2013 AUDI Q5 winter tires

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

-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. .,..
•
•

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.
•
•

260 Tire s and wheel s
contribution to good road ho lding and safe
handling when in good condition and properly
inflated
¢ ,& .
We recommend that all work on tires and
wheels be perfo rmed by an authorized Audi
dea ler. They are familiar with recommended
proced ures and have the necessary spec ial
too ls and spare parts as well as the proper fa­
cilities for disposing of the old tires .
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary information about techn ica l requ irements for
installing or changing tires and r ims.
R eplacing t ires and whe els
Tires sho uld be rep laced at least in pairs and
not individua lly (for examp le both front tires
or both rear tires together).
Be sure to read and heed the information to
the tire pressure monitoring system*
¢ page 266.
Always buy rep lacement radial tires that have
the same specifications as the tires approved
for your vehicle by Audi. Replacement t ires
must always have the same load rating speci­
fication as the original equipment or approved
optional tires listed in the table
¢ page 252.
Aud i-approved specification ti res are specially
matched to your vehicle and its load lim its,
and can contribute to the important road ho ld­
ing, driving characteristics, and safety of the
vehicle. The table
( ¢ page 252) lists spec ifica­
t ions of the t ires approved for the Audi mod­
els covered by your Owner's Literature .
The tire pressure labe l located on the driver's
side B-pillar
¢ page 252, fig. 204 lists the
specif ications of the or iginal equipment tires
installed on your vehicle at the time it was
manufactured .
Federal law requires t ire manufacturers to
p lace standard ized information on the s ide­
wall of all tires
¢ fig . 20 7. This information
i dent ifies and describes the fundamental
characterist ics, the quality grade of the tire
and a lso provides a tire ident ificat ion number f
or sa fety standard ce rtification and in case of
a reca ll.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of ti re specificat ions makes it eas­
ier to choose the correct tires. Radial ti res
have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewa ll, for examp le:
P2 35 / 6 0 R 18 10 3 H
This co nta ins the following information :
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars
(where app licab le)
235 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire
from sidewall edge to sidewa ll edge. In
general, the larger the number, the wider
t he tire
60 Height/w idth ratio in percent (aspect ra-
t io)
R Tire construction: Radial
18 Rim diameter code (in inches)
103 Load rating code
H Speed rat ing letter code
X L (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" Indicates
t h at the t ire is a "Reinforced" or an "E xt ra
Load " tir e
M+S (or " M/S") Indicates that the tire has
some mud and snow capabi lity
The tires could also have the information of
direction of rotatio n ¢
page 248 .
Tire manufacturing date
The manufact uring date is also indicated on
the tire sidewall (possibly on ly on the
inner
s ide of the wheel) :
"DOT ... 2212 ... " means , for exampl e, that the
tire was produced in the 22nd week of 2012.
Speed rating (letter cod e)
The speed r ating le tter code on the whee ls in­
dicates the maximum permissible road speeds
¢ .&. in Winter tires on poge 264.
P up to 93 mp h (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
S up to 110 mph (180 km/h)

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 .,.
•
•

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

266 Tire s and wheels
In order to minimize the occurrence o f 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 be lieve 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 a lso remember that, while these tir es
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
formance 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 offe r 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 263 for mo re deta iled infor­
mat ion 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 rmine
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 . .,.