2013 AUDI Q5 warning

248 Tire s and whee ls
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
tive ly small patch of rubber on each tire that
assures that all -important contact between
you, your vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, making
sure that your vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry more weight than they can safe ly han­
d le, avoiding damage from road hazards and
reg ularly inspecting t ires for damage includ­
ing cuts, slashes irregu la r wear and overall
condition are the most important things that
you can do to he lp avoid sudden tire failure in­
cluding tread separation and blowouts.
A vo idin g dama ge
I f you have to drive over a curb or similar ob­
stacle, drive very slow ly and as close as possi ­
ble at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chem icals including grease, oil,
gasoline and b rake fluid off the tires.
Inspect the tires regularly for damage (cuts,
cracks or bl isters, etc.). Remove any foreign
bod ies embedded in the treads.
St orin g tire s
Mark tires when you remove them to indicate
the direction of rotation . Th is ensures you to
be ab le to mount them correctly when you re­
install them.
When removed, the wheels or tires should be
stored in a cool, dry and preferably dark place .
Store tires in a vertical position if they are not mounted on rims, in a horizontal position if
they are mounted on rims. N
ew tir es
New t ires have to be broken in¢&,. .
The tread depth of new t ires may vary, accord­
ing to the type and make of t ire and the tread
pattern .
Hidden damag e
Damage to tires and r ims is often not readily
vis ible . If you notice unusual vibrat 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
t ir es must be checked immed iate ly by an au­
tho rized Aud i dea le r or q ualified wor kshop.
Unidirecti onal t ires
A un idirectional tire can be identified by ar­
rows on the sidewall, that po int in the direc­
t ion the t ire is designed to rotate. You must
fol low the specified direction of rotation . This
is necessary so that these tires can develop
their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road noise, wear and hydrop laning resistance.
For more information ¢
page 2 78.
A WARNING
-New tires or tires that are old, worn or
damaged cannot provide maximum con­
trol and braking ability .
-
-New tires tend to be slippery and must
also be broken-in. To reduce the risk of losing control, a collision and serious
pe rsonal injuries, drive w ith specia l 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 blowou t and sudden de­
flation, c rashes and serious personal in­
juries . Have worn or damaged tires re­
p laced immediate ly.
- 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 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith special care and at low
speed.

254 Tire s and wheel s
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
hicle control, 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
vehicle from handling properly and in­ crease the risk of a loss of veh icle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle 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 we ight of
a tra iler hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the veh i­
cle heav ier than the veh icle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
A WARNING
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can lead to a serious o r fatal acci­
dent.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation cause increased tire wea r and can
affect the handling of the vehicle .
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can also lead to sudden tire fa il­
ure, including a blowo ut and sudden de­
flation, causing loss of vehicle control.
Checking tire pressure
-
The correct tire pressure for the tires originol­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressure label located on driver's side 8-pil­
lar .
The recommended tire pressures are on the
tire pressure labe l and in the tab le
c:::> page 252, Cold tire inflation pressure .This
means that the pressure must be checked and
adjusted when the tire has not been driven for more than a couple of m iles (k ilometers) at
low speeds during the p revious three hours . Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
as a result of interna l friction as it flexes in
u se . The tire pressure is h igher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold."
It is the inflation pressure in a "co ld" tire that
counts . Therefore, you should never let air out
of a warm tire to match "Cold t ire inflat ion
pressure" recommendat ions
c:::> page 252 . The
t ires wou ld then be underinflated and could
fail suddenly .
The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the recommended co ld tire inflation pressures at
maximum capacity for the new, orig inal
equipment tires that were on your vehicle at
the time it was manufactured . Fo r the loca­
t ion of the labe l
c:::>page 252, fig . 203 .
Most tires lose air naturally over t ime . They
can a lso lose some air if you drive over a pot ­
hole or hit a curb while park ing. It is usually
not possible to see whether the rad ia l tires
used today are underinflated jus t by looki ng
at them.
T he refo re, be sure to check t ire p ressures at
least once a month and always before going
o n a long trip. Ma ke sure to take the numbe r
of peop le and the amou nt o f luggage into ac­
count when adjust ing tire pressu re for a trip -
even one that yo u wo uld not consider to be
" long." See
c:::> page 256, Tires and vehicle
load limits
for more important information .
Always use an ac curate tire p ress ure ga uge
when checking and adj usting inflation pres­
s u res . Check a ll of the tires and be sure not to
forget the spare tire. If the pressure in any t ire
is too high when the tire is "cold," let air out
of the tire s low ly w ith the edge of the tire
gauge and keep checking the pressure until
you reach the pressure that is co rrect fo r the
load (passengers and luggage) and k ind of
dr iv ing you plan to do.
If the pressure in any tire is too low, note the
difference between the p ressure in the co ld
t ire and the pressure you need and add the air
t h at you need to reach the cor rect pressure for
t h e ve hicl e load (passengers and luggage) for
the tires on your vehicle as listed on the on

your vehicle and in this manual and the kind of driving you p lan to do.
N eve r ex ce ed th e ma ximum inflati on pre s­
s ur e listed on th e tire sidew all for any rea­
so n.
Remembe r that the vehicle manufacturer, not
the t ire manufacturer , determ ines the co rrect
tire pressure for the t ires on your veh icle .
It is important to check the tire pressure when
the t ires are cold .
- Read the requ ired tire pressure from the tire
pressure label. The tire pressure label is lo­
cated on the driver's side 8-p illar. The tire
pressure label lists the recommended cold
t ire inflat ion p ressu res for the veh icle at its
maximum capacity we ight and the tires that
were on yo ur vehicle at the time it was man­
ufact ured. For recommended tire pressures
for normal load condit ions, please see chap­
ter
¢ page 252.
-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 checked
and adjusted when the tires are cold. The
s li ght ly ra ised pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced.
- Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying .
- Reinsta ll the valve stem cap on the valve.
When should I check the tire pressure?
The correct tire pressure is espec ially impor­
tant at high speeds. The pressure sho uld
therefore be checked at leas t once a mon th
and a lways befo re starting a journey. Do not
forget to check the tire pressure for the spare
wheel.
When should I adju st the tir e pres sures?
Ad just the tire p ressu re to the load you are
carry ing . After changing a wheel
o r replacing
wheels you have to adjust the tire pressures
on all wheels . In addition, you must then
store the new tire pressures in the tire pres­
sure monitor ing system* ¢
page 268.
Tires an d wheel s 255
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
[I] 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 handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability.
- I nco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
f lation can a lso lead to sudden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowou t and sudden de­
f lation, ca using loss of veh icle contro l.
- The drive r is responsib le for the co rrec t
tire pressures for all tires on the veh icle.
The applicable pressure values are locat ­
ed on a sticke r on the driver's side B-pil­
lar.
- On ly when all tires on the vehicle are fil ­
led to the correct pressure, the tire pres­
sure mon itor ing system* can work cor­
rectly.
- The use of incorrect tire pressure va lues
can lead to acc idents or other damage.
Therefore it is essential that the driver
observe the spec ified t ire pressure values
for the tires and the correct pressures for
the function of the t i re p ress ure monito r­
ing system*.
- Always inf late tires to the recommended
a nd correct t ire p ress ure before dr iv ing
off.
- Driving with underinflated tires bend
mo re, letting t hem get too hot resulting
in tre ad separation, s udden tire failure
and loss of cont rol.
- Excessive speed and/overloading can
cause heat b uild- up, sudden tire failure
and loss of cont rol.
- If the tire pressure is too low or too high,
the t ires will wear prema turely and the
vehicle wi ll not handle well. .,.. •
•

256 Tire s and wheel s
-If the tire is not flat and you do not have
to change a wheel immed iately, drive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta­
t ion to check the tire pressure and add
air as required .
(D Note
Driving without va lve stem caps can cause
damage to the t ire valves . To prevent this,
always make sure that factory installed
valve stem caps on all wheels are securely mounted on the
valve .
@) For the sake of the environment
Underinf lated tires will a lso increase the
fue l consumption .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or
weight that any veh icle and any t ire ca n car ry.
A vehicle that is overloaded w ill not ha ndle
well a nd is more difficult to stop. Over load ing
can not on ly lead to loss of vehicle contro l,
but can a lso damage important parts of the
ve hicle and can lead to sudden tire failure , in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the veh icle to crash .
Your safety and that of yo ur passenge rs a lso
depends on making sure that load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load includes everybody
a nd everyth ing in and on the vehicle . T hese
load limits are tech nica lly refe rred to as the
ve hicle 's
Gross V ehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the we ight of the basic
vehicle, all factory insta lled accesso ries, a full
tank of fuel, oi l, coo la nt and othe r fluids pl us
maximum load. The maxim um load includes
the number of passengers that t he vehi cle is
intended to carry ("seating capacity") w ith an
assumed weight o f 150 lbs (6 8 kg) for each
passenger at a designated seating pos ition
and the tota l weight of any l uggage in th e
ve­
hicle. If you tow a trailer, the weight of the
trailer hitch and the tongue weig ht of the loaded tra
ile r must be included as part of the
vehicle load .
T he
Gro ss Axle Weight Rating (" GAWR") is
the max imum load th at can be applied at e ach
of the vehicle's two axles .
T he Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing and the
G ross Ax le Weight Ra ting are listed on the
sa fety comp liance s ticke r label lo cated on the
driver's side B-pillar. Your Audi has 5 seat ing
positions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rear fo r
total seat ing capac ity of 5. Each seating posi ­
t ion has a seat be lt
c:> page 149, Safety bel ts.
The fact that there is an upper limit to yo ur
vehicle's G ross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the total weight of whatever is being car­
ried in the vehicle ( includ ing the weight of a
tra iler hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded tra iler) is lim ited . The more passen ­
gers in the vehicle or passenge rs w ho are
heavier than th e standard we ights assumed
mea n tha t less we ight can be carried as lug­
gage .
T he t ire pressure label on your Aud i also lis ts
the max imum combi ned weig ht of a ll of the
occupants and luggage or other cargo that
the vehi cle can carry . For t he lo ca tion of the
label <=>page 252, fig. 203.
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve ­
hi cle cont ro l, a c rash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Ca rrying more we ight than your veh icle
was des igned to carry wi ll prevent the
veh icle from handling pr operly and in­
crease the risk of the loss of vehicle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
veh icle w ith in a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail s uddenly, including a blowout
a nd sudden defla tion, causing loss of
contro l and a c rash .
~

A WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of con­
trol, a crash and serious personal injury!
- Never drive a vehicle 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 "hydroplaning" and loss of
control.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause
tire damage, such as grease, oil, gasoline
and brake fluid away from t ires.
- Tires age even if they are not be ing used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds . Tir es 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 sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control. Tires and wheels 259
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in
.
Fig. 207 Tir e specificat ion codes on t he s idewall o f a
tire
No. Description
CD Passenger car tire (where applicable)
@ Nominal width of tire in millimeters
® Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
© Radial
® Rim diameter code
® Load index and speed rat ing
(f) U.S. DOT tire identification number
® Audi Original tire
® Sever snow conditions
@ Tire ply composition and materials
used
@ Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and temperature
grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pres-
sure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the
vehicle's design . The tires and rims approved
by Audi are specially matched to the charac­
teristics of the vehicle and can make a major .,.
•

T up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
U up to 124 mph (200 km/ h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/ h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)1
)
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)1l
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)1
)
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)1
)
Your veh icle is no rma lly factory equipped with
tires , which possess excellent driving charac ­
teristics and give your Audi opt imum driving
comfort . An e lectronic speed limiter
c::> page 2 7 wi ll normally prevent you r vehicle
from go ing faster than the tire speed ra ting
c:::> .& .
U.S . DOT T ire Identification Numb er (TIN )
and tire manufacture date
This is the t ire's "serial number". It begins
with the letters "DOT" and indicates that the
tire meets all federal standards . The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers r ep resent the week and year of manufacture.
F or
examp le, the numbers 22 12 mean that
the tire was produced in the 22nd week o f
20 12. The other numbe rs are marketing co­
des that may or may not be used by the tire
manufactu rer. This information is used to con­
tact consumers if a tire defec t requi res a re­
call.
Aud i O riginal ti re
Tires with the identification "AO" or "RO" have
been specia lly matched with your Audi . We
recommend using only these tires because
t hey meet the highest standards regard ing
safety and driving character istics when used
correctly . Your authorized Audi dealer w ill
g lad ly provide you with more information .
Tire ply compo sit ion and material s used
The number of plies ind icates the number of
layers of rubber-coated fabric in the t ire. In
general, the greater the number of plies, the
ll Fo r tires wit h a m ax im um s pee d ca pabil ity over 149
mph (2 4 0 k m/h) , tire man ufacturers some times u se
th e le tters " ZR."
Tire s an d wheel s 261
more weight a tire can support . Tire manufac ­
turers also must indicat e the materials in the
tire, which incl ude steel, nylon, po lyester, and
others.
Ma ximum Load Rating
This number indicates the maximum load in
ki lograms and pounds that can be ca rried by
the tire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear,
tract ion, and temp erature re sis tance
Tread wear, traction and temperat ure grades
c::> page 2 62 .
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressu re
T his number is the greatest amount of a ir
pressure that should ever be put in the tire
u nder normal driving conditions .
A WARNING
-Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
comb inat ions can lead to loss of control,
col lis ion and serious personal injury.
- Always use t ires, rims and whee l bolts
that meet the specifications of original
factory- installed tires or other combina­
tions that have been specifically ap­ proved by the vehicle manufacturer.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
a nd 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
a nd then w ith special care and at lower
speeds.
- Neve r mo unt used tires o n your veh icle if
you are not sure of the ir "previo us histo­
ry." O ld used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that ca n lead to sudden tire fai lure
and loss of vehicle control.
•
•

The relative perform a nee of ti res depends
upon the actua l conditions of their use, how ­
ever, and may depart sign ificantly from the
norm due to var iat ions in dr iving habits, serv­
ice practices and differences in road character­
istics and climate .
Trac tion
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled cond itions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance ¢,&. .
Temp erature
The temperature grades are A (the h ighest),
B, and
C, representing the t ire's resistance to
the generat ion of heat and its ability to dissi ­
pate heat when tested under controlled condi­
tions on a specified i ndoor 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 ti re fa ilu re ¢ ,&. .
The grade
C corresponds to a level of perform ­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet
u nder the Federa l Moto r Veh icle Safety Stand­
a rd No.
1 09. G rades Band A represent h igher
l eve ls of perfo rmance on the laboratory tes t
wheel than the m inimum required by law .
A WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this ti re is
based on stra ight-ahead b raking t raction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydrop lan ing or peak traction
character istics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this t ire is es­
tablished for a t ire that is p roperly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
-
Tire s an d wheel s 263
separately or in combinat ion, can ca use
heat bui ldup and possible tire failure.
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 winter o r "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread. These tires should
o nly be used in pairs and be installed o n all
four wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
t ires that are the same size and construction
type as the other tires on you r vehicle.
Your vehicle is equipped with all-wheel drive,
th is w ill improve traction during winter driv­
i ng, even with the standa rd tires . However, we
strong ly recommend that you always equip all
fo ur wheels on you r vehicle wit h corre ct ly fit­
ted winter tires or all-season t ires, when win­
te r road cond itions are expected . This also im ­
proves the veh icle's braking per formance and
reduces stopping dista nces.
Summe r tires provide less grip on i ce and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted
o n all fo ur wheels .
Ask your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop for permitted
winter tire size s. Use
o nly rad ial w inter t ires.
Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
0 .157 inch
(4 mm) .
Only drive w ith w inter t ires under w inter con­
dit ions. Summer t ires 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 notes on spare
whee l
¢page 259.
Please a lways remember that winter tires may
have a lowe r speed rating than the tires o rigi -
nally installed on your vehicle at the time it .,.
•
•

264 Tire s and wheel s
was manufactured . Please see q page 260,
Speed roting (letter code) for
a listing of the
speed rating letter codes and the maximum
speed at which the t ires can be driven.
The speed rating letter code( ¢
page 251) is
on the side wall of the tire
c::> page 259.
A WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower t han your vehicle's max­
imum speed. Always know the maximum
speed before driving off . Never drive faster
than the speed permitted for your specific
w inter t ires. This will cause damage to the
tires leading to an accident and serious
pe rsonal inj ury 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 fai lure in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflat ion,
loss of control, crashes and serious per­
sonal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires
rep laced immed iate ly .
- Winter tires have maximum speed rat ing
that may be lower tha n your veh icle's
maximum speed .
- Never drive faster than the speed for
w hich the winter or other tires installed
on your vehicle are rated.
A WARNING
Always adjust your d riving to the road and
t raffic conditions. Neve r let the good ac­
celeration of the wi nte r t ir es and all-whee l
dr ive temp t you in to taking extr a ris ks. A l­
ways remember:
- Whe n bra king, an a ll-wheel d rive vehicle
hand les in the s ame way as
a front drive
vehicle.
- Drive caref ully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot he lp under black ice conditions.
{® For the sa ke of the env ironment
Use summer tires when weather condi­
tions permit. They are qu ieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumpt ion.
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the rear
whee ls, and o nly to certain tire sizes . Ask your
autho rized Aud i deale r on which tire sizes
snow c hains ca n be used.
The snow chains must have low-prof ile links
and must not be t hicker than 0.53 inch
(13 .5 mm), includ ing the loc k.
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putt ing snow chains on your vehicle
c::>@ . For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These a re ava il­
able from autho rized Aud i deale rs.
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chai ns for your veh i­
cle o r insta lling them inco rrect ly can in­
crease the risk of loss of cont ro l leading to
se rious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in di fferent
sizes. Always make sure to follow the in ­
structions p rov ided by the snow chain
manufacturer.
- When driving with snow chains never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specif ic snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations .
(D Note
-Remove snow chains before dr iv ing o n
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wea ring the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direc t con ­
tact with the whee l rim, ca n scratch or
damage it . Therefo re, make sure that the
snow chains are s uitably covered. Check
the pos ition of the snow chains after