2014 AUDI A6 tire size

196 Intelligent technology
@ Tips
-ABS and ASR on ly work correctly when
all four wheels are equipped with identi­
ca l tires. Different tire sizes can lead to a
reduct ion in engine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems
described are working.
Switching on and off
- If the indicator light DJ or til] (USA
mode ls)/ [I] (Canada models) appears,
there may be a malfunction
¢ page 20 ,
¢ page 19.
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine.
Fig. 178 Ce nter co ns ole, f). O FF bu tton
ESC levels
Sport mode on
The following situations are exceptions where
it may be usefu l to switch on sport mode to
allow the wheels to spin:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it i s st uck
- Dr iving in deep snow or on loose g round
- Driving with snow chains
Sport mode off
Beha vio r
The ESC a nd ASR stabilization fun ct ions The fu ll stabilization function o f the ESC
are limited ¢.&, .
Op eration Pr ess the 1.$ O FFI button .
Indicato r I) turns on.
lights
Driv er mes- Stabiliza tion control (ESC ): Sport
sage s Warning! R educed stability
,8. WARNING
You should only switch sport mode on if
your driving abilities and road cond itions
permit.
- The stabilization function is limited
when sport mode is sw itched on. The
dr iv ing whee ls could spin and the vehicle
cou ld swe rve, especially on slick or slip­
pery road surfaces .
{D) Tips
Sport mode cannot be switched on when
adapt ive cr uise control* is switched on.
-
and ASR is availab le again .
Press the
1 .$ O FF I button again.
fl tu rns off.
Stabilization c ontrol (ESC ): On
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating conditions and driving habits
The bra kes on today's automobiles a re still
s u bje ct to wear, depending largely on ope rat­
i ng conditions and driving hab its
¢ A . On
vehicles that are either driven most ly in stop­
and-go city traff ic or are driven hard, the
brake pads should be checked by your author­
ized Audi dealer more often than specified in
the
Warranty & Maintenance booklet . Failure .,,_

198 Intelligent technology
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few caref ul
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct­ ed . Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the ent ire brake system.
- Failure of one brake c ircuit will impair
the braking capability resulting in an in­ creased stopp ing distan ce. Avoid driv ing
the vehicle a nd have it towed to t he near­
est Aud i dea ler o r qualified workshop.
- Never let the vehicle rol l to a stop w ith
the engine shu t off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake pedal must be pressed conside ra­
bly harder to make up for the lac k of
booster assistance.
Electro-mechanical
power assist
The electro-mechanical power assist helps
the driver when steering.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
Ind icator light s and m essages
• Steerin g defecti ve! Stop the vehicle
If th is indicator light turns on and stays on
and this message appears, t he power steering
may have fa iled.
Do
not cont inue driving . See you r autho rized
Aud i dealer or other qualified repa ir facility
fo r assistance.
l~ ij Ste ering: Sy stem malfunction ! You m ay
cont inue dri ving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the steer ing may be more diffi­
cult to move or more sens itive than usual.
Drive s low ly to your authorized Audi dealer or
qua lified workshop to have the malfunction
corrected.
(D Tips
If the . or
£'I' ij indicator light on ly stays
on for a short t ime, yo u may continue dr iv­
i ng.
Driving with your
quattro
App lies to vehicles: wit h all-w hee l drive
With a/I-wheel drive, all four wheels ore driv­
en.
General information
With all Wheel Drive, power is distributed to all four wheels. This happens automatically
depend ing on your driving style and the road
condit ions at the time. See also ¢
page 194.
With the sport diffe rent ia l*, power distribu­
t ion to the rear wheels is variable and can be
adjusted with Audi drive select*¢
page 100.
Always read and follow safety precautions
¢ &.
Winter tires
When dr iving in the win ter, yo ur vehicle wi th
all-wheel drive has an advantage, eve n with
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
all fou r
w heel s.
See also¢ page 255, Winter tires .
Tire chain s
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain roads, this norma lly also app lies to ve hicles
with all-wheel drive¢
page 256, Snow
chains .
Replacing wheel s/tire s
Vehicles with a ll-wheel drive must always
have tires of the same size. A lso avoid tires
with different tread depths . For detai ls see
page ¢
page 251, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels.
Off -Road dr iving?
Your Audi does not have enough gro und clea r-
ance to be used as an off-road vehicle .
It is jll,,

242 Tire s 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
lbs. (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, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and special tr im .
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 241, 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 d iameter 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.

244 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
5 3 2 in front, 1 in back seat
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
Fig. 195 T ire press ure label : located on driver's side B·
pillar
Tire pressure genera lly 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 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
p art o n 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 freq uently referred to as the
"recommended cold tire inflation pressure."
A ir in the tires expands when the tire heats up
because of internal frict ion when it flexes in
use . The tir e p ressu re is higher when the tire
has wa rmed up tha n when it is "cold." It is the
in flat ion pressu re i n a "cold" tire that counts.
Therefore, you shou ld neve r let air ou t of a
warm tire to match " co ld tire infl ation pres­
sure" recommendations . The t ires wo uld then
be underinflated and could fail suddenly.
M ain taining p roper t ire pr essu re is one of the
most im po rt an t th ings you can do 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 pressure 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. 196 Ti re pr essure labe l
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
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
weight and 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 3 occu­
pant s), you can ad just tire pre ssure s to tho se
specified f or 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 the tire pressure mon itor ing
system * can o nly mo nitor the tir e press ures .,.

Tires an d wheel s 245
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. 195 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
Model / 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
Engine normal load condition full load condition
front rear front rear
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
A6: 225 /5 5 Rl 7 9 7H
32 220 29 200 35 240
38 260 2.0 lit er All Season
4-c ylind er
245 /45 Rl8 lOOH XL
All Season
33 230 32
220
35 240
38 260
255
/40 Rl 9 lOOH XL
33 230 32 220 35 240
38 260 All Season
2 55 /40 Rl 9100Y XL
32 220 32 220 33 230 36 250 High Per formance
255 /35 R20 97V XL
35 240
32 220 38 260 41
280 High Perform ance
A6: 225 /55 Rl 7 9 7H
35 240 32 220 38 260 280 3 .0 liter All S eason
41
6 -cy lind er
245 /45 Rl8 lOOH XL
All Sea so n
35 240 32 220 38 260 41 280
255 /40 Rl 9 lOOH XL
35 240
32 220 38 260 41
280 All Seas on
255 /40 Rl9 lOOY XL
36 250 33 230 39 270 42 290 High Performance
255 /35 R 20 97V XL
39 270
36 250 44
300 46 320 High Perfo
rmance
56: 255 /40 Rl9100Y XL
39 270 35 240 42 290 44 300 4 .0 lit er High Performan ce
a -cy lind er
255 /35 R 20 97V X L
High Pe rformance
44 300 39 270 46 320 48 330
XL= r einfor ced or extra lo ad tire . It may al so appear a s xl , EXTRA LOAD , or RF on the tir e side-
wall .
•
•

24 6 T ire s and whee ls
The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is
located on a label on the driver's side B-pillar.
Because tec hnical changes may be made to
vehicle equ ipment dur ing the model year, a l­
ways compare the tire size designation on the
tire pressure labe l on your vehicle with the
tires on your vehicle . Make sure that the tire
si ze information on the vehicle label is the
same as the si ze of the tires 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
vehicle as a p reviously owned vehicle.
Remember, 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 hicl e. These load limits are technically refer­
red to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating ("GVWR") . The Gross Ax le 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 Rating are listed on the
safety compliance st icker labe l located on the
driver 's side B-p illar . The tire pressure label on
your Aud i lists the maximum combined
weight of all of the occupants and luggage or
o ther cargo that the vehicle can carry. For the
l ocation of the tire pressu re labe l
i=:> fig. 195.
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve ­
hicle control, a cras h or other accident, se­
r ious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more weight than yo ur vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of a loss of veh icle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a veh icle 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 causing loss of con­
trol and a crash . -
Always make sure that the total load be­
ing transported - including the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue we ight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehi­
cle heavier than the vehicle's G ross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
A WARNING
-- I ncorrect tire pressures and/or underin-
flation can lead to a serious or fatal acci­
dent.
- I nco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation cause increased ti re wear and can
affec t the handling of the vehicle .
- I nco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can a lso lead to s udden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowou t and sudden de­
flation, ca using loss of veh icle cont ro l.
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires original­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressur e label located on driver's side 8-pil ­
lar .
The recommended tire pressures are on the
t ir e pressure label and in the table
i=:> page 244, Cold tire inflation pressure.This
means that the pressure m ust be checked and
adjusted when the t ire has not been dr iven for
more than a couple of miles (kilometers) at
low speeds during the previous three hours.
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up as a result of inter nal frict ion as it flexes in
u se . T he t ire pressure is higher when the tire
has warmed up t han whe n it is "co ld. "
It is the inflation pressure in a "co ld" t ire that
counts . The refore, you should never let a ir out
of a wa rm tire to match "Cold t ire inflat ion
pressure" recomme ndat ions
i=:, page 244 . The
t ir es wo uld then be unde rinflated and co uld
fail suddenly .
T he t ire pressure label on your Audi lists the
recommended co ld tire inflation pressures at
m aximum cap acity for the new, or ig inal
equipmen t tires tha t were on your vehicle at ..,.

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)l)
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)l)
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)l)
Your veh icle is no rma lly factory equipped with
tires , which possess excellent driving charac ­
teristics and give yo ur Audi opt imum driving
comfort . An e lectronic speed limiter
c::> page 31 w ill normally prevent you r vehicle
from go ing faster t han the tire speed ra ting
c:::> .& .
U.S . DOT T ire Id entification Numbe r (TIN )
and tire manufacture date
This is the t ire's "serial number". It begins
with the letters "DOT" and indicates that the
tire meets all federal standards . The next two
numbers or lette rs indicate the plant whe re it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers r ep resent the week and year of manufacture.
F or
examp le, the numbers 22 13 mean the ti re
was pro duced in the 2 2nd week of 2013. The
other numbers are marketing codes that may
or may not be used by the ti re manufacturer .
T his in format ion is used to contact consumers
if a t ire defect requires a reca ll.
Aud i Original tir e
Tires with t he ident ificat ion "AO" or "RO" have
been specia lly matched with your Audi . We
recommend using only these tires because
they meet the highest standards regard ing
safety and driving character istics when used
correctly . Your authorized Audi dealer will
g ladly provide you with more information .
Tire ply composit ion and materials u sed
T he number of plies ind icates the n umber of
layers of rubber-coated fabric in the t ire. In
general, the greater the number o f plies, the
more weig ht a tire can support. Tire manufac -
llFt· "h · or ires wit a m ax im um spee d ca pabil ity over
1 4 9 mp h (24 0 k m/h) , tire ma nufa ctur ers somet ime s
use th e let ters "Z R."
Tire s an d wheel s 253
ture rs also must indicate the mate rials in the
ti re, which incl ude stee l, nylon, po lyester, and
others .
Maximum Load Rating
This number ind icates the maximum load in
k ilograms and po unds that can be ca rr ied by
the tire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear,
traction, and temperature resistance
T re ad wear, t raction and tempera ture grades
c::> page 2 54 .
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest amount of a ir
pressure tha t should ever be pu t in the t ire
u nder norma l dr iv ing cond itions .
_&. WARNING ,-=
-Using incorrect o r unmatched tires and/
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
comb inatio ns can lead to loss of control
'
coll is ion and serious personal inj ury.
- Always use ti res, 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
a nd 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
a nd then w ith specia l 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 though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire fai lure
and loss of vehicle control.
- All fou r whee ls must be fitte d wit h radial
tires of the same type, size (rolling cir­
cumference) an d the same tread pattern .
~
•
•

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.
1 09. 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 255
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 .
I f your veh icle is eq uipped w ith all-whee l
drive *, t his w ill improve trac tion durin g w in ter
driv ing, even wi th the s tanda rd tires. Howev ­
er, we strongly recommend that you always
equip all four wheels on your veh icle w ith cor­
rect ly fitted winter tires or all-season t ires,
when winter road condit ions are expected.
This also improves the veh icle 's b rak ing per­
fo rmance and reduces stoppi ng 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 depth 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 spare
whee l
¢page 25 1.
Please a lways 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 2 52,
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>-
•
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