2013 AUDI RS5 CABRIOLET ESP

224 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
lb s. (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, heavy duty
battery, and special trim.
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 223, 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.

226 Tires and wheels
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seating
capacities
Designated seating capacity,
number of occupants Vehicle normal load, number Occupant distribution in a nor-
of occupants
_____ mally loaded vehicle
4 2 2 in front
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling , performance and safe ty of a vehicle.
Fig. 185 Tire press ure label: loca ted on driver's side B·
p ill ar
Tire pressure generally refers to the amount
of air in a tire that it needs it to do its job and
safely carry the combined load of the entire
vehicle and its contents . Tire pressure is
measured in kilopascals (kPa), the interna·
tional measuring unit and in pounds per
square inch (PSI). Tire pressure is based in
part on the vehicle's design and load limit -
the greatest amount of weight that the vehi·
cle can carry safe ly and the t ire size. The prop·
er tire pressure is frequently referred to as the
"recommended cold tire inflation pressure."
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
because of internal frict ion when it flexes in
use . The t ire pressure is higher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold ." It is the
inflation pressure i n a "cold" tire that counts.
Therefore, you should never let air out of a
warm tire to match "cold tire in fla tion pres­
sure" recommendations. The tires would then
be underinflated and could fail suddenly .
Maintaining proper tire pressure is one of the
most important things you can do to help
avoid sudden tire failure. Underinflated tires
are a major cause of sudden tire failure. Keep·
i ng tires at the right pressure is also impor­
tant for safe and responsive vehicle handling,
-U'>
-
---------------------- ,;
•(=~= I: I::... 1)§ :l!: n-...,....,....,~ ...... ~-...,..., ..... _ ... U ........ ~-·~N.-..-.we..... .... lllt-
-AVANT ...,.
-...... .. _
-KPA. a PSI
- KPA. a PSI
-KPA. a PSI
Fig. 186 Tire pressure label
SEE OWNEJICS MANUA1 FOA A,DOITl<>N.IU. INfORMATlON
VOIR L£ MANUll DUPR0ftlET""" P"OUR i-t.US DE RENSEIGMEMENfS
traction, braking and load carrying. Tire pres­
sures are particularly important when the
vehicle is being driven at higher speeds, and
then especially when heavily loaded even
within the permissible load-carrying capaci­
ties approved for your vehicle.
The recommended tire pressures for your Audi
depend on the kind of tires on your veh icle
and the number of passengers and/or amount
of luggage you will be transporting.
The tire pressure label is located on the driv­
er 's side B-pillar . The tire pressure label lists
the recommended cold t ire inflat ion pressures
for the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and tires that were on your veh icle at
the time it was manufactured .
If you wish to improve comfort when operat­
ing the vehicle at normal load (up to 2 occu­
pants), you can adjust tire pressures to those
specified for normal vehicle load. Before op­
erating the vehicle at maximum load, you
must increase the tire pressures to those
specified for maximum vehicle load
~ ,&..
Bear in mind that the tire pressure monitoring
system * can on ly mon itor the tire pressures .,.

Tires an d wheel s 22 7
you have stored. The system does not recog ­
nize the load condition of your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the ti re pressu re monitor­
ing sys tem* will be impaired if you store nor ­
mal load pressures but then operate the vehi ­
cle at its maximum load¢,& .
See the illustration ¢
fig. 185 for the location
of the label on dr iver's side B-pillar (co lor of
the actual labe l and exact location on the ve­
hicle wi ll vary slig htly) .
Note that the fo llowing tab le is accurate a t
the t ime o f go ing to press and is subject to
Tire designation
change. In the event of discrepancies, the ti re
pressure label is located on the driver's side B­
pillar always takes precedence .
T he table below lists the recommended cold
ti re inflation pressures for the Audi mode l
covered by your Owner's Literat ure at the vehi­
cle's capacity weight and the t ire sizes instal­
l ed on the respective models as orig inal
equipment, or as a factory option.
Tire pressure
Model
Engine normal load condition full load condition
(up to 2 occupants)
front rear front rear
PSI
kAA ~I kAA ~I kAA ~I kAA
RS 5 Cab- 265 /35 R19 98V X L
riol et: High Performan ce
39 270 35 240 44 300 41
280
4.2 liter 275 /30 R20 97V XL
a -cyl inder
270 35 240 44 300 4 1 280
XL= reinf orc ed or extra lo ad tire. It ma y al so appear a s xl , EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire side ­
w all .
Because tec hnical changes may be made to
ve hicl e equ ipment dur ing the model yea r, a l­
ways compare the tire s ize designation on the
tire pressure label on your vehicle w ith the
tires on your vehicle . Make s ure that the tire
size information on the vehicle label is the
same as the s ize of the t ires on the vehicle.
This is especially important if the vehicle be­
longs to someone else or you bought the veh i­
cle with different rims/tires or you bought the
veh icle as a previously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on mak ing sure that
load limits are not exceeded . Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
ve hicl e. These load limits are technically refer­
r ed to as the vehicle's G ross Vehicle We ight
Rating ("GVWR"). The Gross Ax le Weight Rat­
ing ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can
be applied at each of the vehicle's two axles .
The Gross Vehicle We ight Rating and the G
ross Ax le Weig ht Rating are listed on the
sa fe ty comp liance sticke r label lo cated on the
dr iver's side B-pillar . The tire pressu re labe l on
your A udi lists the maximum combined
weight of all of the occ upants and luggage o r
other cargo that the veh icle can carry. For the
location of the t ire pressure label ¢
fig. 185.
A WARNING
-Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve-
h icle contro l, a crash or other accide nt, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more we ight than your veh icle
was des igned to carry will prevent the
veh icle from handling properly a nd in­
crease the risk of a 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.
•
•

-Read the requir ed tire pressure from the tire
pressure label. The tire pressure label is lo­
cated on the driver's side B-pillar. The tire
pressure label lists the recommended cold
t ire inf lation pressures for the vehicle at its
maximum capacity weight and the tires that
were on your vehicle at the time it was man­
ufactured . For recommended tire pressures
for normal load conditions, please see chap­
ter ~
page 226.
- 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
slightly raised pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced.
- Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carry ing.
- Reinstall the valve stem cap on the valve .
When should I check the tire pressure?
The correct tire pressure is especially impor­
tant at high speeds. The pressure should
therefore be checked at least once a month
and always before starting a journey .
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carry ing. After changing a wheel
or replacing
wheels you have to adjust the tire pressures
on all wheels. In addition, you must then initi­
alize the new tire pressures in the tire pres­
sure monitoring system*~
page 240.
A WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinfla­
tion can lead sudden tire failure, loss of
control, collision, serious personal injury
or even death.
- When the
[9] warning symbol appears in
the instrument cluster, stop and inspect
the tires.
- Incorrect tire pressure and/or underinfla­
tion can cause increased tire wear and
can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability.
Tires and wheels 229
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can also lead to sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
flation, causing loss of vehicle control.
- The driver is responsib le for the correct
tire pressures for all tires on the vehicle.
The applicable pressure values are locat­
ed on a sticker on the driver's side B-pil­ lar.
- Only when all tires on the vehicle are fil­
led to the correct pressure, the tire pres­
sure monitoring system* can work cor­
rectly.
- The use of incorrect tire pressure values
can lead to accidents or other damage.
Therefore it is essential that the driver
observe the specified tire pressure values
for the tires and the correct pressures for
the function of the tire pressure monitor­ ing system*.
- Always inflate tires to the recommended
and correct tire pressure before driving
off.
- Driving with underinflated tires bend
more, letting them get too hot resulting
in tread separation, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
- Excessive speed and/overloading can
cause heat build-up, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
- If the tire pressure is too low or too high,
the t ires will wear prematurely and the
vehicle will not handle well.
- If the tire is not flat and you do not have
to change a wheel immediately , drive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta­
tion to check the tire pressure and add
air as required.
(D Note
Driving without valve stem caps can cause
damage to the tire valves. To prevent this,
always make sure that factory installed
valve stem caps on all wheels are securely
mounted on the valve.
•
•

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 233
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in .
Fig. 189 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 ti res and rims approved
by Audi are spec ially matched to the charac­
teristics of the vehicle and can make a major .,.
•

S up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
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)1
)
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)1
)
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)1>
Your vehicle is no rma lly facto ry equipped with
tires , which possess excellent driving cha rac­
ter istics and give yo ur Audi opt imum driving
comfort .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Numbe r (TIN)
and tire manufactur e date
This is the t ire's "serial n umber". It beg ins
with the le tte rs "DO T" and indicates that the
tire meets all federal standards . The next two
numbers o r letters indicat e the p lant wher e it
was manufactured, and the l ast four numbers
represen t the week and year of manufacture.
For example, the numbers 2212 mean that
the t ire was produced in the 22nd week of
20 12. Th e other numbe rs a re marketing co ­
des that may or may not be used by the t ire
manufacturer. This informa tion is used to con­
tact consume rs if a t ire defect requires a re­
call.
Audi Original tire
T ires with the ident ificat ion "ROl" have been
specia lly matched w ith your Audi. We re com­
mend using only these t ires be ca u se they
meet the highest standards rega rding safety
and dr iving characteristics when used correct ­
l y. Your authorized A udi dealer wi ll gladly pro ­
vide you with more information .
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of p lies ind icates the n umbe r of
l ayers of rubber-coated fabri c in the t ire. In
general, the greater the number of plies, the more weight a tire can s upport . Tire manufac ­
turers a lso must indic ate the mate rials in the
ll Fo r tires wit h a m ax im um s pee d ca pabil ity over
1 4 9 mp h (24 0 k m/h) , tire m an ufa ctur ers somet ime s
use th e let ters "ZR."
Tire s an d wheel s 235
tire, which incl ude stee l, nylon, po lyester, and
others .
Maximum Load Rating
This number ind icates the max imum load in
kil ograms and po unds that can be ca rr ied by
the tire .
Tire quality grading for treadwear ,
tract ion , and temperature resistance
T read wear, t raction and tempe ra tur e grades
<:!vpage 236 .
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest amount of a ir
pressure that should ever be put in the tire
u nder norma l dr iv ing cond itions .
.&_ WARNING
-Using incorrect o r unm atc hed tires and/
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
comb inat ions can lead to loss of control ,
collision and serio us personal in jury.
- A lways use t ires, rims and whee l bolts
that meet the specifications of original
factory- insta lled tires or other combina­
tions that have been specifically ap­ proved by the vehicle manufacturer.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fai l sudden ly, especially at hig h
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith special care and at lower
speeds .
- Never mo unt used tir es on your veh icle if
you are not sur e of the ir "previo us histo­
ry ." O ld used tires may have been dam­
a ged even thoug h the damage cannot be
seen tha t can lead to sudden tire f ail u re
and loss of vehicle control.
- All f our whee ls must be fitte d wit h ra dial
tires of the same type, size (rolling cir­
cumference) an d the same tread pattern .
.
Driving with different tires reduces ~
•
•

Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
a re AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance¢ .&..
Temp eratu re
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and
C, representing the tire 's resistance to
the generat ion of heat and its ability to dissi­
pate heat when tested under controlled condi­
tions on a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failu re ¢ .&. .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which all passenger car tires m ust meet
u nder the Federa l Motor Ve hicle Safety Stand­
ard No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher
l eve ls of pe rformance on the laboratory test
wheel than the m inimum required by law.
_& WARNING
Th e traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on stra ight-ahead b raking t raction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering , hydrop laning or peak traction
character istics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this t ire is es ­
tablished for a t ire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separate ly or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possibl e tire fa ilu re.
-
Tire s an d wheel s 237
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 w inter o r "snow" tir es, those
with very deeply cut t read. These tires should
o nl y be used in pairs and be installed o n all
f o ur wheels . Make sure you p urchase snow
ti res that are the same size and cons truc tion
type as the other tires on yo ur vehicle .
You r vehi cle is equipped wi th a ll w heel d rive,
th is w ill imp rove trac tion duri ng win ter driv­
ing, even with the standa rd tires. However, we
strong ly recommend that you always equip all
fo ur wheels on your vehicle with correctly fit­
ted winter tires or a ll-season tires, when win ­
ter road cond itions are expected. This also im­
proves the veh icle's brak ing performance and
reduces stopping d ista nces .
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted
o n all fo ur whee ls .
As k your au thori zed A udi d ealer or qualified
workshop for permit ted
winter tire size s. Use
o nl y radial winter ti res .
Win ter tires lose their effec tiveness whe n the
tread is worn down to a dep th o f 0.15 7 inch
(4 mm) .
Only d rive w it h w inte r tir es under w inte r con­
di tions. S umme r tir es handle bette r whe n
t h e re is no s now o r ice on the ro ad s an d the
temperature is above 45 ° F (7 °C) .
I f you have a flat t ire, see notes on rep lace­
ment wheel¢
page 233 .
Please always remember that winter tires may
have a lowe r sp eed rating than the tires o rig i­
nally i nstalled on your veh icle at t he time it
was ma nufactu red. Please see ¢
page 234,
Speed ra ting (letter code)
for a lis ting o f th e
speed ra ting lette r codes and the max imum
speed at which the tires can be driven .
111>-
•
•

24 0 T ire s and wheel s
- 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 neares t
authorized Aud i dealer. Replace a damaged
t ire 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 eventu­
ally cause t ire failu re. If you be lieve that a
t ire may have been damaged, replace the
t ire as soon as poss ible.
- T hese tires may wea r more quick ly than oth­
ers.
- Please also remember that, whi le these t ires
deliver respons ive handling, they may ride
less comfortably and make mo re no ise than
othe r choices.
Reduced perf ormance in winter /cold
sea son condit ion s
All ti res are des igned for certa in pu rposes.
The low aspect ratio, u ltra 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 condit ions. If
you dr ive under those circumstances, you
should equip your vehicle with all-season or
winter tires, which offer better traction under
those cond it ions . We suggest you use the rec­
ommended snow or all-season tires specified
for your vehicle, or their equ ivalent .
Refe r to
<=> page 23 7 for more deta iled infor­
ma tion regarding w inter tires.
Tire pressure
monitoring system
(l) General notes
App lies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
Each tire shou ld be checked monthly when
cold and inflated to the inflat ion p ressu re rec- ommended by the vehicle manufacturer on
the ve hicle p lacard or tire inflation press ure
label. (If yo ur vehicle has tires of a d ifferent
s iz e than the si ze indicated on the veh icle
placard or tire inflation pressure label, you
should determine 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 illum inates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of you r
tires is significantly under-inflated . Acco rding­
ly, when the low tire pressure telltale illumi­
nates, yo u shou ld stop and check you r tires as
soon as possib le, and inflate them to the
proper pressure . Driving on a signi ficantly 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 handling and
stopp ing ability.
P lease note that the TPMS is not a substitute
for proper tire ma intenance, and it is the driv­
er's responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not
r eached the level to tr igger illuminat ion of the
T PMS low tire pressu re tellta le.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS ma lfunction indicator to ind icate when
the system is not operating prope rly. The
T PMS ma lfunction ind icator is comb ined w ith
the low t ire pressure telltale . Whe n the sys­
tem detects a malfunc tion , the telltale will
flash fo r approxima tely one min ute and then
remain continuously i lluminated. This se­
quence wi ll continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunct ion exists .
When the malfunction indicato r is illum inat­
ed , the system may not be ab le to detect or
signal low tire pressure as intended . TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a var iety of rea ­
sons, including the installation of replace­
ment or alternate tires or wheels on the vehi­
cle that prevent the TPMS from functioning
properly . Always check the TPMS malfunction
te lltale after rep lacing one or more tires o r
whee ls on your vehicle to ens ure that the