2013 AUDI RS5 CABRIOLET winter tires

';'ij Dynamic stee ring : initi alizing
If th is driver message appears and the ind ica­
tor light is flash ing on the inst rument pane l,
dynamic steering* is be ing reinitialized. Once
you start the engine after this is finished, the
steering whee l wi ll be easy to move. Re-initi­
alization m ight be necessary if the steering
wheel was moved hard to the left and r ight
while the veh icle was not moving. The display
goes out as soon as initialization is complete .
A WARNING
Have the dynamic steering* system mal­
function repaired as soon as poss ible by an
authori zed Audi dealer or any qualified
workshop -risk of accident!
@ Tips
- If the . or 1~ ij indicator light only stays
on for a short t ime, you may continue
driving.
- The dynamic steering* stability systems
are not available in the event of a system
malfunction.
- For additional informat ion on dynamic
stee ring*, refer to
c::> page 104.
Driving with your
quattro ®
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driv­
en.
G ene ral inform ation
W ith all -whee l dr ive, power is distributed to
all fo ur wheels. This happens automatica lly
depending on your driving sty le and the road
conditions at the time . See also
c::> page 176.
A center diffe rent ial distr ibutes the dr iv ing
power variably to the front and rear axle.
It
works together with se lective wheel torque
control, which activates when driving through
curves
c::> page 177. W ith the sport d ifferen ­
tial*, power distribution to the rear wheels is
variable and can be adjusted with drive select
<=:> page 104 .
Intellig ent technolog y 181
The all -whee l drive concept is designed for
high engine power. Your vehicle is exception­
ally powerfu l and has excellent driving charac­
teristics both under normal driv ing cond itions
and on snow and ice. Always read and follow
safety precaut ions
c::> ,&. .
Winter t ires
When driving in the winter, yo ur vehicle with
a ll-wheel drive has an advantage, even w ith
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 on
a ll fou r
wheels. See also c::> page 23 7, Winter tires.
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this normally also applies to veh icles
with all -wheel drive
c::> page 238, Snow
chains .
Replacing whee ls / tires
Vehicles with a ll-wheel drive must always
have tires of the same s ize. Also avoid tires
with different tread depths. For deta ils see
page
~ page 233, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels .
Off-Road driving?
Your Audi does not have enough ground clear­
ance to be used as an off-road vehicle. It is
therefore best to avoid rough tracks and un ­
even terrain as much as possible . Also refer to
~ page 184.
A WARNING
Always ad just your dr iv ing to road and t raf­
fi c condi tions. Do no t let the extra safety
afforded by all-wheel drive temp t you into
taking extra risks.
- Al tho ugh t he all-wheel drive is very ef­
fective, always remember that braking capacity is lim ited by tire traction . You
should therefore not d rive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippery road surfaces.
•
•

-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 223
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 234. You may
not find this information on all tires because
it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applica­ b le, is molded on the tire sidewall and indi­
cates the maximum permissible road speeds
¢ &. in Winter tires on page 238.
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 232, 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 225
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 226)
and dividing by two.
•
•

234 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.
Re placing 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 240.
A lways 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
c:> page 226.
Aud i-approved specification ti res are specially
matched to your vehicle and its load limits,
and can contribute to the important road ho ld­
ing, driving characteristics, and safety of the
vehicle. The table (c:>page 226) lists spec ifica­
tions of the tires approved for the Audi mod­
els covered by your Owner's Literature .
The tire pressure labe l located on driver's side
B-pillar (c:>page 226, fig. 186) lists the speci­
f ications of the orig inal equipment tires in­
stalled on your veh icle at the time it was man­
ufactured.
Federal law requires t ire manufacturers to
p lace standard ized information on the s ide­
wall of all tires c:>fig. 189. 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 65 / 35 R1 9 98Y XL
This co nta ins the following information:
P Indicates the t ire is for passenger cars
(where app licab le)
2 65 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire
from sidewall edge to sidewa ll edge. In
general, the larger the number, the wider
the tire
35 Height/w idth ratio in percent (aspect ra-
t io)
R Tire construction: Radial
1 9 Rim diameter code (in inches)
98 Load rating code
Y Speed rat ing letter code
X L (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" Indicates
t h at the t ire is a"Re inforced" or an " Extra
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 rotat io n
c:> page 222 .
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 examp le, that
the tire was produced in the 22nd week of 2012.
Speed rating (letter c ode)
The speed rating letter code on the whee ls in­
dicates the maximum permissible road speeds
c:> & in Winter tires on page 238 .
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q u p to 99 mp h (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph ( 170 km/h)

236 Tire s and whee ls
vehicle handling and can lead to a loss of
control.
- If the replacement tire is not the same as
the tires that are mounted on the vehicle
- for example with winter tires - only use
the replacement t ire for a short period of
t ime and dr ive with extra care . Refit the
normal road wheel as soon as safely pos­
sible.
- Never drive faste r than the maximum
speed for which the tires on your veh icle
are rated because ti res that are driven
faster than their rated speed can fail
sudden ly.
- Overloading t ires cause heat build-up,
sudden tire failure, including a blowo ut
and sudden deflation and loss of control.
- T emperature grades app ly to tires that
are properly inflated and not over or un­
derinflated.
- For technical reasons it is not a lways
possible to use wheels from othe r
vehicles -in some cases not even wheels
from the same vehicle model.
- If you install wheel trim discs on the ve­ hicle whee ls, make sure that the air f low
to the brakes is not blocked . Reduced air­
flow to the brakes can them to overheat, increasing stopping distances and caus­
ing a collision .
- Run flat tires may only be used on
vehicles that were equipped w ith them
at the factory . The vehicle must have a
chassis des igned for run flat t ires and a
factory-installed t ire pressure monitor­
ing system* that indicates a loss of ti re
pressure. Incorrec t use of run flat tires
can lead to vehicle damage or accidents .
Check with an authorized Audi dea ler or
tire spec ialist to see if your vehicle can be
equipped with run flat tires . If run flat
tires are used, they must be installed on
all four wheels. M ixing tire types is not
permitted .
(D Note
-For technica l reasons, it is not genera lly
possible to use the wheel r ims from oth- er vehicles.
This can hold true for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
- If a rep lacement tire is different from
the tires that you have mounted on your
vehicle (for example winter tires or wide profile tires), then use the rep lacement
tire for a short period of time only and dr ive with extra care. Replace the flat tire
w ith the tire match ing the others on your
vehicle as soon as possible.
- Never drive without the valve stem cap .
The valves could get damaged .
® For the sake of the environment
D ispose of o ld tires in accordance with the
local requirements .
Uniform tire quality grading
-Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Tempe rature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicab le
on the t ire s ide wall between tread shou ld er
and maximum section width c> page 233,
fig. 189 .
For exampl e: Tread wear 200 , Traction AA,
Temperature A.
All passenger car t ires must conform to Feder­
al Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades.
Tread wear
T he tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the t ire when tested
u nder controlled conditions on a specified
government test course .
For example, a tire graded 1S0 would wear
one and one ha lf (11/2) times as well on the
gover nment course as a t ire graded 100 .
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual conditions of their use, how­
ever, and may depa rt s ignificantly from the
norm due to va ria tions in d riving hab its, serv­
ice practices and differences in road character-
istics and climate.
ll-

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>-
•
•

238 Tire s and whee ls
The speed rating letter code( ¢ page 225) is
on the side wall of the tire¢ page
233.
A WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than 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
personal inj ury to you and your passen­
gers.
A WARNING
t"'----
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 deflation,
loss of control, crashes and serious per­
sonal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immed iately .
- Winter tires have maximum speed rat ing
that may be lower than 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
traffic conditions. Neve r let the good ac­
celeration of the wi nte r t ir es and all whee l
drive temp t you in to taking extr a ris ks. A l­
ways remember :
- Whe n bra king, an a ll whee l drive vehicle
hand les in the same 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 sake of the environment
Use summe r ti res when weathe r cond i­
tions perm it. They are quieter, do not wea r
as quickly and red uce fue l consumption.
Snow chains
S now cha ins may be fitted only to the front
whee ls, and o nly to certain ti re sizes . Ask your
authorized Aud i dea ler on which tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
T he snow chains must have low-p rofile links
and mus t not be th icker than 0.41 inch
(10.5 mm), in cl ud ing the lock .
Remove whee l center covers and t rim discs
before putt ing snow chains on your veh icle
¢ Q) . For safety reasons cove r caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bo lts. These are avail ­
able from authorized Audi dealers .
_& WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi­
cle or insta lling them incorrect ly can in­
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different sizes . Always make sure to follow the in­
structions prov ided by the snow chain
manufacturer .
- When driving with snow cha ins never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains .
- Always observe local regulations.
(D Note
- Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessa rily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con­
tact with the whee l rim, can scratch or
damage it . Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered. Check
the pos ition of the snow chains afte r
dr iving a few yards and co rrect if neces­
sary. Follow the instruct ions from the
snow chain man ufactu rer when doing so .
(D Tips
Where snow chains are ma nda tory on cer­
tain roads, th is normally also applies to
vehicles with a ll whee l drive .

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