
224 Tires and wheels
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR" )
means the maximum total loaded weight o f
the vehicle.
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 inflat ion pressure. You
may not find this informat ion on all tires be
cause it is not requ ired by law .
Ma ximum load rating
means the load rating for a t ire at the maxi
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 opt ions 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 kilog rams) times the
number of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the tota l seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means dist ribution of occupants in a veh icle.
Outer diameter
means the overall 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 or ribs .
Ply
means a layer of rubbe r-coated parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those installed
regular production opt ions we ighing over 5
lbs. ( 2.3 kg) in excess of those standa rd items
wh ich they replace, not previously cons idered
in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, heavy duty
battery, and specia l trim .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumat ic tire in which the ply cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substa n
tially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread.
Recommended inflation pressure
see <=;> page 223, Cold tire inflation pressure .
Reinforced tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads
and at h igher inflation pressures than the cor
responding standard tire. Reinforced tires
may be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD",
or "RF" on the sidewal l.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a t ire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated .
Rim diameter
means nominal 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 rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nom inal d istance between rim flanges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
tread and bead .

228 Tire s and wheel s
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance sticker labe l located on the
driver's side B-p illar. The tire pressure label on
your Audi lists the maximum combined weight of all of the occupants and luggage or
other cargo that the vehicle can carry. For t he
locat io n of the tire pressure label
r:::;, fig. 182.
A WARNING
Overl oading a vehicle can cause loss of ve
hicle control, a cras h or other accident, se
r ious personal inju ry, and even death.
- Carry ing more weight than yo ur vehicle
was designed to ca rry will p reven t the
vehicle from hand ling properly and in
crease the risk of a loss of veh icle con
t ro l.
- T he brakes on a veh icle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance .
- T ires on a vehicle that has been overload
ed can fail suddenly causing loss of con
tro l and a crash.
- Always make sure that the tota l load be
ing transported -including the weight of
a tra iler hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the veh i
cle heav ier than the veh icle's Gross Vehi
cle Weight Rating.
A WARNING
- Incorrect 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 wea r and can
affect the handling of the vehicle.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin
flation ca n also lead to sudden tire fa il
ure, including a blowo ut and sudden de
fla tion, causing loss of vehicle con trol.
-
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 ir e p ressu re label a nd in the table
r::::;, page 226, 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 frict ion 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" t ire that
counts. Therefore, you should never let a ir o ut
of a warm tire to match "Cold t ire inflat ion
pressure" recommendat io ns
r:::;, page 226 . The
t ires wou ld then be unde rinflated and could
fail suddenly .
The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the recommended co ld tire inflation pressures at
maximum capacity for the new, or ig inal
equipment tires that were on your vehicle at
t h e time it was ma nufactu red. Fo r the loca
t ion of the labe l
r:::;, page 226, fig. 182.
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 par king. 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
l east on ce a mo nth and a lways befo re going
o n a long trip. M ake 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." Seer:::;,
page 230, Tires and vehicle
load limits
for more important information.
Always use an accurate tire press ure ga uge
when checking and ad justing inflat ion pres
s u res. Check all of the tires and be sure not to ..,.

-Carrying more weight than your vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in
crease the risk of the loss of vehicle con
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload
ed can fail suddenly, including a blowout
and sudden deflation, causing loss of
control and a crash.
- Always make sure that the total load be
ing transported -including the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer - does not make the vehi
cle heavier than the vehicle's Gross Vehi
cle Weight Rating.
Determining correct load limit
Use the example below to cal
culate the total weight of the
passengers and luggage or oth
er things that you plan to trans
port so that you can make sure
that your vehicle will not be
overloaded.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OC
CUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX LBS"on your vehi
cle's placard (tire inflation
pressure label)
c::> page 226,
fig. 182.
Tires and wheels 231
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from
"XXX" kilo
grams or
"XXX" pounds
shown on the sticker
c::>page 226, fig. 182.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of car
go and luggage load capaci
ty. For example, if the
"XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs.
and there will be five 150
lbs. passengers in your vehi
cle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load ca pacity is 650 lbs. (1400-7 50
(5
X 150) = 650 lbs.)
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your trail
er will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual ..,.
•
•
'

236 Tire s and whee ls
- All four wheels must be fitted with radia l
t ires of th e same ty pe, size (r olling c ir
cumfe rence) and the same tread pattern.
Dr iv in g with different tires reduces veh i
cle handling and can lead to a loss of
c o ntrol.
- If the spare tire is not the same as the
t ires that are mounted on the veh icle -
for example with winter 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 driven
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 ith them
at the factory. The vehicle must have a
chassis des igned for r un flat t ires and a
factory-installed tire press ure monito r
ing system * that indicates a loss of tire
pressure. Incorrect use of run flat tires
can lead to vehicle damage or accidents.
Check with an authorized Audi dea ler or
t ire spec ialist to see if you r vehicle can be
equipped with run flat tires .
If run flat
t ires a re used, they must be insta lled on
all four wheels. M ixing tire types is not
permitted.
(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 different 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.
The 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 applicable
on the t ire s ide wall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width
c> page 233,
fig . 186.
For e xample: 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 w ear
The tread wear g rade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
u nder contro lled conditions on a specified
government test course.
F o r example, a tire graded 1S0 wo uld wear
one and one ha lf (11/2) times as well on the
government course as a ti re graded 100. ..,_

270 Index
Automatic climate control Air vents ... ............... .. .... ..
71
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Setup . .. ............... .. .. .... .. 72
Automatic power top ................. 42
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL) . . . . . . . . . . . .
86
Automatic transm ission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL) . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Driving .. .. ............. .. .. .. ... . 87
Emergency mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Emergency release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Kick-down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Manual shift program ..... .. .. .. .. . . 89
Removal lock (ignition key) ... .. .. .. . . 74
Selector lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
85
Automatic wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Auto Safety Hotline ............ .... . 129
Average speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Avoid damaging the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 187
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,217
Battery locat ion inside the luggage com-
partment ................. .. .... .
217
Charging ... .................. ... . 219
Important warn ings when working on
the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
217
Jump starting .............. .. .. .. . 255
Low . .. .. .. ... .......... .. .. .. .. . 185
Replacing the battery ........... .. . 220
State of charge ............ ... .... .
185
Winter operation .......... ... .... . 217
Working on the battery ............. 217
Before driving ............. .. .. .. .. . 121
Belt positioner .. .. ..... ..... .. .. .. . 135
Bio-ethanol (Fue l) ............ .. .... . 202
Blended gasoline .......... .. .. .. .. . 201
Blower (automatic climate control) . . . . . . 71
Booster seats .............. ... .... . 169
Brake fluid
Changing the brake fluid ........ ....
216
Check ing the brake fluid level . .. ..... 216
Reservoir .... ........... .. .. .. .. . 216
What is the correct brake fluid leve l? .. 216
What should I do if the brake fluid warn-
ing light comes on? ........ ..... .. .
216
Brake system .... .. ............. .... 216
Anti- lock braking system ............. 19
Brake assist system ................ 179
Brake fluid .... .. ............. .... 216
Brake fluid specifications for refill and re-
placement ...... ................ .
216
Brake light defective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Brake power assist unit ............. 182
Brakes .. .. .. .. . .............. .. .. 182
Ceramic brakes . .. ... .......... .. .. 182
Electromechanical parking brake ...... 79
Warning/indicator lights .......... .. . 15
Worn brake pads symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Braking
Emerg ency braking funct ion ... .. .. .. .
81
braking guard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Messages ........ ............... . 100
Settings ........ .. .............. . 100
Break-in period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Tires . .. .. .. .. .. ............. .. .. 187
Bu lbs ..... ..... .. ............. .... 253
C
Californ ia Proposition 65 Warn ing . .... 207
Batte ry specific .. ... .......... .. .. 218
Capac1t1es ........ .. .............. . 262
Carbon parts
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
197,198
Care ... .. .. .. .. .. ............. .. .. 195
Cargo area
refer to Luggage compartment. .. 67, 127
Catalytic converter ................. . 188
Center armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Central locking ...................... 31
Central locking switch ............... 35
Convenience key .. .. ..... ........ .. . 35
Remote control key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Ceramic brake rotors New brake pads .. ............. ....
182
Certification . ..... ................. 267
Changi ng a flat tire ................. . 244
Changing a wheel .. ............. .... 244
Changi ng engine oil ............. ....
212
Checking
Engine coolant level ................
213
Checking tire pressure ........... .... 228