24 2 T ire s and wheel s
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. T hose grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance
c:> .&. .
Te mp eratu re
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and
C, representing the tire's resistance to
the generation of heat and its ability to dissi
pate heat when tested under con trolled condi
tions on a specified i ndoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure
c:> ,& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform
ance which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Veh icle Safety Stand
ard No .
109 . Grades Band A represent h igher
l eve ls of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the m inimum required by law.
.&_ WARNING
T he traction grade assigned to this t ire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydrop laning or peak traction
characteristics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is es
tablished for a t ire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed, un
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible tire fa ilu re.
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Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice . At temperatures below 45 °F
(7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments
may require true w inter o r "snow" t ires, those
with very deeply cut tread . T hese tires should
o n ly be used in pairs and be installed on a ll
f o ur wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
ti res that are the same size and construction
type as the other tires on yo ur vehicle.
You r vehicle is equipped with al l wheel d rive,
th is will improve traction d uring win ter driv
ing, even with the standard tires. However, we
strong ly recommend that you always equip all
fo ur wheels on your vehicle with correctly fit
ted winter tires or a ll-season tires, when win
ter road cond itions are expected. This also im
proves the veh icle's brak ing performance and
reduces stopping d istances .
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on all fo ur whee ls .
Ask your authorized A udi dealer or qualified
workshop for permit ted
w in ter ti re size s. Use
only radial winter tires .
Winter tires lose their effec tivenes s when the
tread is wo rn down to a depth of
0 .157 inch
(4 mm) .
Only d rive w ith w inter t ires under w inte r co n
ditions. S ummer t ires handle bette r when
there is no snow o r ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °C) .
If you have a flat ti re, see notes on spare
whee l
c:> page 238 .
Please always remember that winter tires may
have a lower speed rating than the tires origi
nally installed on your vehi cle at the time it
was ma nufactu red. P lease see
c:> page 239,
Speed rating (Letter code)
for a lis ting o f the
speed rating lette r codes and the max imum
speed at which the tires can be driven . ..,.
The speed rating letter code (c::> page 230) is
on the side wall of the tire
c::> page 238.
A WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than your vehicle's max
imum 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 passen
gers.
A WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your vehicle
were designed can cause tire failure in cluding a blowout and sudden deflation,
loss of control, crashes and serious per
sonal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately.
- Winter tires have maximum 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 .
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and
traffic conditions. Never let the good ac
celeration of the winter tires and all wheel
drive tempt you into taking extra risks . Al
ways remember :
- When braking, an all wheel drive vehicle
handles in the same way as a front drive
vehicle.
- Drive carefully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot help under black ice conditions.
@l For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather condi
tions permit. They are quieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumption.
Tires and wheels 243
Snow chains
Snow chains 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 can be used.
The snow chains must have low-profile links
and must not be thicker than 0.53 inch
(13.S mm) , including the lock.
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putting snow chains on your vehicle
c::> 0 . For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are avail
able from authorized Audi dealers.
A WARNING
~ Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi
cle or installing them incorrectly can in
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different sizes . Always make sure to follow the in
structions provided by the snow chain
manufacturer.
- When driving with snow chains never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains .
- Always observe local regulations.
(D Note
- Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con
tact with the wheel rim, can scratch or
damage it. Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered. Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow chain manufacturer when doing so.
(D Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory on cer
tain roads, this normally also applies to
vehicles with all wheel drive .
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-Drive carefully on roads with potholes, deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from driving
thro ugh or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to your tires.
- After any impact, immediately inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest
authorized Aud i dealer. Replace a damaged
t ire as soon as possible .
- Inspect your t ires every 2,000 miles (3,000
km) for damage and wear . Damage is not al
ways easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of
air and underinflation, wh ich could eventu
ally cause ti re fail ure. If you be lieve that a
t ire may have been damaged , replace the
t ir e as soon as possible.
- These tires may wea r more q uick ly than oth
ers.
- Please also remember that, wh ile these t ires
deliver respons ive handling, they may ride
less comfortably and make mo re noise than
othe r choices .
Reduced performance in winter /cold
season condit ions
All t ires are des igned for certa in pu rposes.
The low aspect ratio, ultra high pe rformance
tires originally installed o n your vehicle are in
tended for max imum dry and wet road per
formance and handling . They are not suitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather condit ions. If
you dr ive under those circumstances, you
should equip your veh icle with all-season or
winter t ires, which offer better traction under
those cond itions . We suggest you use the re c
ommended snow or all-season tires specified
for your ve hicl e, or their equ ivalent .
Refer to~
page 242 for more deta iled info r
mat ion regarding win ter t ires.
Tire pressure
monitoring system
U) General notes
Ap plies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
Each t ire , includ ing the spare (if provided),
should be che cked mo nth ly when cold and in-
Tire s an d wheel s 245
flated to the inflation pressure recommended
by the vehicle man ufact urer on the vehicle
placard or tire inflat ion pressure labe l. (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size than the
s ize indicated o n the vehicle placard or tire in
flat ion pressure labe l, you shou ld determine
the proper t ire inflation pressu re for those
tires) .
As an added safety feature, your veh icle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system ( TPMS) that illum inates a low tire
pr essure te lltale when one o r more of you r
tir es is s ignificant ly unde r-inflated. Acco rding
ly, when the low tire pressure tell tale illumi
nates, you shou ld stop and check you r tires as
soon as possib le, and inflate them to the
proper pressure . Driving on a significant ly un
der- inflated t ire causes the tire to overheat
and can lead to tire fa ilure. Under-inflation al
so reduces fuel effic iency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's hand ling and
stopp ing abil ity .
Please note that the TPMS is not a substit ute
for proper tire ma intenance, and it is the driv
er 's respons ibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not
reached the level to tr igger illuminat ion of the
T PMS low ti re p ressu re tellta le.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
T PMS ma lfunction ind icator to ind icate when
the system is not operating p rope rly . T he
T PMS ma lfun ction indicator is comb ined w ith
the low tire pressure te lltale . Whe n the sys
tem detects a malfunc tion, the telltale will
flash for approximate ly one mi nute and then
remain continuously i lluminated. T his se
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunct ion exists .
When the malfunction indicato r is illum inat
ed, the system may not be ab le to detect or
s ignal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfu nctions may occur for a var iety of rea
sons, including the installation of replace
ment or a lternate tires or wheels on the vehi
cle that p revent the TPMS from functioning
properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
t e llt ale after rep laci ng one or more tires o r ..,.
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