
128 Driving Safely
area because the rear lid cannot be fully
closed.
- If you absolutely must drive with the rear
lid open, observe the following notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power top,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win
dows, the power top and the rear lid are
securely closed and locked to reduce the
risk of injury when the vehicle is not being
used .
-After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked .
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es
pecially with the rear lid left open. A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out. Being trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious personal injury.
- Never let children play in or around the
vehicle.
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions.
(D Tips
- Air circulation helps to reduce window
fogging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure
to keep these slots free and open.
- The tire pressure must correspond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the
tire pressure label. The tire pressure la
bel is located on the driver's side B-pillar.
The tire pressure label lists the recom
mended cold tire inflation pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
-
'
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
For recommended tire pressures for nor
mal load conditions, please see chapter
¢page 226.
Tie-downs
Applies to vehicles: with tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and o ther
items.
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop
erly
¢ page 12 7, Loading the luggage com
par tmen t.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess en
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item . Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10-lb (4 .S kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item . This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be about 200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the
injuries that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying
freely through the passenger compartment could cause in a collision like this.
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
- Always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help pre
vent items from shifting or flying for
ward as dangerous missiles.
- When the rear seat backrest is folded
down, always use suitable mounting
straps and properly secure items to the
tie-downs in the luggage compartment
to help prevent items from flying

-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 summer and winter
tires are designed for the cond itions that
are typ ic al in those seasons. Aud i recom
mends using w inter t ires du ring the win-
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the comb ined weight (in excess of
those standard items which may be replaced)
of automatic tra nsmission, power steering,
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 ratio of the height to the width of
the tire in percent . Numbers of 55 or lower in
d icate a low sidewall for improved steering re
sponse and better overall handling on dry
pavement .
Bead
means the pa rt of the ti re that is made of
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead s eparation
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
ter months . Low temperatu res signifi
cantly decrease the elastic ity of summer
t ires, which affects traction and braking
ability. If summer tires are used in very
co ld temperatures, cracks can form on
the tread bars, res ulting in permanent
ti re damage that can cause loud drivi ng
noise and unbalanced tires. Aud i is not
responsib le for this type of damage.
- Burn ished, polished or chromed rims
must not be used in winter weather. Th e
surfa ce of the rims does not have suffi
c ien t cor rosion pro te cti on for this and
c o ul d be pe rmanen tly damaged by road
salt or similar substances. This damage
is not covered by warranty.
Cold tir e inflation pressure
me ans the t ire press ure re commended by the
vehicle manufacturer fo r a tire o f a des igna ted
size that has not bee n driven for more than a
couple of miles (k ilomete rs) at low speeds in
the three hour pe riod before the tire p ress ure
is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
means the weight o f a motor vehicle with
standard equipment including the maximum
capacity of fuel, o il, and coolant, air cond i
tion ing and additional weight of optiona l
equipment.
E xtra load tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor
responding standard tire. Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or
"RF" on the sidewall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
means the load-carrying capacity of a single
axle system, measured at the tire-ground in-
ter~ces .
~
•
•

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 .

226 Tires and wheels
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seating
capacities
Designated seating capacity, Vehicle normal load, number Occupant distribution in a nor -
number of occupants of occupants mally loaded vehicle
4 2 2 i
n front
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
Fig. 18 2 T ire press ure label : located on driver's side B·
pillar
Tire pressure genera lly refers to the amount
of air in a t ire 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 kilopasca ls (kPa), the i nterna·
tional measur ing unit and in pou nds pe r
squa re inc h (PSI). Tire pressure is based in
par t on the vehicle's desig n and load limit -
the greatest amoun t of weight that the vehi·
cle can carry safe ly and the t ire size . The prop·
er tire pressure is freq uently referred to as the
" recommended cold tire inf lation pressure."
A ir in the tires expands when the tire heats up
because of internal frict ion when it flexes in
use . The t ire p ressu re is higher when the tire
h as wa rmed up tha n when it is "cold ." It is the
in flat ion pressu re i n a "cold" tire that counts.
T herefore, you shou ld neve r let air ou t of a
warm tire to match " co ld tire inflat ion pres
sure" recommendations . The t ires wo uld then
be underinflated and could fail su ddenly .
M ain taining p roper t ire pr essu re is one of the
most im po rt an t th ings you ca n d o to he lp
avoid sudden tire failure. Underin fla ted t ires
a re a ma jo r cause of s udden tire failure. Keep·
i n g tires at the right pressu re is also impor
tant for safe and responsive vehicle handling,
-U'>
-
---------------------- ,;
•(=~= I: I::... 1)§ :l!: n-...,....,....,~ ...... ~-...,..., ..... _ ... U ........ ~-·~N.-..-.we..... .... lllt-
-AV ANT ...,.
-...... .. _
- KPA. a PSI
- KPA.
a PSI
- KPA.
a PSI
Fig. 183 Ti re pr essure la bel
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 f or y our Audi
depe nd on the kind of tires o n your ve hicle
and the numbe r of passe ngers and/o r amount
of luggage you w ill be t ransporti ng .
The tire pressure label is located on the driv
er's side B-pillar . The tire pressure labe l lists
the recommended cold t ire inflat io n press ures
for the vehicle at its maximum capac ity
weig ht an d tires t hat were o n your veh icle at
t h e time it was m anufactur ed.
If you wish to improve comfort wh en operat
ing the vehicle at normal load (up to 2 occu
pant s), you can ad just tire pre ssure s to tho se
specified for normal vehicle load . Before op
erating the vehicle at maximum load, you
mu st increase the ti re pressures to those
specified for maximum vehicle load
~ ,&. .
Bear in min d that t he tire pressure mon itor ing
system * can o nly mo nitor the tir e press ures .,.

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 ..,.

forget the spare tire. If the p ress 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 co rrect
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. The tire pressure labe l is lo
cated on the driver's side 8 -p ill ar . The tire
pressure label lists the recommended cold
t ir e inflat io n pressu res for the veh icle at its
maximum capacity we ight a nd the tir es that
we re on yo ur vehicle at the t ime it was man
uf act ured. Fo r recommended tire press ures
for normal load conditions, please see chap
ter
c:> page 226 .
- 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 should on ly be che cked
and adjus ted when the tires a re cold . The
s li ght ly raised pressures of wa rm tires mus t
not be reduced .
- Adjus t the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying .
- Re inst all the va lve s tem cap o n the valve .
Tires an d wheel s 229
When should I check the tire pressure?
T he co rrect tire pressu re is especially impor
tant at h igh speeds. The pressure should
therefore be checked at least once a month
and always before sta rting a jo urney . Do not
forget to check the tire pressure for the spare
whee l.
When should I adjust the tire pres sures?
Adjust the t ire pressure to the load you a re
carrying . After changing a whee l
or replacing
whee ls yo u have to adjust the tire pressu res
on all whee ls. In addition, yo u m ust then initi
alize the new tire pressures i n the t ire pres
sure monitoring system*
c:> page 240 .
A WARNING
Incorrect ti re p ressu res and/or u nderinfla
tion can lead sudden ti re fa ilu re, loss of
control, collision, se rio us pe rsonal inju ry
or even death.
- When the
RI] warning symbol appears i n
the ins trumen t cluster, stop and inspec t
the t ires.
- In co rrec t tire p ressure a nd/or underi nfla
tion can ca use increased tire we ar and
can affect the hand ling of the vehicle and
stopping ability.
- In correc t tire pressures and/or underin
flation can a lso lead to s udden t ire fail
ure, including a blowout and sudden de
flation, ca using loss of vehicle contro l.
- The drive r is responsib le for the co rrect
tire pressures for all tires on the vehicle.
The applicable pressure values are locat
ed on a sticke r on the dr iver's s ide 8-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 pressure va lues
can lead to acc idents or other damage.
Therefore it is essential that the drive r
observe the spec ified t ire p ress ure val ues
for the tires and t he correct pressures fo r .,. •
•

-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 ..,.
•
•
'

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 . An e lectronic speed limiter
¢ page 29 wi ll normally prevent your vehicle
from going faster than the tire speed rating
¢ A .
U.S. DOT Tir e Identification Numbe r (TIN )
a nd tir e m anufactur e date
T his is the t ire's "serial number". It begins
with the letters "DOT" and indicates that the
t ire meets all federal s tandards. 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 .
F or example, the numbers 2213 mean that
the t ire was produced in the 22nd wee k of
20 13. The othe r numbe rs a re mar ke ting co
des that may or may not be used by the tire
manufacturer . This informat ion is used to con
tact consumers if a tire defect requi res a re
call.
Audi Original tir e
Tires with the identi fication "AO" or "RO" have
been specia lly matched w ith your Audi . We
recommend using only t hese tires because
they meet the highest standards rega rd ing
safety and driving character istics when used
correctly . You r authorized Audi dealer will
g lad ly provide you with more information .
Tire ply composition and materi als used
The number of plies indicates the n umber of
l ayers of rubber-coated fabric in the t ire. In
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 man ufactur ers somet ime s
use th e let ters "Z R."
Tire s an d wheel s 235
genera l, the greater the number of plies, the
more weight a tire can support . Tire manufac
turers also must indicate the materials in the
tire, which include steel, nylon, po lye ster, and
others.
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the maximum load in
ki lograms and pounds that can be carr ied by
the tire.
Tir e quality grading for treadwear ,
tract ion, and temp eratu re resis tance
T read wear, t raction and temperat ure grades
¢ page 236.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is the g reatest amount of a ir
pressure that should ever be put in the tire
u nder normal driving conditions.
A WARNING ~
- Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
comb inat ions can lead to loss of control,
col lis ion and serious personal injury.
-Always use t ires, rims and whee l bolts
that meet the specif ications of original
factory- installed tires or other combina
tions that have been specifically ap
proved by the vehicle manufacture r.
- T ires age even if they are not being used
and can fai l sudden ly, especially at high
speeds . Tir es that are more than 6 yea rs
old can only be used in an emergency
an d then w ith speci al care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mo unt 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
aged even thoug h the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire fai lure
and loss of vehicle control.
•
•