2013 AUDI TT warning

202 Tire s and whee ls
vehicle with diffe rent rims/ti res or you bought
the vehicle as a previously owned vehicle.
Remembe r, your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on mak ing sure that
l oad limits are not exceeded . Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
ve hicle . These load limits are technically refer­
red to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating ("GVWR"). The Gross Axle Weight Rat­
ing ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can
be applied at each of the veh icle 's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rat ing a re listed on the
safety compliance st icker labe l located on the
d river's side B-pi llar. T he tire pressure label on
your Audi lists the maximum combined weight of a ll of the occupants and luggage or
othe r cargo that the vehicle can carry. For the
locat ion of the tire pressure label¢
fig. 142.
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se­
r ious personal injury, and even death.
- Carry ing more weight than your vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling p roperly and in­
c rease the risk of a loss of veh icle con­
tro l.
- T he brakes on a veh icle that has been
overloaded may not be ab le to stop the
vehicle within a sa fe distance.
- Ti res on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly causing loss of con­
tro l and a crash .
A WARNING
-Incorre ct tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can lead to a serious o r fatal acci ­
dent.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation cause increased tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle .
- Incorrect tire pressures and/o r underin­
flation can also lead to sudden tire fai l­
ure, incl uding a blowo ut and sudden de­
flation, causing loss of vehicle control.
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires original­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressure label located on driver's side 8-pil­ lar.
The recommended tire pressures are on the
t ire pressure label and in the table
¢
page 200, Cold tire inflation pressure. This
means tha t the pressu re must be che cked and
adjus ted whe n the t ire has not been dr iven fo r
more than a couple of miles (kilometers) at
l ow speeds d uring the previous t hree ho urs.
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
as a result of interna l friction as it flexes in
use. The tire pressure is higher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold."
It is the inflation pressure in a "co ld" tire that
counts. Therefore, you should never let air out
of a warm tire to match "Cold tire inflat ion
pressure" recommendat ions ¢
page 200 . The
t ires would then be unde rinflated and could
fail suddenly .
The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the
recommended co ld tire inflation pressures fo r
the new, orig inal equ ipment tires that were
on your veh icle at the time it was manufac­
tu red. Fo r the location of the labe l
¢page 200, fig . 142.
Most t ires lose air naturally over t ime . They
can a lso lose some air if you d rive over a pot­
hole or hit a curb while park ing. It is usually
not poss ible to see whethe r the rad ial tires
u sed today are underinfla ted just by loo king
at them .
T he refore, be sure to check t ire p ressu res at
least on ce a mo nth and a lways befo re going
on a long trip. Ma ke s ure to ta ke the n umbe r
of peop le and the amount of luggage into ac ­
count when adjusting tire pressure for a trip -
even one that yo u wo uld not consider to be
"long." See ¢
page 204, Tires and vehicle
load limits
for more important information.
Always use an accurate tire press ure ga uge
when checking and ad justing inflation pres­
s u res. Check all of the tires and be sure not to ..,.

forget the spare tire. If the press ure in any tire
is too high when the tire is "cold," let air out
of the tire slowly with the edge of the t ire
gauge and keep checking the pressure until
you reach the pressure that is correct for the
load (passengers and luggage) and kind of
driving you plan to do .
If the pressure in any tire is too low, note the
d ifference between the pressure in the cold
tire and the pressure you need and add the a ir
that you need to reach the correct pressure for
the veh icle load (passengers and luggage) for
the tires on your veh icle as listed on the on
your ve hicle and in this manua l and the kind
of dr iving you p lan to do .
Never exce ed the ma ximum inflation pres ­
s ur e listed on t he tire s idewall for any re a­
s on.
Remember that the vehicle manufacturer , not
the t ire manufacturer , determ ines the correct
tire pressure for the tires on your veh icle .
It is important to check the tire pressure when
the t ires a re cold .
- Read the req uired tire press ure from the tire
pressure label located on driver's s ide B-pil­
l ar .
- Turn the valve stem cap counter-clockwise
to remove it from the tire valve .
- Place the air pressure ga uge on the valve.
- The tire pressures sho uld on ly be checked
and adjusted when the tires are cold . The
s light ly raised pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced.
- Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying.
- Re insta ll the va lve stem cap on the valve .
When should I check the tire pressure?
The correct tire pressure is espec ially impo r­
tant at high speeds . The pressure sho uld
therefore be checked at least once a month
and a lways befo re starting a journey.
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Adj ust the tire pressu re to the load you are
carry ing . After changi ng a wheel
or replacing
Tire s an d wheel s 203
whee ls yo u have to adjust the ti re p ressu res
o n all whee ls. In addition, yo u m ust then initi­
a lize the new tire pressu res in the t ire pres­
s u re monitoring system
Q page 214.
A WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinfla­
tion can lead sudden tire fa ilure, loss of
control, collision, serio us pe rsonal injury
or even death.
- When the warning symbol
[I] appears in
the instrument cluster, stop and inspect
the t ires.
- Inco rrect tire pressure and/or underinfla­
tion can cause increased tire wea r and
can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability.
- Inco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can a lso lead to sudden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowou t and su dden de­
flation, ca using loss of veh icle cont ro l.
- Th e drive r is responsi ble for the correc t
tire pressures for all tires on the veh icle.
The applicable pressure values a re locat ­
ed on a sticke r on the dr iver's side B-pil­
lar.
- On ly when all tires on the vehicle are fil ­
led to the correct pressure, the t ire pres­
sure mon itor ing system can work cor­
rectly.
- The use of incorrect tire pressu re va lues
can lead to acc idents or other damage.
Therefore it is essential that the driver
observe the spec ified t ire pressure values
for the tires and the correct pressures for
the function of th e ti r e p ressu re monito r­
ing system.
- Always inf late tires to the recommended
a nd correct t ire p ress ure before dr iv ing
off.
- Driving with unde rinflated tir es bend
mo re, letting t hem get too hot resulting
in tre ad separation, sudden tire f ailure
and loss of cont rol.
- Exces sive speed and/overloading can
cause he at bu ild- up, sudden tire failure
an d loss of cont rol. •
•

204 Tire s and wheel s
-If the tire pressure is too low or too high,
the tires w ill wear prematurely and the
vehicle will not handle well.
- If the tire is not flat and you do not have
to change a wheel immed iately, drive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta­
t ion to check the tire pressure and add
air as required.
(D Note
Dr iving without valve stem caps can cause
damage to the t ire va lves. To prevent this,
always make sure that facto ry installed
valve stem caps on all wheels a re securely
mounted on the valve.
@ For the sake of the environment
Underinf lated tires will a lso increase the
fue l cons umption .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or
weight that any veh icle and any t ire can c arry.
A vehicle that is overloaded w ill not h andle
well and is more difficult to stop. Over load ing
can not on ly lead to loss of vehicle contro l,
but can a lso damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden tire failure, in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the veh icle to crash .
Your safety and that of your passengers a lso
depends on making sure that load limits are
not exceeded. Vehicle load includes everybody
and eve ryth ing in and on the vehicle . These
l oad limits a re tech nica lly refe rred to as the
ve hicl e's
Gros s Vehicl e W eight Rat ing
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the we ight of the basic
vehicle, all factory installed accesso ries , a fu ll
tank of f uel , oi l, coo lant and othe r fluids plus
maximum load. The maxim um load includes
the number o f passengers that the vehi cle is
intended to carry ("seating capacity") with an
assumed weig ht of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each
passenger at a designated seating position and the total weight of any luggage
in the ve ­
hicle .
T he
Gro ss Axle Weight Rating (" GAWR") is
the max imum load th at can be applied at e ach
of the vehicle's two axles .
T he Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing and the
G ross Ax le Weight Ra ting are listed on the
sa fety comp liance s ticke r label lo cated on the
driver's side B-pillar. Your Audi has 4 seat ing
positions, 2 in the front and 2 in the rear fo r
total seat ing capac ity of 4. Each seating posi­
t ion has a safety be lt c>
page 100 , Safety
bel ts.
The fact that there is an upper limit to yo ur
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the total weight of whatever is being car­
ried in the vehicle is lim ited. The more passen­
gers in the vehicle or passengers who are
heavier than the standard we ights assumed
mean that less we ight can be carried as lug­
gage.
The tire pressure label on your Aud i also lists
the max imum combi ned weig ht of all of the
occupants and luggage or other cargo t hat
t h e vehi cle can carry . Fo r th e lo cat ion of the
la bel c>page200,
fig.1 42.
_& WARNING ~
Overloading a vehicle can c ause loss o f ve-
h icle cont ro l, a c rash or other accident, se ­
rious pe rsonal injury, and even death.
- Ca rrying more we igh t tha n your veh icle
was des igned to carry wi ll prevent the
veh icle from handling proper ly and in­
crease the risk of the loss of ve hicle 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 .
- Tires on a vehicle that has been over load­
ed can fail s uddenly , incl uding a blowout
a nd sudden deflation, causing loss of
control and a crash .

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 207
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in .
Fig. 146 Tir e specifica tion codes on t he s idew all o f a
t ire
No. Description
CD Passenger car tire (where applicable)
@ Nominal width of tire in mill imeters
® Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
© Radial
® Rim diameter code
® Load index and speed rating
(f) U.S. DOT tire identification number
® Audi Original tire
® Sever snow conditions
@ Tire ply composition and materials used
@ Maximum toad 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 spec ially matched to the charac­
teristics of the vehicle and can make a major
contribution to good road holding and safe .,.
•

V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)l)
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)
1
)
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)ll
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)
1 )
Your veh icle is norma lly factory equipped with
t ires, which posses s excellen t driving charac­
ter istics and give your Audi opt imum driving
comfort . An electronic speed limiter
¢ page 31 w ill normally prevent your vehicle
from go ing faste r th an the tire speed rating
¢ &_ .
U.S. DOT T ire Identification Number (TIN )
and tire manufactur e date
This is the t ire's "serial numbe r" . It begins
with the le tters "DOT" and indicates that the
tire meets all federal standards . The next two
numbers or letters indicate the p lant where it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufactu re.
Fo r example, the numbers 2211 mean that
t he t ire was produced in the 22nd week of
2011. The other numbers are marketing co ­
des that may or may not be used by the t ire
manufacturer . This information is used to con­
tact consume rs if a tire defect requires a re­
call.
Audi Original tire
Tires with the ident ificat ion "AO" or "RO" have
been spec ially matched with your Aud i. We
recommend using only these tires because
they meet the highest standards regard ing
safety and driving charac ter istics whe n used
correctly. Yo ur authorized Audi dealer will
g lad ly provide you with more informat ion.
Tire ply composition and materials used
The numbe r of p lies ind icates the numbe r of
l ayers of rubber -coa ted fabric in the t ire. In
general, the greater the number of p lies, the
mo re weight a tire can support . Tire manufac ­
turers also must indicate the materials in the
1) F o 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 ma nufa cturers some times use
t h e le tters "Z R."
Tire s an d wheel s 209
tire, which include stee l, nylon, po lyester, and
others .
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates 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
¢page 210 .
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 inj ury .
- Always 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 mount used tires on your veh icle if
you are not sure of the ir "previous 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 fai lure
and loss of vehicle control.
.
- All fo ur whee ls must be fitted wit h ra dial
tires of the same type, size (rolling cir­
cumference) and the same tread pattern . ..,
•
•

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
material 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
ard No.
109. G rades Band A represent h igher
l eve ls of perfo rmance on the laboratory tes t
wheel than the minimum required by law .
A WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on stra ight-ahead b raking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplan 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 211
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 or "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread. These tires should
o nly be used in pairs and be installed on all
four wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
t ires that are the same size and construction
type as the other tires on your vehicle.
If your vehicle is equipped w ith all-whee l
drive*, th is w ill improve traction during winter
driv ing, even with the standa rd tires. Howev­
er, we strongly recommend that you always
equip all fou r wheels o n your veh icle w ith cor­
rect ly fitted winter tires o r all-season t ires,
when winter road condit ions are expe cted .
T his also improves the veh icle's braking per ­
formance and reduces stopping distances.
Summe r tires provide less grip on ice 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 siz es. Use
only 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 207.
Please a lways remember that winter tires may
have a lower speed rating than the tires origi -
nally installed on your vehicle at the time it .,.
•
•

212 Tire s and wheel s
was manufactured . Please see q page 208,
Speed roting (letter code) for a listing of the
speed rat ing letter codes and the maximum
speed at wh ich the t ires can be driven .
The speed rating letter code
( c::> page 199) is
on the side wall of the tire
c::> page 207.
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
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 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
dr ive temp t you in to taking extr a ris ks . A l­
ways remember :
- Whe n bra king , a n a ll-wheel d rive 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 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 consumption.
Snow chains
Snow cha ins may be f itted only to the front
whee ls, and only to certain tire sizes . Ask your
autho rized Aud i dealer on which tire sizes
snow c hains ca n be used.
If you are go ing to use snow chains, then you
must install them on the front whee ls at
least.
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 lock .
Remove whee l center covers and trim discs
before putt ing snow cha ins on your vehicle
c::> Q) . For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts . These are ava il ­
able from autho rized Aud i dealers .
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chai ns for your veh i­
cle o r ins ta ll ing them in correct ly can in­
crease the risk o f loss of cont ro l leading to
se rious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes. Always make sure to follow the i n­
structions provided by the snow chain manufacturer .
- When driving with snow cha ins never
d rive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations .
(D Note
-Remove snow chain s before dr iv ing o n
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessa rily.
- Snow chains, which come in to direc t con­
tact with the whee l rim, can scratch or
damage it . Therefore , make sure that the
1J1-

snow c hains are suitably cove red . Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces­
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow cha in manufacturer when doing so.
Where snow cha ins are mandatory oncer­
tain roads, this normally also applies to
veh icles with all-wheel dr ive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque.
The design of whee l bolts is matched to the
factory insta lled r ims . If different rims are fit­
ted, the correct wheel bo lts with the right
length and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures t hat wheels are fitted
securely and that the brake system functions
correctly .
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bo lts from a different vehicle -even if it
i s the same model
¢ page 245.
A WARNING
Imprope rly tig htened or maintained wh eel
bolts can become loose ca using loss of
con trol, a collision and serious person al in­
jury.
- Always keep the w heel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hubs clea n so the
wheel bolts can tu rn easily and be p rop ­
er ly tightened .
- Never grease or oil the wheel bo lts and
the threads in the wheel hubs. They can become loose w hile d riving if greased or
o iled, even if tig htened to the specif ied
torque.
- Only use whee l bolts that belong to the
rim being installed.
- Never use different whee ls bolts on your
vehicle.
- Always maintai n the co rrect tig htening
torq ue fo r the wheel bo lts to reduce the
risk of a wheel loss. If the tightening tor-
Tire s an d wheel s 213
que of t he whee l bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the vehi­
cle is mov ing. If the tig htening torq ue is
too high, the wheel bolts and threads
can be damaged and the whee l can be­
come loose.
(D Note
The specified torque for the whee l bolts is
90 ft lb (120 Nm) with a tolerance of± 7,4
ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torq ue whee l bolts diago­
nally. After changing a whee l, the tor que
must be checked as soon as possible with a
torq ue w rench -prefe rably by an au thor­
iz ed A udi de aler or qu alified workshop .
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory -eq uipped w ith low aspect
r atio tires . These tires have been tho roughly
tested and been se lected specifically for your
model for their superb performance, road fee l
and handli ng under a var iety of driving condi­
tions . Ask your authorized Audi dealer for
more d etails.
The low aspect ratio of these t ires is ind icated
by a numeral of
55 or less in the tire's s ize
designation . The numeral represents the ratio
of the t ire's sidewa ll height in relation to its
t read width exp ressed in pe rce ntage. Conven­
t iona l tires have a he ight/w idth rat io of 60 or
more.
The performanc e of low-a spect-ratio tire s is
particularly sensitive to impr oper inflation
pre ssure .
It is therefore important that low
a spect ratio tire s are inflated to the specified
pres sure and that the inflation pressure is
regularly checked and maintained. Tire pre s­
sures should be checked at least once a month and always befo re a long trip
¢ page 202, Checking tire pressure.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged mo re
easily by impact w it h potholes, curbs, gul lies ..,.
•
•