
Installing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage
Fig. 184 Tether strap: proper routi ng and mounting
Fig. 185 Tether strap: proper rou ting and mounting
In sta ll ing the tether strap
• Release or deploy the tether strap on the
child restra int according to the child re
straint manufacturer's instructions .
• Gu ide the upper tether strap
under the rear
head restraint and into the rear cargo area
Q fig. 185 (raise the head restraint if neces
sary) .
• Slide the tether st rap hook over the ancho r
bracket.
• Pu ll on the tether strap hook so that the
spring catch of the hook engages.
• Tighten the tether strap firmly following
the child restrai nt manufacturer's instruc
t ions .
Attaching to the cent er seating po sition
• Slide the rear seat forward ¢ page 64.
• Pull the anchor bracket forward and con
nect the tether strap hook.
• Tighten the tether strap and move the seat
backward .
Child Safet y 195
Releasing th e teth er strap
• Loosen the tension following the child re
straint manufacturer's instructions.
• Depress the spring catch on the hook and
release it from the anchorage.
(D Note
If you leave the child restraint w ith the
tether strap firmly installed fo r several
days, t his could leave a mark on the up
holstery on the seat cushion and backrest
in the area where the tether strap was in
stalled . The upholstery would also be per
manently stretched around the tether
strap. This applies especia lly to leather
seats.
Using tether straps on rearward-facing
child restraints
Currently, few rear-facing child restraint sys
tems come with a tether. Please read and
heed the ch ild restraint system manufactur
er's instructions carefully to determine how to
properly install the tether .
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-fac ing ch ild safety
seat installed on the front passenger seat
will be ser ious ly injured and can be killed if
the front airbag inflates -even with an Ad
vanced Airbag System.
- The inflating airbag will h it the ch ild
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, center
armrest, or door.
- A tight tether or other strap on a rear
ward-facing child restraint attached to
the front passenger seat can put too
much pressure on the weight-mat in the
seat and register a heavier weight in the
Advanced A irbag System. The heavier
weight registered can make the system
wo rk as though an adult we re on the seat
a nd deploy the Advanced Airbag when it

212 Trailertowing
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a trai ler, p lease remember
that the additional load will affect durability,
economy and performance .
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra
tion from the driver.
For this reason, always fo llow the operating
and driving instructions provided and use
common sense.
Technical requirements
T ra ile r hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suita
ble for your vehicle and trailer and mu st be
mounted securely on the veh icle's chassis at a
technically sound location. Use only a trailer
h itch with a removable ball mount. A lways
check with the trai ler h itch manufact urer to
make sure that you are using the correct
hitch.
Do n ot use a bumper hi tch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that
it does not interfere with the impact-absorb
ing bumper system . No modifications should
be made to the vehicle exhaust and brake sys
tems . From t ime to time, check that all hitch
mounting bo lts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer, remove the
trailer h itch ball mount. This prevents the
h itch from causing damage should your veh i
cle be struck from behind
¢ A .
Traile r brak es
If your tra iler is equipped w ith a braking sys
tem, check to be sure that it conforms to a ll
regulat ions . The trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
direct ly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system
~ A .
Saf ety ch ain s
Always use safety chains between your veh icle
and the trai le r.
Trail er light s
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be
sure to check w ith your authorized Audi dealer
for correct wiring, sw itches, and relays.
Mirror s
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
using the regular outside mirrors, then you
must install extended mirrors .
It is important
that you always have clea r vis io n to the rear.
,8. WARNING
- I f a trai ler has electrical brakes p lease
note that these brakes are not activated
by the factory -fitted control unit -risk of
accident!
- Afte r removing the trailer hitch, do not
store it in your vehicle. In case of sudden
braking, the hitch could fly forward and
injure you or your passengers.
- Never install a "weight distributing" or
"load equalizing" trailer hitch on your ve
h icle. The vehicle was not designed for
these kinds of trailer h itches. The h itch
attachment can fail, caus ing the trailer
to tear loose from the veh icle.
- The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for your
veh icle, found on the safety compliance
label on the driver's s ide B-pillar, must
never be exceeded under any c ircumstan
ces. Exceeding the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating of yo ur vehicle is likely to damage
your vehicle, and such damage will not
be covered by yo ur Limited New Ve hicle
Warranty . Exceeding the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating will a lso change the per
formance and handling characteristics of
your veh icle, wh ich could cause a crash
resulting in serious injury or death.
-

Operating instructions
6"
~ ~
I 1,2 ..
-{ }
l::_
-
2
Fig. 190 Permit ted ball position of the trailer hitch
Trailer towing weights
With a factory-installed or an aftermarket
trailer hitch, the maximum permissible trailer
weight is 4,400 lbs (2,000 kg). The maximum permissible unbraked trailer weight is 1,650
lbs (750 kg) . These specifications apply when
driving on roads having an incline of less than
12%.
Permissible tongue load
For best vehicle handling under these
changed conditions, adjust the trailer load so
that the tongue load is at the maximum al
lowable or slightly lower . You can get an ap
proximation of the tongue load with a bath
room scale or you can measure the load at a
trucking company or weighing station.
With a
factory-installed or an aftermarket
trailer hitch, the maximum permissible load
on the ball hitch may not exceed 440 lbs
(200 kg).
It is recommended to use the maxi
mum permissible load.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely
in place to prevent it from shifting forward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢.&. in Driving instructions on page 214.
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used with suita
ble ball mount and ball¢
fig. 190. Installa
tion of the hitch ball must be carried out in ac-
Trailer towing 213
cordance with the manufacturer's instruc
tions.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard
er .
It is important that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load.
Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the tire pressure label. The tire
pressure label is located on the driver's side B
pillar. Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire
manufacturers' specifications.
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked with
the trailer attached before driving off. Check
to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly con
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve
hicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to per
mit turning corners. When you install safety
chains, make sure they will not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separation from the hitch.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
care and consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the following :
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car it
self is not loaded .
.,. Be especially careful when passing other
vehicles.
.,. Observe speed limits.
•
•

214 Trailer towing
• Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed.
• Always apply brakes early .
• Monitor the temperature gauge.
W eig ht distribution
Towing a loaded tra ile r with an empty car re
sults in a highly unstable distribution of
weight . If this cannot be avoided, drive at very
low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and con
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should
be loaded to the extent possible and permissi
b le, while keeping the trailer as light as possi
ble under the circumstances. Whenever possi
ble, transfer some cargo to the luggage com
partment of the tow vehicle wh ile observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations .
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be
comes for the driver to control the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed . Re
duce your speed eve n mo re if load, weathe r or
wind condi tions are unfavorable -part icu larly
when going dow nhill.
Reduce vehicle speed immediately if the t rail
e r shows the slightest sign of swaying. Do not
tr y to s top the sw ayin g by acce ler atin g.
Observe speed limits . In some areas, speeds
for vehicles towing trailers are lower tha n for
regula r vehicles.
Always apply brakes early . When driv ing
downhill, shift into a lower gear to use the en
g ine b raking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of
the brakes alone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
T he coolant temperature gauge
c:> page 10
must be observed carefully . If the needle
moves close to the upper end of the scale , re
duce speed immed iate ly and/or turn off the
a ir cond itione r. If the coolant temperature warning light in
the instr ument cluster starts flashing., pull
off the road, stop and let the engine
idle for
about two minutes to prevent heat build-up.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov
i ng vehicle is at a much greater risk in a n
accident . Never let anyone ride in your ca r
who is not p roperly wea ring the rest raints
p rov ided by Audi.
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles d ifferently when towing
-
a trai ler because of the additional weight and
different weight distr ibut ion. Safety, perform
ance and economy will greatly depend on how ca refully you load your trai ler and ope rate
you r rig.
Befo re you actually tow your tra iler, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area
away from t raffic. Keep pract ic ing unt il you
have become completely familiar wit h the way
yo ur vehicle-tra iler combination behaves and
responds.
Backi ng up is difficult and requ ires practice.
Backi ng up w ith a t railer gene rally requires
stee ring action opposite to tha t when backing
u p you r vehicle witho ut a tr ailer.
Maintai n a greater d ista nce between your ve
hicle and the one in front of you. You w ill need
more room to stop. To compensate fo r the
t railer, you w ill need a larger than normal
tu rning rad ius.
When passing, remembe r that you cannot ac
ce le rate as fas t as you no rma lly would be
ca use of the added load. Make sure yo u have
enough room to pass . After passing, a llow
plenty of room for yo ur trailer before cha ng
ing lanes again.
Avoid jer ky s tarts, sharp t urns o r rapid lane
changes.

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.

-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
yo u 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.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when d riving, al
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and check the wheels and tires for dam
age .
(D Note
Please note that summe r and wi nte r tires
are designed for the cond itions that are
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight means the comb ined weight (in excess of
those sta ndard items which may be rep laced)
of au toma tic transmission, power steer ing ,
power brakes, 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 rat io o f the height to the w idth of
the tire in percent . Numbers of 55 or lower in
dicate a low sidewall for improved steering re
sponse and better overa ll handling on dry
pavement .
Bead
means the part of the t ire t hat is made o f
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the r im.
Bead separation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead .
Cord means the strands forming the plies in the
tire.
Tire s an d wheel s 249
typica l in those seasons . Aud i recommends
using winter tires during the winter
months . Low temperatures signif icant ly
dec rease the e lasticity of summer t ires,
which affects tract ion and brak ing ability.
If summer t ires are used i n very co ld tem
peratures, cracks ca n form o n the tread
bars , res ulting in perma nen t tire damage
that can cause loud driving noise and un
bala nced ti re s. Audi i s not respon sible for
th is type of damage .
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the t ire p ress ure recommended by t he
vehicle manufacture r fo r a tire o f a des ignated
s ize t hat has not bee n driven for more than a
coup le o f miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire press ure
is m easured or adjusted.
Curb weight
me ans the we ight of a motor ve hicle with
st andard equipmen t incl ud ing the max imum
capacity of fuel, oi l, and coolant, air condi
tioning and additional weig ht of optiona l
equipment.
Extra load tire
means a t ire design to oper ate a t higher load s
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor
responding standa rd tire . Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "x l", "EXTRA LOAD", o r
"RF" on the sidewal l.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
me ans the load-ca rry ing capac ity of a single
axle system , measured at the tire -ground in
te rfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ( "GVWR ")
mea ns the maximum total loaded we ight of
the ve hicl e. .,..
•
•

250 Tires and wheels
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs .
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry for a given inflation pressure. You
may not find this informat ion on all tires be
cause it is not req uired by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a t ire at the max i
mum permissible inflation pressure for that
tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity we ight, 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 pressure ."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) 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 overa ll 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 elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands o r ribs .
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those insta lled
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 we ight, including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and special tr im .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumat ic tire in which the ply cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan
t ia lly 90 degrees to the center line of the
tread .
Recommended inflation pressure
see<=> page 249, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at h igher inflation pressures than the cor
responding standa rd tire. Reinforced tires
may be identified as "XL" "xl" "EXTRA LOAD"
' ' '
or "RF" on the sidewa ll.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Rim diameter
means nom inal diameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you will have to
purchase new tires to match the new rim di
ameter.
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width .
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
t read and bead.

Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at wh ich a tire is des igned to
be driven for extended periods of t ime . The
ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h) ¢
page 260 . You may
not find this information on all tires because
it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applica ble, is molded on the tire sidewall and indi
cates the maximum permissible road speeds
¢ &. in Winter tires on page 264.
Tire pressure monitoring system*
means a system that detects when one or
more of a vehicle's tires are underinflated and
illuminates a low tire pressure warn ing te ll
tale .
Tread
means that port ion of a tire that comes into
contact with the road.
Tread separation
means pulling away of the tread from the tire
carcass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the pr incipal
grooves designed to give a visual ind ication of
the degrees of wear of the tread. See
¢
page 258, Tread Wear Indicator (TWI) for
mo re inf ormat ion on measuring tire wear.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire information system developed by the
United States National Highway Traffic Safety
Admin istration (N HTSA) that is designed to
help buyers make relative comparisons among
tires . Th e U TQG is not a safety rating and not a
g ua ran tee that a tir e will last for a prescribed
number of mi les (kilometers) or perform in a
certain way. It simply gives tire buyers addi
tional information to combine with other con-
Tires and wheels 251
siderations, such as price, brand loyalty and
dealer recommendations. Under UTQG, tires
are graded by the t ire manufacturers in three
areas : treadwear, traction, and temperature
resistance. The UTQG informat ion on the tires,
molded 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
tire meets all federa l 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 k ilograms) times the vehicle's to
tal 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 individual 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 individual tire that is
determined by distributing to each ax le its
share of the curb weight, accessory weight,
and normal occupant weight (distr ibuted in
accordance with table below¢
page 252)
and dividing by two.
•
•