2013 AUDI A5 CABRIOLET ESP

226 Check ing and filling
Never use a fa st charger as a booster to
start the engine . T his will seriously dam­
age sensitive electronic components, such
as control units, relays, rad io, etc ., as well
as the battery charger.
Battery replacement
The new bat tery must have the same specifi­
cations and dimensions as the original equip­
ment battery .
Intelligent energy man agement in your veh i­
cle is respons ible for d istributing the e lectr i­
cal energy throughout your vehicle
c::>
page 185. The intell igent energy ma nage­
ment system w ill keep the engine battery
cha rged bette r then vehicles w it h out th is sys ­
tem. To make sure t he addi tional e lectrica l en­
e rgy is availab le once again after you have
cha nged t he battery, we recommend that you
install batteries of the same type and ma nu­
facture only (the same as those installed at
the time your vehicle was delivered). Specifi­
cations are listed on the battery hous ing. Your
author ized Audi dealer must code the battery
in the ene rgy management system to enable
you to use the ene rgy management functions
cor rectly after repla cing t he battery .
If it is not possible to use a battery of this
type, the new battery must have the same ca­
pac ity, voltage ( 12-volts), ampe rage, con­
s truction and plug sea ling .
When insta lling the battery , make sure the ig ­
ni tion and all electr ical cons umers are turned
off.
0 Note
Ma ke sure t he vent ilation hose on the s ide
of the batte ry is con nected, ot herwis e
fumes or battery ac id can leak out.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper d isposa l
of a battery , we recommend your au thor­
i z ed Audi deale r change the batte ry for you
. Batteries contain sul fur ic acid and
l ead and must a lways be disposed of prop­
erly in comp liance with a ll environmental
regulations. Disposing of vehicle batter ies
i mproperly is very dangerous to the envi­
ro nment .
Windshield/headlight*
washer container
Fig. 181 En gin e compa rt m en t: Cover o n the wind ­
s hi eld an d headlig ht• was her fluid conta iner
T he was her fluid co nta iner is mar ked w ith the
symbol
O on its c ap c::> fig. 181, c::> fig . 175.
.,. Before yo u check anything in the engine
compa rtme nt, always read and heed all
WARNINGS c::> &. in Working in the engine
c ompartment on page 212.
.. Lift th e fi ller ca p tongue to ad d washer flu­
id . You can f ill the containe r to the top .
.. Press the cap back onto the fi ller neck after
fi lling the container.
You can find the reservo ir
capacity in t he table
in c::>
page 267 .
Clean wa ter should be used when filling up. If
poss ible, use so ft wat er to preven t scaling o n
the washer jets . A lways ad d a glass clea ner
solution (with frost protection in the winter) .
(D Note
Do not m ix eng ine cool ant an tifr eeze o r
any other a ddi tives to fill up the win d­
s hi eld washer rese rvoir .

Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle .
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle . Tires are,
however, one of the most important parts of a
vehicle, particularly considering the compara­
tively small patch of rubber on each tire that
assures that a ll- important contact between
you, your vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, mak ing
sure that your vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry mo re weight than they can safely han­
d le, avoiding damage from road hazards and
r eg ularly inspect ing t ires for damage i nclud­
ing cuts, slashes irregu la r wear and ove rall
condition are the most important things that
you can do to he lp avoid sudden tire failure in­
cluding tread separat ion and blowouts.
A voidin g damage
If you have to d rive over a curb or similar ob­
stacle, drive very slow ly and as close as possi ­
b le at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chemicals includ ing grease, o il ,
gasoline and brake fluid off the t ires .
I nspect the t ires regularly for damage (cuts,
cracks or b listers, etc.). Remove any fo reign
bod ies embedde d in the treads.
Storing tires Mark tires when you remove them to indicate
the direction of rotation . T his ensures you to
be ab le to mount them correctly when you re­
i nstall them .
When removed, the wheels or t ires should be
sto red in a cool, d ry and preferably dark place .
Store tires in a vertical pos ition if they are not
mounted on rims, in a horizontal pos it ion if
they are mounted on rims .
Tires an d wheel s 22 7
New tires
New ti res have to be broken in¢& .
The tread depth of new t ires may vary, accord­
ing to the type a nd make of t ire and the tread
patte rn.
H idden damage
Damage to tires and r ims is ofte n not readily
visible . If you notice unusual v ib rat ion or the
vehicle pulls to one s ide, th is may ind icate
that one of the t ires has been damaged . T he
ti res m ust be chec ked immed iate ly by an au­
thorized Audi dea le r or q ua lified wor kshop .
Unidirectional tires
A un idirectional tire can be identified by ar­
rows on the sidewa ll, that po int in the direc­
tion the t ire is designed to rotate. You mus t
f ol low the specified di rection o f rotation . T his
is necessary so that these tires can develop
their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road noise, wear and hydrop laning resistance.
For more information ¢
page 254.
A WARNING
New tires or t ires that are o ld, worn or
damaged cannot provide maximum con­
trol and braking ability .
-
-New tires tend to be slippery and must
also be b roken-in. To reduce the risk of
losing control, a collision and serious
pe rsonal injuries, drive w it h special care
for the first 350 miles (560 km).
- Driving with worn or damaged tires can
lead to loss of control, sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
fl ation, cras hes and se riou s personal in­
juries . Have worn or damaged t ires re­
placed immediate ly.
- Ti res age even if they are not being used
and can fai l sudden ly, especially at hig h
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith special care and at low
speed.
•
•

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. .,.

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),

238 Tires and w hee ls
wheel alignment checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
All wheel dri ve
Vehicles w ith quattro ® must always have tires
of the same size, construction and tread type. F or detai ls see
¢ page 184 .
.8, WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of con­
trol, a crash and serious personal injury!
- Never drive a veh icle when the tread on
any tire is worn down to the wear indica­
tors.
- Worn tires are a safety hazard, they do not grip well on wet roads and increase
your risk of "hydrop lan ing" and loss of
control.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause
tire damage, such as grease, oil, gasoline
and brake fluid away from tires.
- 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 histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to s udden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in .
Fig. 186 Tir e specificat ion c odes on t he s idewall o f a
t ire
N o. Descri ption
(!) Passenger car tire (where applicable)
@ Nom inal width of tire in millimeters
@ Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
© Radial
® Rim diameter code
@ L oad index and speed rating
(J) U.S. DOT tire identification number
@ Audi Orig inal tire
@ Sever snow conditions
@ Tire ply compos ition and mate rials
used
Maximum load rating
Treadwear, traction and temperature
grades
Maximum permissible inflation pres­
sure
T he t ires and rims are essential parts of the
vehicle 's design . The tires and rims approved
by Audi are spec ially matched to the charac­
teristics of the vehicle and can make a major .,..

24 0 T ire s and wheel s
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)l)
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)ll
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)
1l
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)ll
Your vehicle is norma lly factory equipped with
tires, which possess excellent driving charac­
teristics and give your Audi opt imum driving
comfort. An electronic speed limiter
c::> page 29 w ill normally prevent your vehicle
from go ing faste r than the tire speed rating
¢ & .
U.S . DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
and tire manufacture date
This is the t ire's "serial number". It beg ins
with the lette rs "DO T" and indicates that the
tire meets all federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters indica te the p lant where it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers
represent the week and year of manufacture .
F or examp le, the numbers 2212 mean that
the tire was produced in the 22nd week of
2012 . The other numbers are marketing co­
des that may or may not be used by the tire
manufacturer . This information is used to con ­
tact consumers if a tire defect requires a re­
call.
Audi Original tire
Tires with the ident ificat ion "AO" or "RO" have
been spec ially matched with your Aud i. We
recommend using only these tires because
they meet the highest standards regard ing
safety and d riving character istics when used
correctly. Yo ur au tho riz ed Audi dealer will
g lad ly provide you with more information.
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of pl ies ind icates the numbe r of
l ayers of rubber-coated fabric in the t ire. In
general, the g rea ter the numbe r of p lies, the
mo re weig ht a t ire can support. Tire man ufac ­
turers a lso must indicate the materials in the
ll For tir es w it h a m ax im um spee d ca pabil ity ove r
1 4 9 mp h (2 40 k m/h) , t ire ma nufact urers somet imes
u se the lette rs "ZR. "
tir e, which include stee l, nylon, po lyester, and
others .
Maximum Load Rating
This number ind icates the maximum load in
k ilog rams and po unds t hat can be ca rr ied by
the tire .
Tire quality grading for treadwear ,
traction, and temperature resistance
T read wear, tra ct ion and tempera ture grades
c::>page 241 .
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest amount of a ir
pressure that should ever be put in the t ire
u nder norma l dr iv ing cond itions .
_& WARNING
- Using incorrect o r unm atc hed tires and/
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
combinat ions can lead to loss of control
'
collis ion and serio us personal i nju ry .
- A lways use t ires, rims and whee l bolts
that meet the specifications of origina l
factory- insta lled tires or other combina­
tions that have been specifically ap­ proved by the vehicle manufacturer.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fai l sudden ly, especially at hig h
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 yea rs
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w it h specia l care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mo unt used tires on your veh icle if
you are not sure of the ir "previo us histo­
ry." O ld used tires may have been dam­
a ged even thoug h the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sud den tire fa ilure
and loss of vehicle control.
- All fo ur whee ls must be fitted with r adial
tires of the same type, size (rolling cir­
cumference) an d the same tread pattern .
Driving with different tires reduces ..,_