  des igned  to 
be d riven for  extended  per io d s of  t ime. The 
ratings  range from  93  mph  (150  km/h)  to 
186  mph  (298  km/h)  ¢ page  239 . You may 
not  find  this  in format ion on all  tires  because 
it  is not  required  by law. 
The speed rating  letter  code, w here a pplica
b le, is molded  on the  tire  s idewa ll and indi
cates the  maxim um  permissible  road speeds 
¢ &. in  Winter  tires  on page  243. 
Tire  pressure monitoring  sy stem* 
means a system  tha t  d etects  when  one or 
mo re of  a vehicle's  t ires are  under inflated  and 
i llum ina tes a low  t ire p ress ure warn ing te ll
tale. 
Tread 
means t hat  port ion of  a tire  tha t comes  into 
con tact w it h t he road. 
Tread separation 
means pull ing away of  the t read from  the t ire 
car cass . 
Treadwear  indicators  (TWI) 
means t he projections  withi n the  pr inc ipal 
g rooves designed  to  give a v isua l ind ication  of 
the  deg rees of  wea r of  the  tre ad . See 
¢  pag e 23  7, Tread  W ear  Indicator  (TWI)  for 
mo re  inf ormat io n  on measu ring  tire we ar. 
Uniform  Tire  Quality  Grading 
is a tire  i nfo rmation  system  developed  by the 
United  States  Nat io nal  Highway Traffic  Safety 
Admin istration  (N HTSA) that  is designed  to 
h e lp buye rs make  re lative  compa risons among 
tires.  The UT QG i s no t  a safety  r ating  and  no t a 
g uar antee  that  a t ire will  las t fo r a  presc ribed 
n umber  of  m iles (kilome ters) or  pe rform  in  a 
certain  way. It  s imply  gives ti re  bu ye rs addi
tional  information  to  combine  with  other  con -s
iderations,  such as p rice , brand  loya lty  and 
dealer  recommendations.  Un der UTQ G, tires 
are grade d by the  t ire manufacturers  in three 
areas : treadwea r, traction,  and temperature 
resistance. The UTQG  informat ion on the  tires, 
molded  into  the  sidewalls . 
U.S. DOT Tire  Identification  Number  (TIN ) 
This is the  tire's  "se ria l numbe r" .  It  be gins 
with  the  letters  "DOT"  and ind icates that  the 
t ire meets  all  federa l standards . The next  two 
numbers  or  letters  ind icate  the  plant  where  it 
was ma nufactu red, and the  last  four  numbe rs 
r eprese nt  the week and year of  ma nufact ure. 
Fo r exampl e, 
DOT  ... 2212  ... 
means that  the  tire  was produced  in t he 22nd 
wee k of  2012.  The ot her  numbers  are market
ing  codes that  may or  may not  be  used by the 
t ire manufacturer.  This information  is used to 
contact  consumers  i f a tire  defect  requires  a 
r ecall . 
Vehicle capacity weight 
means the  rated  cargo and  luggage  load  plus 
150  lbs. (68  k ilograms)  times  the  vehicle's  to
ta l seating  capacity as listed  on the  label  lo
cated on the  driver's  side  B-pilla r. 
Vehicle maximum  lo ad on the  tire 
means that  load on an  individua l tire that  is 
determined  by distributing  to  eac h axle  its 
share of  the  maxim um  loaded  vehicle  weight 
and divid ing by two . 
Vehicle normal  load on the  tire 
means that  load on an  individua l t ir e that  is 
determined  by distributing  to  eac h ax le its 
share of  the  curb weight,  accessory weight, 
and  normal  occ upant  weig ht  (d istr ibuted  in 
accorda nce wit h tab le  below¢  page 231) 
and  divid ing  by two .  

Tires  and  wheels  231 
Occupant  loading  and  distribution  for  vehicle  normal  load  for  various  designated  seating 
capacities 
Designated  seating  capacity, 
number  of  occupants Vehicle  normal  load,  number  Occupant distribution  in  a nor-
of  occupants 
_____ mally  loaded  vehicle 
4 2  2  in front 
Cold  tire  inflation  pressure 
Tire pressure affects  the overall handling, performance and safety  of a vehicle. 
Fig. 182 Tir e pressure  labe l: located  on  driver 's s ide B· 
p ill ar 
Tire  pressure  generally refers  to  the  amount 
of  air  in a tire  that  it  needs  it to  do  its job  and 
safely  carry the  combined  load  of  the  entire 
vehicle  and  its  contents . Tire pressure  is 
measured  in  kilopasca ls (kPa), the  interna
tional  measuring  unit  and in pounds  pe r 
squa re inch  (PSI).  Tire pressure  is based  in 
part  on  the  vehicle's  design  and load  limit  -
the  greatest  amount  of weight  that  the vehi
cle  can carry  safe ly and the  t ire size . The  prop
er tire  pressure  is frequent ly referred  to  as the 
"recommended  cold  tire  inflation  pressure." 
Air  in  the  tires  expands when  the  tire  heats  up 
because  of internal  friction  when  it  flexes  in 
use . The tire  pressure  is higher  when  the  tire 
has  warmed  up than  when  it is "cold ." 
It is  the 
in flat ion  pressure  i n a  "cold " tire  that  counts. 
Therefore,  you  shou ld neve r let  air  out  of a 
warm  tire to match  "cold  tire inflat ion pres
sure"  recommendations.  The tires  would  then 
be underinflated  and could  fail  suddenly. 
Maintaining  proper  tir e  pressure  is  one of  the 
most  impor tant things  you  can  do to help 
avoid  sudden  tire  failure.  Underinflated  tires 
are a ma jor  cause of  s udden  tire failure . Keep
ing tires  at  the  right  pressure  is also impor
tant  for  safe  and responsive vehicle  handling, 
-tD 
-
---------------------.. ,; 
•(==.: I  :::;  I :,,.  I)@ gi n.  ............  .,_____, .... -.ito._..  ____  .... _  ... 
&..p0idit,101111-~--.,...,....-- ..... ~ .... .. 
-··-..... 
-
-Dlst<:OURS 
- KPA.. a PSI 
- KPA.. a PSI 
- KPA.. a PSI 
Fig. 183  Tire  pressure  labe l 
traction,  braking  and  load  carrying. Tire  pres
sures are  particularly  important  when the 
vehicle  is being  driven  at  higher  speeds, and 
then  especially  when  heavily  loaded  even 
within  the  permissible  load-carrying  capaci
ties  approved  for  your vehicle. 
The recommended  tire  pressures for  your  Audi 
depend on the  kind  of  tires  on your  ve hicle 
and the  number  of  passengers  and/o r amount 
of  luggage you w ill be transporti ng. 
The tire  pressure  label  is located  on the  driv
er's  side  B -pillar . The tire  pressure  labe l lists 
the  recommended  cold  tire  inflat io n  pressures 
for  the  vehicle  at  its  maximum  capacity 
weight  and tires  that  were on your  veh icle at 
t he  time  it was manufactured. 
If  you wish  to  improve  comfort  when  operat
ing the  vehicle  at  normal  load  (up to  2  occu
pants),  you  can adjust  tire  pressures to  those 
specified  for  normal  vehicle load.  Before  op
erating  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  monitor  the  tire  pressures 
II>  

232  Tires  and wheels 
you  have  stored. The  system  does  not  recog
nize  the  load condition  of  your  vehicle. 
The  effectiveness  of  the  tire pressure  monito r
ing  system*  will  be  impaired if you  store  nor 
mal  load  pressures  but  then operate  the vehi 
cle  at  its  maximum  load¢.&. . 
See  the  illustration¢ 
fig. 182  for the  location 
of  the  label  on  driver's  side 8-pillar  (color  of 
the  actua l label  and  exact  location on  the  ve
hicle  wi ll vary  slightly) . 
Note  that  the  following  table  is accurate  at 
the  time  of  going  to  press  and  is subject  to 
Model  Tire designation 
change.  In the  event  of  discrepancies,  the  tir e 
pressure  label  is located  on  the  driver's side  8-
pillar  always  takes  precedence. 
T he  table  below  lists  the  recommended  cold 
ti re  inflation  pressu res  for  the  Audi  mode l 
covered  by your  Owner's  Literature at  the  vehi
cle's  capacity  weight  and  the  t ire sizes  instal
l ed  on  the  respective  models  as  original 
equipment,  or  as  a factory  option. 
Tire pressure 
Engine  normal  load condition  full  load condition 
(up  to  2  occupants) 
front  rear  front  rear 
AS Cab- 225/50  Rl  7  94H 
riolet:  All  Season 
2.0  liter  24S/40  R18  93H 
4-cylinder  All  Season 
245/45  Rl  7  95H 
All  Season 
255/35  R19  96V  High  Performance 
55  Cabrio- 245/40  R18  97V 
let:  High  Performance 
3.0  liter 
6-cylinder  255/35  R19  96V 
High Performance  PSI  kPA  PSI 
33  230 
30 
35  240  32 
32  220  29 
32  220  32 
39  270 
35 
39  270  35 
kPA  PSI  kPA  PSI  kPA 
210  36  250  39  270 
220 38  260  41  280 
200  35 240  38  260 
' 
220  35  240  38 260 
I 
240  42  290  44 
300 
. 
240  42 290 44 300 
I 
XL= reinforced or extra  load tire.  It  may also appear  as  xl, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the  tire  side
wall. 
The  correct  tire  pressure  for  the spare  wheel i s 
located  on  a  label  on  the  driver's  side  8-pillar. 
Because  technical  changes  may  be  made  to 
ve hicle  equipment  during  the  model  year,  al
ways  compare  the  tire size  designation  on  the 
tire  pressure  labe l on your  vehicle  w ith  the 
tires  on your  vehicle.  Make sure  that  the  tire 
size  information  on  the  veh icle  label  is the 
same  as  the size  of  the  tires  on  the  vehicle. 
This  is  especially  important  if  the vehicle  be
lo ngs  to someone  else  or you  bought  the  veh i- cle 
with  different  rims/tires  or you  bought  the 
vehicle  as  a  previously owned  vehicle. 
Remember,  your  safety and  that of your  pas 
sengers  also  depends  on making sure that 
l oad  lim its  are  not  exceeded.  Vehicle load in
cludes  everybody  and  everything  in and  on  the 
vehicle.  These load limits are  techn ically  refer
red  to  as  the  veh icle's  Gross  Vehicle  Weight 
Rating  ("GVWR").  The Gross  Axle  Weight  Rat
ing  ("GAWR")  is the  maximum  load that  can 
be  applied  at  eac h of  the  vehicle's  two  axles . 
T he  Gross  Vehicle  Weight  Rating  and  the  .,.  

234  Tire s and  wheel s 
forget  the  spare  tire.  If the  pressure  in any  tire 
is too  h igh  when  the  tire  is  "cold",  let  air  out 
of  the  tire  slowly  with  the  edge  of  the  tire 
gauge  and  keep  checking  the  pressure  until 
you  reach  the  pressure  that  is correct  for  the 
load  (passengers  and  luggage)  and  kind  of 
driving  you  plan  to  do . 
If  the  pressure  in any  tire  is too  low,  note  the 
d ifference  between  the  pressure  in the  cold 
tire  and  the  pressure  you  need  and  add  the  a ir 
that  you  need  to  reach  the  correct  pressure  for 
the  vehicle  load  (passengers  and  luggage)  for 
the  tires  on  your  veh icle  as  listed  on  the  on 
your  veh icle  and  in this  manua l and  the  kind 
of  dr iving  you  p lan  to  do . 
Never exceed th e ma ximum  inflati on pres
s ur e list e d  on th e tir e s idewall  f or an y re a 
so n. 
Remembe r that  the  vehicle  manufacturer,  not 
the  tire  manufactu rer , determ ines  the  correct 
tire  pressure  for  the  t ires  on  your  vehicle . 
It  is important  to  check  the  tire  pressure  when 
the  tires  a re cold . 
- Read  the  requ ired  t ire  pre ssure  from  the  tire 
pressure  label.  The tire  pressure  label  is  lo
cated  on  the  driver's  side  8 -p ill ar . The tire 
pressure  label  lists  the  recommended  cold 
t ire  inflat ion  pressures  for  the  vehicle  at  its 
maximum  capacity  we ight  a nd  the  tires  that 
were  on  yo ur vehicle  at  the  time  it  was  man
u factured.  Fo r recommended  tire  press ures 
for  normal  load  conditions,  please  see  chap 
ter 
¢ page 231 . 
-Turn  the  valve  stem  cap  counter-clockwise 
to  remove  it from  the  tire  valve. 
- Place  the  air  pressure  gauge  on  the  valve. 
- The  tire  pressures  should  only  be  chec ked 
and  adjus ted  when  the  tires  are  cold . The 
s li ghtly  raised  pressures  of warm  tires  must 
not  be  reduced . 
- Adjust  the  tire  pressure  to  the  load  you  are 
carrying . 
- Re insta ll the  va lve stem  cap  o n the  valve . 
When should  I  check th e tir e pre ssure ? 
The  correct  tire  pressu re  is especially  impor
tant  at  high  speeds.  The  pressu re  should 
therefore  be  checked  at  least  once  a  month 
and  always  before  starting  a jo urney . Do not 
forget  to  check  the  tire  pressure  for  the  spare 
wheel. 
When  should I adju st  the  ti re  pre ssures? 
Adjust  the  tire  pressure  to  the  load  you  are 
carrying . After  changing  a  whee l 
or replacing 
whee ls you  have  to  adjust  the  tir e pressur es 
on  all  wheels.  In  addition,  you  m ust  then  initi
a lize  the  new  tire  pressures  in the  t ire  pres
sure  monitoring  system*¢ 
page 245. 
A WARNING 
-Incorrect  tire  pressures  and/or  underinfla-
tion  can  lead  sudden  tire  fa ilure,  loss  of 
control,  collision,  se rious  pe rsonal  injury 
or  even  dea th. 
- When  the 
[IJ wa rning  symbol  appears  in 
the  instrument  cluster,  stop  and  inspect 
the  t ires. 
- Inco rrect  tire  pressure  and/or  underinfla
tion  can  cause  increased  tire  wea r and 
can  affect  the  handling  of  the  vehicle  and 
stopping  abi lity. 
- Incorrec t tire  pressures  and/or  underin
flation  can  a lso  lead  to  s udden  t ire  fail 
ure,  including  a  blowout  and  sudden  de
flation,  ca using  loss  of  vehicle  contro l. 
- The  driver  is  responsible  for  the  correct 
tire  pressures  for  all  tires  on  the  vehicle . 
The  applicable  pressure  values  are  locat 
ed  on  a  sticker  on  the  dr iver's  s ide  8-pil
lar. 
- Only when  all  tires  on  the  vehicle  are  fil
led  to  the  correct  pressure,  the  t ire  pres
sure  mon itor ing  system*  can  work  cor
rectly . 
- The  use  of  incorrect  tire  pressure  values 
can  lead  to  acc idents  or  other  damage . 
Therefore  it  is  essential  that  the  drive r 
observe  the  spec ified  t ire  pressu re val ues 
for  the  tires  and  the  correct  pressures  for 
II),