- in rollovers.
I n some types of acc idents the front airbags
and side ai rbags may be t rigge red togethe r.
A WARNING
- Safety belts and t he a irbag sys tem will
only provide protection when occupan ts
are in the p roper seating posit ion
¢ page 159.
-If the airbag indicato r light c::> page 20
comes when the vehicle is be ing used,
have the system inspected immediately
by your authori zed Aud i dea ler. It is pos
sible that the airbag will inflate when it
is not supposed to, or w ill not inflate
when it sho uld .
How supplemental side airbags work
.
Side airbags deploy ins tan tly and can help re
duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu
pants who are properly restrained .
Fig. 15 7 Infla ted s ide a irbag s on left s ide of ve hicle
When the system is trigge red , the airbag is
fi lled w ith p ropel lant gas and breaks thro ugh
a seam in the seat surface area marked "AIR
BAG" . It expands between the side trim panel
and the passenger. In orde r to help provide
t his additional protection, the side a irbag
must inf late within a fraction of a second at
very high speed a nd with great force . The sup
p lemental side a irbag could injure you if your
seating position is not p roper or upr ight or if
items are located in the area where the sup
p lemental side a irbag expands . T his app lies
especia lly to children
c::> page 161, Child Safe
ty.
Supplemental side airbags inflate between
the occupant and the door pane l on the side
A irba g sy stem 159
of the vehicle that is struck in certain side col
lision
c::> fig . 157 .
Although they are no t a soft pillow , they can
"cushion" the impa ct and in this way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper
part of the body .
A fine dust may develop when the airbag de
ploys . T his is normal and does no t mean there
is a fire in the vehicle.
Important safety instructions on the
side airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints . Al
ways properly wear safety belts and r ide in a
proper sea ting position.
T here is a lot that you and your passengers
must know and act accord ingly to help the
safety belts and airbags do the ir job to pro
vide supplemental protect ion.
A WARNING ,-
An inflat ing s ide a irbag can cause se rious
or fata l injury . Improperly wearing safety
belts and imp roper seat ing pos itions in
crease the risk of serious pe rsonal injury
and death whenever a vehicle is being
used.
- I n o rder to red uce the risk of i nju ry when
the s upplemental side airbag inflates:
- Always sit in an upright position and never lean against the area where the
suppleme nta l side airbag is located.
- Never let a child or anyone e lse rest
their head aga inst the s ide trim pane l
i n the area where the supplementa l
s ide a irbag inflates .
- Always make sure that safety belts are
worn correctly,
- Do not let anyone s itting in the front
seat put t he ir hand or any ot her parts
of their body out of the window .
- Always make su re t hat the side a irbag
can inflate without interfe rence .
-Inform your authorized Audi dealer that
you are operating or have operated the vehicle with E85.
- Read and follow the information and tips
about gasoline
¢ page 207.
(D Tips
It may take longer to start the engine
when the outside temperature is very cold.
If possible, use winterized fuel if tempera
tures are below freezing.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufac
turers is carbon deposit build -up caused by
the type of gasoline you use .
Although gasoline grades differ from one manufacturer to another, they have certain
things in common . All gasoline grades contain
substances that can cause deposits to collect
on vital engine parts, such as fuel injectors
and intake valves. Although most gasoline
brands include additives to keep engine and
fuel systems clean, they are not equally effec
tive.
Aud i recommends using TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline . For more information on TOP TIE R
Detergent Gasoline, please go to the official
website (www.toptiergas .com) .
After an extended pe riod of using inadequate
fuels, built-up carbon deposits can rob your
engine of peak performance.
(D Note
- Damage or malfunction due to poor fuel
quality is not covered by the Audi New
Vehicle Limited Warranty.
- Do not add aftermarket fuel addit ive
products to your fuel tank.
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
T he fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
side panel behind the fuel filler flap.
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 209
If the power locking system should fail, you
can still open the flap manually -for detailed
instructions see
¢ page 211.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your ve
hicle in
Technical Data ¢ page 267.
The labe l on the inside of the fuel fi ller flap
tells you the correct fuel for your veh icle. For
more information about fuel specifications,
see¢page207.
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on-board refuel
ling vapor recovery system. This feature helps
to prevent fuel vapors from escaping from the
tank and polluting the environment while you
refue l your vehicle. In order to fi ll the tank
properly while protecting the environment,
please follow this refueling procedure careful
ly.
A WARNING
Under normal operating conditions, never
carry addit ional fuel conta iners in your car .
Gas canisters and other containers used to
transport fuel can be dangerous. Such con
tainers, full or empty, may leak and could
cause a fire in a collision. If you must
transport fuel to use for your lawn mower,
snow b lower, etc., be very careful and al
ways observe loca l and state laws regard
ing the use, transportation and storage of
such fuel containers. Make certain the con
tainer meets industry standards (ANSI/
ASTM F852 -86) .
(D Note
Never drive your vehicle until the fuel tank
is completely empty. The irregular supply
of fuel can cause m isfiring . Gasoline could
enter the exhaust system and damage the
catalytic converter .
•
•
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.
•
•
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 .,..