warning goes out after about 5 seconds, but it
can be brought up at any time by pressing the
ISETI button again.
Usu ally, you can still drive to the nex t dea ler
ship. Turn off all but the most necessary elec
trica l consumers, since these drain the vehi
cle's battery.
@ Note
If the . warning symbo l (coolant system
malfunction) also lights up on the instru
ment panel during the trip¢
page 30,
then you have to stop immediately and
turn off the eng ine. The coolant pump is
not working anymore -danger of damage
to the eng ine!
BRAKE/( (j)) Brake system malfunction
A malfunction in the brake system must be
repaired as soon as possible .
If the warn ing /indicator light ~ (USA
models)/ . (Canada mode ls) in the instru
ment cluster flashes, there is a brake system
malfunct ion . A dr iver message appears as
well to explain the malfunction in mo re de
tail. The d rive r warning goes out after about 5
seconds, b ut i t can be brought up at any time
by pressing the
I SE T! button aga in .
Stop vehicle and check brake fluid l evel
~ Stop the vehicle.
~ Check the brak e fluid leve l¢ page 242.
~ Seek professiona l assistance if necessa ry.
Warning! Fault in brake system. Contact
workshop
~ Drive carefu lly to the nearest authorized
Audi dealer or other qualified workshop and
have the malfunct ion correc ted ¢
&-
Par king brake system fault! See owner's
manual
~ If t his symbol appears when t he ve hicle is
stationary or afte r the ign ition is turned on,
chec k to see if the parking bra ke can be re
l eased. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or
other qualified workshop as soon as possi-
Dri ver information di spla y 29
ble and have the malfunction cor rected . If
the parki ng brake cannot be opened, then
take it to an expert at an authorized Audi
dea ler.
~ If the symbo l appears while you are driving,
it is possible that the traction co ntrol o r the
emerge ncy brake has malfunctioned .
It is
possible that th e parking b rake cannot be
app lied.
It is also possible t hat the parking
b ra ke cannot be re le ased after i t has been
app lied . D rive to an authorized Aud i dea ler
or ot her qualified workshop to have t he mal
function corrected.
If t he ABS system malfu nctions, the ABS
warning/indicator light illumina tes together
with the brake system ma lfunction wa rning/
indicator light ¢.& .
A WARNING
-A lways observe the warn ings in
¢ page 226, Engine compartment, be
fore opening the hood and check ing the
bra ke fluid.
- Driving with low brake fluid is a safety
hazard . Stop the car a nd get professiona l
assistance .
-USA models: If th e ~ warning light
a nd the
B warning light come on to
gethe r, the rear whee ls cou ld lock up
fi rst under hard bra king. Rear wheel lock
up can ca use loss of vehicle co ntrol and
an ac cident. Have yo ur vehicle rep aire d
immediate ly by yo ur authorize d Au di
dea ler o r a qua lified wor kshop. Drive
slowly and avo id sudden, hard brake ap
plications.
- Canada models: If the brake warning
light . and the ABS warning light
El]
come on together, the rear wheels could
lock up first under hard braking. Rear
wheel lock-up can cause loss of vehicle
control and an acc ident. Have yo ur vehi
cle repaired immed iately by your author
i z ed A udi dealer o r a q ual ified wor kshop.
Drive s low ly and avoid s udden, hard
brake applications .
202 Intelligent technology
authorized Audi dealer or other qualified re
pair facility for assistance.
'I-ij Dynamic steering: System fault! You can
continue driving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes
sage appears, the steer ing may be more diffi
cul t to move or mo re sensitive than usual. The
steer ing may also be at an angle when driving
straight.
Drive slowly to your author ized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop to have the malfu nction
cor rected.
(;:r,ij Dynamic steering : Initializing
Aud i drive select": if the indicator light blinks
and the driver message appears, the dynam ic
steering* is reinitialized. Once you start the
engine after this is finished, the steering
wheel will be easy to move. Re-initialization might be necessary if the steering wheel was
moved hard to the left and right while the ve
hicle was not moving. The display turns off if
the initialization was successfu l.
(D Tips
-If the . or 'Tj indicator light only stays
on for a short time, yo u may continue
driving.
- The dynamic steering* stability systems
opoge 197 are not ava ilable in the event
of a system malfunction.
- For additional information on dynamic
steering*
o page 120 .
Driving with your
quattro ®
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driv
en .
General information
With all-wheel dr ive, power is distributed to
all four wheels. This happens automatically
depending on your dr iving style and the road
conditions at the time . See also ¢
page 197.
A center different ial distr ibutes the dr iv ing
power var iably to the front and rear axle.
It
works together with selective wheel torque
control, which activates when driving through
curves
¢ page 198.
The all-wheel drive concept is des igned for
high engine power. Your veh icle is exception
ally powerfu l and has excellent driving charac
teristics both under normal driving conditions
and on snow and ice. Always read and follow
safety precaut ions¢ &.
Winter tires
When driving in the winter, yo ur vehicle with
all -wheel drive has an advantage, even with
regular tires. In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all-sea
son tires) for improved driveability and brak
ing: these tires must be mounted o n
all four
wheels .
See also¢ page 263, Winter tires.
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this normally also app lies to veh icles
with all-wheel drive¢
page 264, Snow
chains.
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles with all -wheel drive must always
have tires of the same s ize. A lso avoid tires
with different tread depths. For deta ils see
page
o page 2 59, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels.
A WARNING
-Always adjust your dr iv ing to road and traf-
fic conditions. Do not let the extra safety
afforded by all-wheel drive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
- Altho ugh the all-wheel drive is very ef
fective, always remember that braking
capacity is limited by tire traction. You
should therefore not d rive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippery road surfaces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to
drive too fast because the front wheels
could begin to slide on top of the water
(aquaplaning). If this should occur, you
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.
•
•
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 .,.
•
•