62 Seat s a nd s tor ag e
- We recommend that you keep the installa
tion instructions for your roof rack system
together with your Owner's literature in the
vehicle.
Wh en shoul d th e roof rack b e re mo ved?
-Before going th rough an automatic car wash
(it is best to ask the car wash operator for
advice).
- When not in use, to reduce fuel consump
tion, wind no ise and to guard against theft.
A WARNING
- Use of an unapproved roof rack or incor
rect mount ing of an approved roof rack
can cause the roof rack or the items at
tached to it to fall off the roof onto the road .
- Objects fall ing from the roof of a vehicle
can cause a crash and personal injury .
- Only mount the roof rack on the desig
nated locations on the roof¢ fig. 63.
- The roof rack system must be insta lled
exactly according to the instructions pro
vided.
- When driving w ith a roof rack system,
changes to the center of gravity and wind
resistance can change the veh icle han
dling and lead to a collision . Always
adapt you r driv ing and you r speed to the
cu rrent conditions.
@ Note
- Your vehicle warranty does not cover any
damages to the veh icle caused by using
roof racks or mo unt ing structures not
approved by Audi for yo ur vehicle . T he
same applies to damage resulting from
i ncorrect roof rack installation.
- Always check the roof rack moun tings
and hardware before each trip and dur ing a trip to make sure everything is se
curely tightened . If necessary, retighten
the mount ings and check the ent ire sys
tem from t ime to t ime.
- After mounting a roof rac k system, or
when you transport objects on the roof
of your veh icle, the height of the vehicle is naturally increased
. Be careful when
driving under low bridges or in parking
garages for example . This cou ld cause
damage to the load and even the vehicle
itself.
- Make sure that the open rear lid and the sunroof do not come into contact with
objects on the roof.
Loading the roof rack
Always distribute loads evenly. Make sure anything on the roof rack is securely tied
down.
.. Always distribute the loads on the roof rack
even ly.
.,. Always attach items to the roof rack secure-
ly before you drive off .
The maxim um permissible roof weight is
165 lb (75 kg ). The roof we ight is the total of
the weight of the roof rack, the attachments and the ca rgo you a re carrying. You must also
not exceed the max imum load we ight for the
r oof rack yo u are using.
When using a roof rack system which has a lower load carrying capacity, you must not use
up the tota l maximum permiss ible load carry
ing capac ity specif ied above. Ins tead, you
sho uld load the roof rack system only to the
maximum capacity specified by the manufac
turer of the roof rack system.
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to the roof rack can fail
during hard braking or in a coll is ion and
cause ser ious persona l injury.
- Make sure the roof rack is installed exact ly as specified above¢ page 61.
- Always use s uitable mount ing straps for
secur ing items to the roof rack to help
prevent items from s hifting or flying for
ward .
- Items on the roof rack must always be
securely mounted.
-The use of a roof rack can negative ly af
fect the way a vehicle handles. Cargo
that is large, heavy, bulky, long or flat
will have a greater negative influence on
the vehicle's aerodynamics, center of
gravity and overall handling . Always
dr ive slowly, avo id sudden braking and
maneuvers when transporting cargo on
the roof of your vehicle.
- Never exceed the max imum permissible
load carry ing capacity of the roof of your
vehicle, the perm issib le axle weights and
the permissible total weight of your vehi
cle
c::> page 269, Weights.
@) For the sake of the environment
As a result of the increased w ind resist
ance created by a roof rack, your vehicle is
using fue l unnecessarily . So remove the
roof rack after using it .
Luggage compartment
General information
A WARNING
Read and follow the important safety pre
cautions on c:>
page 130, Stowing lug
gage.
Enlarging the luggage compartment
App lies to vehicles: with fold ing rear seatback
The backrests can be folded forward sepa
rately or together using the two release lev
ers .
0
Fig. 64 Luggage compartment: re lease leve r
Seats and storage 63
Fig. 65 Backrest: release lever, securing knob and latc h
Release lever in luggage compartment
... Pull the release lever c:> fig. 64 in the direc
tion of the arrow to fo ld the backrest for
ward .
Release handle on the backrest
... Pull the release lever@c:> fig. 65 in the di
rection of the arrow to fold the backrest for
ward .
Folding the backrest b ack into the upright
position
... Fold the backrest back up again until it
latches and the red marking @ is no longer
visible
c:> .&_ .
You can lock the backrest when it is latched in
place using the mechanical key
c:> page 34 ©
c:> fig . 65 . This prevents any access to the lug
gage compartment from the vehicle interior.
You can only enlarge the luggage compart ment if the backrest is not locked.
A WARNING
-
- The backrest must always be securely
latched so that the safety belt of the cen
ter seating position can work properly to
he lp protect the occupant.
- The backrest must be securely latched in
position so that no items contained in
the lu ggage compa rtment can slide for
ward upon sudden braking.
- Always check whether the latch is fully
e ngag ed by pull ing the seatback for
ward .
-Never transport objects larger than
those fitting completely into the luggage
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 sunroof,
- 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 sunroof and the rear lid are se
curely 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.
@ 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-
-
Driving Safely 131
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::> page235 .
Tie-downs
The luggage compartmen t is equipped with
four tie -downs to secure luggage and other
items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop
erly
r::> page 130, Loading the luggage com
partment .
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 (4.5 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
•
•
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 185
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.
•
•
232 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 tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the comb ined we ight (in excess of
those standard items which may be rep laced)
of automa tic tra nsmission, power steer ing,
power br akes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that these
items are availab le as factory -installed equip
ment (whether installed or not) .
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to the w idt h of
the tire in percent. Numbers of 55 or lower in
dicate a low sidewall fo r improved steer ing re
sponse and better overall handling on dry
pavement.
Bead
means t he pa rt of the tire that is made of
steel wires, wrapped o r reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the r im.
Bead s eparation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the
tire.
Cold tire inflatio n pre ssure
means the tire pressure recommended by the
ve hicle manufacturer for a tire of a designated
size that has not been dr iven for more than a
couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire pressure i s measu red or adjusted. -
If you notice unusual vibration or if the
veh icle pulls to one side when driv ing, a l
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check the wheels and tires for dam
age.
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor ve hicle w ith
standard equipment including t he maximum
capa city of fuel, o il, and coola nt, a ir cond i
tion ing and additional weig ht o f option al
equipment .
Extra load tire
means a tire design to operate at h igher loads
and at h igher inflation pressures than the cor
respondi ng standa rd tire. Extra load tires may
be identified as "X L", "xl", "EXTRA LOA D", o r
"R F" on the sidewall .
Gross Axle Weight Rating ( "GAWR ")
means the load-carrying capacity of a s ingle
axle system, measured at the tire-ground in
te rfaces .
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ( "GVWR ")
means the maximum total loaded we ight of
t h e ve hicle.
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs .
Load rat ing (code )
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry for a given inflation press ure. Yo u
may not find this information on all tires be
ca use it is not required by law.
Maximum load rating
me ans the lo ad r ating for a tire a t the m axi
mum pe rm issib le inflation pressure for that
t ir e.
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 pressu re."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs . (68 k ilograms) 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 overall diameter of an inflated new
tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ
ing e levations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated para llel cords.
Production options weight
means the comb ined weight of those installed
regular production options weighing 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, r ide leve lers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and specia l trim .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic t ire in which the p ly cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan
tially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread.
Tires and wheels 233
Recommended inflation pressure
see~
page 232, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor
responding standard tire. Reinforced tires
may be identified as "XL" , "x l", " EXTRA LOAD",
o r "R F" on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a t ire 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 w ill have to
purchase new tires to match the new r im di
ameter.
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width.
Rim width
means nom inal distance between rim fla nges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire is designed to
be driven for extended periods of time. The
ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h)
~ page 243 . You may
not find this information on all tires because
it is not requ ired by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applica
ble, is molded on the tire sidewall and indi
cates the max imum pe rm issib le road speeds
~ .&. in Winter tires on page 247 .
Tire pressure monitoring system*
means a system that detects when one or
more of a veh icle's tires are underinflated and
illuminates a low tire pressure warning tell
tale.
•
•
234 Tires and wheels
Tread
means that portion of a tire that comes into
contact with the road.
Tread separation
means pull ing away of the tread from the tire
carcass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the principal
grooves designed to give a visual ind ication of
the degrees of wear of the tread . See
~ page 241, Tread Wear Indicator (TWI) for
more informat ion on measuring tire wear.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire information system developed by the
United States Nat ional Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NH TSA) that is designed to
help buyers make relative comparisons among
tires. The UTQG is not a safety rating and not a
guarantee that a tir e will last fo r a prescribed
number of miles (kilometers) or perform in a
certain way. It simply gives tire buyers addi
tional information to combine with other con
siderat ions, such as price, brand loyalty and
dealer recommendations. Under UTQG, tires
are graded by the tire manufacturers in three
areas: treadwear, tract ion, and temperature
res istance. The UTQG information on the tires,
mo lded into the sidewalls.
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
This is the tire's "serial number". It begins
with the letters "DOT" and indicates that the ti
re meets a ll federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers
represent the week and year of manufacture.
For example,
DOT . .. 2212 ...
means that the tire was produced in the 22nd
week of 2012. The other numbers are market
ing codes that may or may not be used by the
tire manufacturer . This information is used to
contact consumers if a tire defect requires a
recall.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus
150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the vehicle's to
ta l seating capacity as listed on the label lo
cated on the driver's side B-pillar.
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
means that load on an individua l tire that is
determined by distributing to each axle its
share of the maximum loaded vehicle weight
and dividing by two.
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individua l tire that is
determined by distributing to eac h axle its
share of the curb weight , accessory weight,
and normal occupant weight (distributed in
accordance with tab le below ~
page 234)
and dividing by two.
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seating
capacities
Designated seating capacity,
number of occupants
4
Vehicle normal load, number Occupant distribution in a nor-
of occupants _____ malty loaded vehicle
2 2 in front
236 Tires and wheels
change. In the event of discrepancies, the tire
pressure labe l is located on the driver's side B
p ill ar a lways takes precedence.
The table below lis ts the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures for the Audi model
I Model II
Tire designation
covered by your Owner's Literature at the vehi
cle's capacity weight and the tire sizes instal
l ed on the respective models as orig inal
equipment, or as a factory option.
Tire pressure
Engine normal load condition full load condition
(up to 2 occupants)
front rear front rear
I
PSI Jl kPA PSI Jl kPA PSI Jl kPA PSI Jl kPA
AS Coupe: 225/50 R17 94H
2.0 liter All Season
4-cylinder 245/45 Rl 7 95H
I Au Season
245/40 R18 93H
All Season
2SS /35 R19 96V
High Performance
55 Coupe: 245/40 R18 93V
3 .0 liter High Performance
6-cylinder
-255/35 R19 96V
High Performance
32 220
32 220
33 230
32 220
38 260
38
260
29 200 33 230 33 230
.
29 200 33 230 33 230
I
29 200 35 240 35 240
'
32 220 33
230 33 230
I
32 220 41 280 38 260
32 220 41 280 38 260
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 is
located on a label on the driver's side B-pillar.
Because technical changes may be made to
vehicle equipment during the model year, a l
ways compare the tire size designation on the
tire pressure label on your vehicle with 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 t ires 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 o r you bought the
vehicle as a previously owned vehicle .
Remember, your safety and that of your pas
sengers also depends on mak ing sure that
l oad limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load in
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
vehicle . These load limits are technically refer
red to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating ("GVWR"). The Gross Axle Weight Rat- ing
("GAWR") is the maximum load that can
be applied at each of the vehicle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
G ross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety comp liance sticker label located on the
drive r's side B-pillar . The tire pressure label on
your Audi lists the maximum combined
weight of all of the occupa nts and luggage or
other cargo that the vehicle can carry. For the
location of the tire pressure label¢
fig. 176.
A WARNING ._
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve
hicle contro l, a crash or other accident, se
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more weight than your vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
veh icle from handling properly and in
crease the risk of a loss of vehicle con
trol.