102 Hybrid
Tips for Driving Efficiently with your Hybrid
Applies to vehicles: with hybrid drive
Driving situa- Conditions Vehicle behavior
tions
- Shift into the D position.
In the D position, the hybrid system adapts
Starting from a -
Release the brake pedal. to the driving situation by automatically
stop -
Only press moderately on the ac- switching between the combustion engine
and electric drive types or by combining
celerator pedal.
them.
- Ca utious dr iv ing and reserved ac-
The kinetic energy of the vehicle is used to
ce leration . move the vehicle.
Constant driv-
ing and coasting -
Release the acce lerator pedal When you release the acce lerator pedal en -
early and entirely. ti rely, the combustion engine turns off au-
(gliding)
tomatically and is disengaged. The vehicle
glides without being propelled.
- Brake early and even ly with short The electric motor brakes the vehicle . By
Energy recovery pedal
movements. doing this, a large amount of the
kinetic
energy is recovered and may be stored in
( recuperation)
the high voltage battery in the form of
electric energy.
- Reserved acceleration and early The kinet ic energy of the vehicle is used to
and even braking w ith short pedal move the vehicle.
movements .
Driving in city -
Use the
la• I button sparing ly. The battery drains quickly when the laVI
button is turned on, which can increase
traffic
fuel consumption because electric driving
is given priority, even if driving with the
combustion engine on would be more effi-
cient .
- Intentionally take your foot off When you release the acce lerator pedal en-
of the gas pedal to allow for ti rely, the combustion engine turns off au-
lengthy coasting . tomatically and is disengaged. The vehicle
glides without being propelled.
Driv ing on high- -
Reduce the vehicle speed by re-Fuel consumption can be reduced by coast-
ways and ex-l
eas ing the accelerator peda l and mg.
pressways not by
braking.
- Avoid vehicle speeds above ajp-
It is possible to coast up to a veh icle speed
proximately 99 mph (160 km/h) . of approximately 99 mph (160 km/h).
- Use the S selector lever position A sporty driving sty le increases fuel con -
and tiptron ic mode sparingly. sumption.
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. .,..
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258 Tires and wheels
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of
different things including proper installation
and balancing, correct tire pressure and driv
ing style.
F ig. 20 5 Tire tread: tre ad wea r ind icators (TWI)
F ig. 206 Rotat ing t ires for more ev en wea r
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The o rigi na l tires on your veh icle have
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear indicators"
c::> fig . 205 running across the tread. Depend
i ng on the make, there will be six to eight of
them evenly p laced around the t ire. Marks on
the tire sidewa ll (for example "TWI" or other
symbols) indicate the positions of the tread
wear ind icators . Worn t ires must be replaced .
Different fig ures may apply in o ther countries
c::> & .
Tire p ressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear
a nd can cause sudden t ire blow-out. For th is
reason, tire pressure must be checked at least
once a month
c::> page 254.
Driving style
Driving fast aro und curves, heavy acce leration
and hard braking increase tire wear.
Rotating tires for more even wear
F or all four tires on your ve hicl e to h ave the
same service life, we recommend that the
front and rear t ires are rotated according to
the tire manufacturer's suggested tire rota
tion intervals. Please remember the follow
ing :
- Tire rotation intervals may differ from the
vehicle service inte rva ls o utlined in your
Ma intenance and Warranty Book let .
- The longer one tire is used in one location
on the vehicle, the more it wears at certain
points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufact urer's suggested
tire rotation intervals .
- Vehi cles w ith front-wheel dr ive experience
more tread wear on the front wheels com
pa red to all-wheel drive (quattro ®).
- Please rotate tires as shown
c::> fig. 206.
-Extra care must be taken when rotating di-
rection-specific tires
c::> page 278 .
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new ve hicles are balanced .
However, various situations during everyday
driving can cause them to become unbal
anced, re sulting in vibrat ions you can usually
feel through the steer ing wheel.
Un balanced whee ls must be rebalanced to
avoid excessive wear on steering, suspension
and t ires. A whee l m ust also be reba lanced
when a new tire is insta lled.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incor rect wheel alig nment can cause exces
sive tire wear, impairing the safety of the veh i
cle . If tires show excessive wear, have the
whee l alignment checked by an authori zed
Audi dealer or qualif ied workshop .
All-wheel driv e
Vehicles with q uattro ® mus t always have tires
of the same size, construction and tread type .
For details see
c::> page 202 . ..,.
26 2 T ire s and wheel s
-All four wheels must be fitted with radia l
t ires of the same type, size (roll ing c ir
cumference) and the same tread pattern.
Driv ing with different tires reduces veh i
cle handling and can lead to a loss of
control.
- If the spare tire is not the same as the
t ir es that are mounted on the veh icle -
for example with wi nter tires - on ly use
the spare tire for a short period of time
and dr ive with extra care. Refit the no r
ma l road whee l as soon as safely possi
ble.
- Never drive faster than the maxim um
speed for which the tires on your vehicle
are rated because tires that are drive n
faster than their rated speed can fail
sudden ly.
- Overloading ti res cause heat build- up,
sudden tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of control.
- Temperature grades app ly to tires that
are properly inflated and not over or un
derinflated.
- For technical reasons it is not a lways
poss ible to use wheels from other
vehicles -in some cases not even wheels
from the same vehicle model.
- If you install wheel tr im discs on the ve
hicle whee ls, make sure that the air flow
to the brakes is not blocked . Reduced air
flow to the brakes can them to overheat,
increasing stopping d istances and caus
ing a collision.
- Run flat t ires may on ly be used on
vehicles that we re eq uipped w it h them
at the f acto ry. The vehicle must have a
chassis des igned for r un flat t ires . Incor
rect use of run flat tires can lead to vehi
cle damage or acc idents . Check with an
authorized Audi dealer or t ire specia list
to see if your vehicle can be equipped
with run flat t ires. If run flat tires are
used, they must be installed o n all four
wheels. Mix ing tire types is not permit
ted. (D Note
- For technical reasons, it is not generally
poss ible to use the wheel rims from oth
er veh icles. T his can hold tr ue for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
- If the spare tire is diffe rent from the
tires that you have mounted on your ve
hicle (for example winter tires or wide
profi le tires), then use the spare tire for a
short period of time only and drive w ith
extra care. Replace the flat tire w it h the
ti re mat ching the othe rs on your vehicle
as soon as possi ble.
- Never d rive without the valve stem cap.
T he v alves co uld get damaged.
@ For the sake of the environment
Dispose of o ld tires in accordance w ith the
l ocal requirements.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Tra ction AA A B (
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicab le
on the tire s ide wall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width
¢ page 259,
fig . 207 .
For example: Tread wear 200 , Traction AA ,
Temperature A .
All passenger car ti res must conform to Feder
al Safety Requirements in add ition to these
grades .
Tread wear
The tread wear g rade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
u nder contro lled conditions o n a specified
government test course.
F o r example, a tire graded
150 wo uld wear
one and one ha lf
(11/2) times as well on the
government course as a ti re graded
100.
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 .,.
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designated seating position) and luggage
weight ~&. .
Gross Axle Weight Rating
The G ross Axle Weight Rating is the maximum
lo ad that can be applied at each axle of the
vehicle
q .&. .
Vehicle capacity weight
The vehicle capac ity we ight (max. load) is list
ed on the driver 's side 8-p illar.
Roof weight
The maximum permissible roof weight is
165 lbs (75 kg). The roof weight is made up
of the weight of the roof rack system and the
weight of the object be ing transported
q page 72, Roof load .
..&, WARNING
- The actual Gross Axle Weight Rating at
the front and rear axles sho uld not ex
ceed the permissible weights, and their
combination must not exceed the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating.
- Exceeding permissible we ight ratings can
result in vehicle damage, accidents and
persona l injury.
Q) Note
- The vehicle capacity weight figures apply
when the load is distributed evenly in the
vehicle (passengers and luggage). When
transporting a heavy load in the luggage
compartment, carry the load as near to
the rear axle as possible so that the veh i
cle's handling is not impaired.
- Do not exceed the maximum permissible
axle loads or the maximum gross vehicle
weight . Always remember that the vehi
cle's handling will be affected by the ex
tra load. Therefore, adjust your speed ac
cordingly.
- Always observe local regulations.
-
General information 291
Dimensions
The specifications refer to the basic model.
Differences may occur depending on the mod
el type and options ordered, for example, tire
sizes.
(D Note
When driving up steep ramps, on rough
roads, over curbs, etc. it is important to re
member that some parts of your vehicle,
such as spoilers or exhaust system compo nents, may be close to the ground . Be
careful not to damage them .
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