2013 AUDI A6 ESP

Tires an d wheel s 245
you have stored. The system does not recog ­
nize the load condition of your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the ti re pressu re monitor­
ing sys tem* will be impaired if you store nor ­
mal load pressures but then operate the vehi ­
cle at its maximum load¢,& .
See the illustration ¢
fig. 191 for the location
of the label on dr iver's side B-pillar (co lor of
the actual labe l and exact location on the ve­
hicle wi ll vary slig htly) .
Note that the fo llowing tab le is accurate a t
the t ime o f go ing to press and is subject to
I Model / II Tire de signation
c h ange. In the event of discrepancies, the ti re
pressure label is located on the driver's side B­
pillar always takes precedence .
T he table below lists the recommended cold
ti re inflat ion pressures for the Audi mode l
covered by your Owner's Literat ure at the vehi­
cle's capacity weight and the t ire 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
A6: 2 .0 lit er
4 -cylinder
A6: 3.0 liter
-
225 /5 5 Rl 7 97H
All Season
245 /45 Rl8 l0OH XL
All Season
255 /40 Rl 9 l00H XL
All S eason
255 /40 Rl9 l0OY XL
High Performance
255 /35 R20 97Y XL
High Perfo rmance
225 /55 Rl 7 97H
All Season
6-cylinder 245 /45 Rl8 l00H XL
All Seaso n
255 /40 Rl9 l0OH XL
All Season
255 /40 Rl9100Y XL
High Performance
255 /35 R20 97V XL
High Performance
S6: 255 /40 Rl 9100YXL
4.0
liter High P erformance
a -cy lind er
255 /35 R20 97V XL
High Performance front
PSI
ll kPA
32 220
230
33 230
32 220
35 240
35 240
35 240
35 240
36 250
39 270
39 270
44 300
rear front rear
PSI
ll kPA PSI ll kPA PSI ll kPA
29 200 35 240 38 260
32 220 35 240
38 260
32 220 35 240
38 260
32 220 33 230 36 250
32 220 38 260 41 280
32 220 38 260 41 280
32 220 38 260 41 280
32 220 38 260 41 280
33 230 39 270 42 290
36 250 44 300 46 320
35 240 42 290 44 300
39 270 46 320 48 330
XL= reinfor ced or extra load tire . It may al so appear a s xl , EXTRA LOAD , or RF on the tire side-
'
I
l
J
•
I
wall. ..,.
•
•

24 6 T ire s and whee ls
The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is
located on a label on the driver's side B-pillar.
Because tec hnical changes may be made to
vehicle equ ipment dur ing the model year, a l­
ways compare the tire size designation on the
tire pressure labe l on your vehicle with the
tires on your vehicle . Make sure that the tire
si ze information on the vehicle label is the
same as the si ze of the tires on the vehicle.
This is especially important if the vehicle be ­
longs to someone else or you bought the veh i­
cle with different rims/tires or you bought the
vehicle as a p reviously 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
ve hicl e. These load limits are technically refer­
red to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating ("GVWR") . The Gross Ax le Weight Rat­
ing ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can
be applied at each of the veh icle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance st icker labe l located on the
driver 's side B-p illar . The tire pressure label on
your Aud i lists the maximum combined
weight of all of the occupants and luggage or
o ther cargo that the vehicle can carry. For the
l ocation of the tire pressu re labe l
i=:> fig. 191.
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve ­
hicle control, a cras h or other accident, se­
r ious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more weight than yo ur vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of a loss of veh icle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a veh icle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly causing loss of con­
trol and a crash . -
Always make sure that the total load be­
ing transported - including the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue we ight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehi­
cle heavier than the vehicle's G ross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
A WARNING
-- I ncorrect tire pressures and/or underin-
flation can lead to a serious or fatal acci­
dent.
- I nco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation cause increased ti re wear and can
affec t the handling of the vehicle .
- I nco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can a lso lead to s udden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowou t and sudden de­
flation, ca using loss of veh icle cont ro l.
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires original­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressur e label located on driver's side 8-pil ­
lar .
The recommended tire pressures are on the
t ir e pressure label and in the table
i=:> page 244, Cold tire inflation pressure.This
means that the pressure m ust be checked and
adjusted when the t ire has not been dr iven for
more than a couple of miles (kilometers) at
low speeds during the previous three hours.
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up as a result of inter nal frict ion as it flexes in
u se . T he t ire pressure is higher when the tire
has warmed up t han whe n it is "co ld. "
It is the inflation pressure in a "co ld" t ire that
counts . The refore, you should never let a ir out
of a wa rm tire to match "Cold t ire inflat ion
pressure" recomme ndat ions
i=:, page 244 . The
t ir es wo uld then be unde rinflated and co uld
fail suddenly .
T he t ire pressure label on your Audi lists the
recommended co ld tire inflation pressures at
m aximum cap acity for the new, or ig inal
equipmen t tires tha t were on your vehicle at ..,.

the time it was manufactured. For the
l ocation of the labe l¢
fig . 191.
Most ti res lose a ir naturally over time. They
can also lose some a ir if you drive ove r a pot­
hole or hit a curb while parking . It is usua lly
not possib le to see whether the radia l tires
used today are underinflated just by looking
at them.
Therefore, be sure to check tire pressures at
l east once a month and always before going
on a long trip. Make sure to take the number
of people and the amount of luggage into ac­
count when adjusting tire pressure for a trip -
even one that you would not consider to be
"long ." See ¢
page 248, Tires and vehicle
load limits
for more important information .
Always use an accurate tire pressure gauge
when check ing and adjusting inflation pres­
sures . Check all of the t ires and be sure not to
forget the spare t ire. If the p ressure in any tire
i s too high when the tire is "cold," le t air out
of the ti re slowly with t he edge of the t ire
ga uge and keep checking the pressure un til
you reach the press ure that is correct for the
l oad (passengers and luggage) and kind of
driving you plan to do .
I f the p ressure in any tire is too low, note the
d ifference between the pressure in the cold
tire and the pressure yo u need and add the a ir
that you need to reach the correct pressure for
the vehicle load (passengers and luggage) for
the t ires on your vehicle as listed on the on
your veh icle and in this manua l and the kind
of dr iv ing yo u pla n to do .
Never e xceed the ma ximum inflation pres ­
sure listed on the t ire s ide wall for any rea ­
son.
Remember that the vehicle manufacturer, not
the t ire manufacturer, determ ines the correct
tire pressure for the t ires on your vehicle .
It is important to check the tire pressure when
the tires are cold .
- Read the requ ired ti re press ure from the tire
pressure label. The tire pressure labe l is lo­
cated on the driver's side B-pi llar .
Tire s an d wheel s 24 7
- Turn the va lve stem cap counter -clockw ise
to remove it from the tire va lve .
- Place the ai r pressure gauge on the va lve.
- The tire pressures should o nly be checked
a nd ad justed when the tires are co ld. The
slightly raised pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced.
- Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying.
- Reins tall the valve stem cap on t he va lve.
When should I check the tire pressure?
The correct tire pressure is especially impor­
tant at high speeds . The pressure should
the refore be checked at least once a month
and always before sta rting a jo urney. Do not
f o rge t to chec k the ti re p ressu re fo r the sp are
whee l
q page 262.
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Adjust the t ire pr essure to the load you a re
ca rrying. After chang ing a whee l
or replacing
whee ls yo u have to adjust the ti re p ressu res
on all whee ls. In addition, yo u m ust then
store the new tire pressures in the tire pres ­
s u re monito ring system*
q page 258.
A WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinfla­
tion can lead sudden tire fa ilure, loss of
control, collision, serious personal injury
or even death.
- When the warning symbol
RI] appears in
the instrument cluster, stop and inspect
the t ires.
- Incorrect tire pressure and/or underinfla­
tion can cause increased tire wear and
can affect the handli ng of the vehicle and
stopping ability.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
f lation can a lso lead to sudden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowout a nd sudden de­
f lation, ca u sing loss of veh icle cont ro l.
- T he drive r is responsib le for the co rrect
tire pressures for all tires on the ve hicle.
Th e appli cable pressure values are locat ­
ed on a sticker o n the dr iver's s ide B-pil-
la~
~
•
•

Unbalanced whee ls must be rebalanced to
avoid excessive wea r on steering, suspension
and tires. A wheel must a lso be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed .
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect whee l alignment can cause exces­
sive tire wear, impairing the safety o f the vehi­
cle. If tires show excess ive wear, have the
wheel alignment checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
All-wheel d rive
Vehicles w ith quattro ® must always have tires
of the same size, construction and tread type .
F or detai ls see
r=!:> page 196 .
A WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of con­
trol, a crash and serious persona l 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
co ntrol.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause
tire damage, such as grease, oil , gasoline
and brake fluid away from t ires.
- Tires age eve n if they are not be ing used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds. T ires that are more than 6 years
o ld can only be used in an emergency
and then with spe cial care a nd at lower
s peeds.
- Never mount used ti res on yo ur vehicle if
yo u a re not s ure of their "prev ious histo­
ry." Old used ti res 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. Tires and wheels 251
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in
.
Fig. 19 5 Tir e spec ificat io n codes on t he s idewall o f a
tire
No. De sc ription
CD Passenger car tire (where applicable)
@ Nomina l w idth of t ire in mill imeters
® Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
© Rad ial
® Rim diameter code
® Load index and speed rating
(f) U.S. DOT tire identification number
® Aud i Origina l tire
® Sever snow conditions
@ T ire ply composition and mater ials
used
@ Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and temperat ure
grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pres-
sure
T he tires and rims are essential parts o f the
vehicle's design . The ti res and rims app roved
by Audi a re spec ia lly matched to the charac­
teris tic s of the ve hicl e and can m ake a major .,.
•

V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)1
)
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)1)
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)1l
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)
1 )
Your veh icle is norma lly factory equipped with
t ires, which posses s excellen t driving charac­
ter istics and give your Audi opt imum driving
comfort . An electronic speed limiter
~ page 30 w ill normally prevent your vehicle
from go ing faste r th an the tire speed rating
~ &. -
U.S. DOT T ire Identification Number (TIN )
and tire manufactur e date
This is the t ire's "serial numbe r" . It begins
with the le tters "DOT" and indicates that the
tire meets all federal standards . The next two
numbers or letters indicate the p lant where it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufactu re.
Fo r example, the numbers 2212 mean 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 t ire manufacturer.
This informat ion is used to contact consumers
if a t ire defect requires a reca ll.
Audi Original tire
Tires with the iden tifica tion "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 charac ter istics when used
correctly . Yo ur au thori zed Audi dealer w ill
g lad ly provide you with more information.
Tire ply composition and materials used
The numbe r of p lies ind icates the n umber of
l ayers of rubber-coated fabric i n the t ire. In
gener al, the grea ter the numbe r of p lies, the
more weig ht a tire can s upport. Tire man ufac­
turers a lso must indicate the materials in the
tire, wh ich include ste el, nylon, polyest er, and
others.
ll Fo r tires wit h a m ax im um s pee d ca pabil ity over
1 4 9 m ph (24 0 k m/h) , tire m an ufa ctur ers somet ime s
use the let ters "ZR."
Tire s an d wheel s 253
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the max imum load in
k ilograms and po unds t hat can be ca rr ied by
the tire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear ,
traction, and temp eratu re resistance
T read wear, t raction and tempe ra tu re grades
¢ page
254 .
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest amount of a ir
pressure that should ever be put in the tire
u nder norma l dr iv ing cond itions .
_& WARNING ~
- Using incorrect o r unmatched tires and I
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
comb inat ions can lead to loss of control,
coll is ion and serious personal in jury.
- Always use t ires , rims and whee l bolts
that meet the specif ications of original
factory- installed tires or other combina­
tions that have been sp ecifically ap­
proved by the vehicle manufacture r.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fai l sudden ly, especially at high
speeds . Tires that are more than 6 yea rs
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith special care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mo unt used tires on your veh icle if
you are not sure of the ir "previous histo­
ry ." O ld used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire fai lure
and loss of vehicle control.
-All four whee ls must be fitted with radial
tires of the same type, size (rolling cir­ cumference) and the same tread pattern .
Driving with different tires reduces vehi­
cle handling and can lead to a loss of
control.
•
•

measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance
c::> & .
Temp erature
The temperature grades a re 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 controlled condi­
tions on a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the materia l of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire fa ilure
c::> & .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which a ll passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Veh icle Safety Stand­
ard No.
109. Grades Band A represent higher
levels of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the m inimum required by law .
&, WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this t ire is
based on stra ight-ahead b raking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydrop lan ing or peak traction
character istics .
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is es­
tablished for a tire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded . Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separate ly or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible tire fa ilure.
Winter tires
Win ter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice. At tempera tures below 45 °F
(7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires.
In some heavy snow areas, loca l governments
may require true winter or "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread. These t ires should
Tire s an d wheel s 255
only be used in pairs and be installed on all
fo ur wheels. Make sure you purchase snow
tires that are the same size and construction
type as the other tires on your vehicle.
If your vehicle is eq uipped w ith all -whee l
drive*, this wi ll improve traction during winter
driv ing, even with the standard tires. Howev ­
er, we strongly recommend that you always equip all four wheels on your veh icle w ith cor­
rect ly fitted winter tires o r all -season t ires,
whe n w inter road cond it ions are expected.
T his also improves the veh icle's brak ing per­
fo rmance and redu ces stoppi ng d istances.
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow .
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted
on all four wheels.
Ask your authorized A udi dealer or qualified
workshop for permitted
wi nter ti re size s. Use
on ly rad ial winter t ires.
Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
0 .1 57 inch
(4 mm).
Only drive w ith w inter tires under w inter con­
ditions. S umme r tires handle better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45
°F (7 ° ().
If you have a flat tire, see no tes on spare
whee l c::> page 251.
Please a lways remember that winter tires may
have a lowe r speed ra ting than the tires o rig i­
nally installed on your veh icle at the time it
was man ufactured. P lease see
c::> pag e 252,
Speed rating (letter code) for a listing of the
speed rating letter codes and the max imum
speed at which the tires can be driven.
The speed rating le tter code
(c::> page 243) is
on the side wall of the tire
c::> page 251 .
A WARNING
Winter t ires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than yo ur vehicle's max­
imum speed. Always know the max imum
speed before dr iv ing off . Never dr ive faster
~
•
•

258 Tires and wheels
In order to minimize the occurrence of impact
damage to the tires of your vehicle, we recom­
mend that you observe the following precau­
tions :
- Always maintain recommended inflation
pressures. Check your tire pressure every
2,000 miles (3,000 km) and add a ir if neces­
sary.
- Drive carefu lly on roads with potholes, deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from driving
through 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 ir e 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 event u­
ally cause t ire failure.
If you believe that a
ti re may have been damaged, replace the
tire as soon as possible.
-These tires may wea r more quickly than oth­
ers.
- Please also remember that, while these tires
deliver responsive handling, they may ride
less comfortably and make more noise than
other choices.
Reduced performance in winter/cold
season conditions
All tires are designed for certain purposes .
The low aspect ratio, ultra high performance
tires originally installed on your vehicle are in­
tended for max imum dry and wet road per­
f ormance and handling . They are not suitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather cond it ions.
If
you dr ive under those circumstances, you
should equip your vehicle with all-season or
winter tires, which offer better traction under
those conditions . We suggest you use the rec­
ommended snow or all-season tires specified
for your vehicle, or their equiva lent .
Refer to~
page 255 for mo re detailed infor­
mation regarding w inter tires.
Tire pressure
monitoring system
ill General notes
Applies to veh icles: w ith tire pressure monito ring system
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
shou ld be checked monthly when co ld and in­
flated to the inf lation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size than the
s iz e indicated on the vehicle placard or tire in­
flat io n pressu re label, you shou ld dete rmin e
the proper tire inflation pressure for those
tires) .
As an added safety feature, your veh icle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system ( TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
tires is significant ly under -inflated . Acco rding­
ly, when the low tire pressure te lltale illumi­
nates, you shou ld stop and check your tires as
soon as possib le, and inflate them to the
proper pressure. Driving on a sign ificantly un­
der-inflated tire 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 ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute
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 trigger illumination of the
T PMS low tire p ressu re tellta le .
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to ind icate when
the system is not operating properly . Th e
T PMS ma lfunction indicator is combined with
the low tire pressure telltale. When the sys­
tem detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximately one minute and then
rema in con tinuously illuminated . Th is se­
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunct ion exists . .,.

260 Tire s and wheel s
check the tires and their pressures. In­
flate the tire pressure to the proper pres­
sure as indicated on the vehicle's tire pressure label
c> page 244. Driving on a
significantly under-inflated tire causes
the tire to overheat and can lead to tire
failure. Under-inflation also is likely to impair the vehicle's handling and stop­
ping ability.
- T he driver is responsible for ma inta ining
the correct tire pressures. You must check the t ire pressures regular ly .
- Under certain cond itions (such as a spor­
ty driving s tyle, win ter condit ions or un­
paved roads), the pressure monitor indi ­
cator may be de layed .
- Ask your author ized Audi dealer if r un­
flat tires may be used on your vehicle .
You r vehicle regist ration becomes invalid
if yo u use these tires when not permit­
ted. Damage to your veh icle or accidents
cou ld also resu lt.
- The tire pressure monitoring system
stops wor king when there is an ESC/ABS
malfunction .
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The tire pressure monitoring system on
your A udi was developed using tires with
the "AO" or "RO" identif ication on the
tire sidewall <:>page 251. We recom­
mend using these t ires.
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
App lies to vehicles: with tire pressure monito ring system
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels are ro­
tated or changed, the TPMS must be reset via
MMI.
., Switch on the ignition .
., Se lect in the MMI: !CAR !function button>
(Car )* syst ems contro l butto n > Serv icing &
checks > Tire pres sure mon itoring > Store
tire pre ssure s> Yes, store n ow .
(D Tips
Do not store the tire pressure if there are
snow cha ins on the tire .