A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all windows, the sunroof and the rear lid are se
curely 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
c:>poge234.
Driving Safely 135
Tie-downs
App lies to veh icles : w ith tie -d owns
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop
erly
c:> page 134, Loading the luggage com
partment .
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller i tems 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 (4.5 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 for
ward as dangerous missiles into the pas
senger compartment .
- Never attach a child safety seat tether
strap to a tie-down . •
•
-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 231
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 press 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 .
~
•
•
232 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, 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
tially 90 deg rees to the center line of the
tread.
Recommended inflation pressure
see c:::> page 231, Cold tire inflation pressure .
Reinforced tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor
responding standard tire. Reinforced tires
may be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD",
or "RF" on the sidewall.
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 w ill 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 distance between rim flanges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
tread and bead .
234 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 fron t, 1 in back seat
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
Fi g. 189 T ire press ure label : located on driver's side B·
p ill ar
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
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 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
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-
-AVANT ...,.
-...... .. _
-KPA. a PSI
-KPA. a PSI
-KPA. a PSI
Fig. 190 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 .,.
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. 189 for the location
of the label on dr iver's side B-pillar (color 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 at
the t ime o f go ing to press and is subject to
Model Tire designation
Engine
A4 Sedan: 225/55 Rl6 95H
2 .0 lit er All Se ason
4 -cy linder
245/45 Rl 7 95H
All Se ason
2 4 5/ 40 Rl8 93Y
Hi gh P erf or mance
2 25/5 0 Rl 7 94H
All Sea son
2 4 5/ 40 Rl 8 93H
All Se ason
2 55 /35 Rl9 96Y XL
Hig h Perf ormanc e
a llro ad: 225/55 Rl 7 97 H
2.0 l it e r All Season
4 -cy lind er
245 /45 Rl 8 l00H
All Sea so n
2 45 /45 Rl8 96 Y
Hig h Perf or mance
245 /40 Rl9 98Y XL
High P erf or mance
Tire s an d wheel s 235
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 Literature 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
normal load condition full load condition
( up to 3 occupants )
f r ont rear front rear
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
32 220 29 200 33 230 35 240
32 220 29 200 33 230 35 240
32 220 29 200 33 230 35 240
33 230 30 210 35 240 36 250
33 230
32 220
36 250
38 260
32 220 30 210 35 240 35 240
30 2 10 30 2 10 33 230 36 250
32 220 32 220 33 230 36 250
30 210 30 2 10 33 230 36 250
32 220 29 200 35 240
38 260
•
•
-Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin
flation can also lead to sudden tire fa il
ure, including a blowout 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 t ire pressures are on the
tire pressure label and in the table
c:> page 234, Cold tire inflation pressure . This
means that the pressure must be checked and
adjusted when the tire has not been driven for
mo re tha n a couple of m iles (k ilome ters) at
l ow speeds during t he p revious three hours.
A ir in the tires expands when the ti re heats up
as a result of inte rna l friction as it flexes in
use. The tire press ure is higher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold."
It is the i nflat ion p ressu re in a "cold" tire that
counts . Therefore, you shou ld never let air ou t
of a warm tire to match "Cold tire inflation pressure" recommendations
c:> page 234. The
tires would then be under inflated and could
fa il suddenly.
The tire press ure labe l on yo ur Audi lists the
recommended cold t ire inflat ion pressures at
maximum capacity for the new, origina l
equ ipment tires that were on your vehicle at
the time it was manufactured. For the loca
tion of the label
<=> page 234, fig . 189 .
Most tires lose a ir naturally over time. They
can also lose some a ir if you drive
over a pot
hole or hit a curb while parking. It is usually
not possible to see whether the radial t ires
used today are underi nflated just by looking
at them.
Therefore, be sure to check tire pressures at
least o nce a month and always before going
on a long tr ip . Make sure to take the number
of people and the amount of luggage into ac
coun t when adjusting tire pressure for a t rip -
even one that you would not consider to be
Tire s an d wheel s 237
"long." See c:> page 2 38, Tires and vehicle
load limits
for more important information.
A lways use an acc ura te tire pressu re ga uge
when checking and ad justing infla tion pres
s ur es . Check all o f the tires and be sure not to
forget the spare tire. If the pressure in any t ire
is too h igh when the tire is "cold", let a ir o ut
of the t ire s low ly w ith the edge of the tire
gauge and keep checking the pressure until
you reach the pressure that is correct for the load (passengers and luggage) and k ind of
driv ing you plan to do.
If the pressure in any tire is too low, note the
difference between the pressure in the co ld
t ire a nd the pressure you need and add the air
that you need to reach the correct pressure for
t h e ve hicl e load (passenge rs and luggage) for
the tires on you r veh icle as l isted on the on
yo ur vehicle and in this ma nual and the kind
of driving you plan to do.
Never exc eed the maximum inflation pr es
sure li ste d on the tire sidewall for any re a
s o n.
Remember that the vehicl e manufacture r, not
t h e tire manufact urer, de termines t he cor re ct
t ir e p ress ure fo r th e tires on your ve hicl e.
It is important to check the t ire p ressu re whe n
the tires are co ld.
- Read the required tire pressure from the t ire
pressure labe l. The t ire pressure label is lo
cated o n the dr iver's side 8-pillar. The tire
pressure labe l lists the recommended co ld
tire infla tion pressures for t he vehi cle at its
maxim um capacity weigh t and t he tires that
were on your ve hicle a t the time i t was man
ufactured . For recommende d tire pressures
for normal load conditions, p lease see chap
ter
c:> page 2 34.
- Tu rn the va lve stem cap counter -clockwise
to remove it from the tire
va lve .
-Place t he ai r pressure gauge on the va lve.
- The tire pressu res should o nly be checked
and ad justed when the tires are co ld . The
slightly raised pressures of warm tires must
not be red uced.
Ill>-
•
•
not exceeded . Vehicle load includes everybody
and everything in and on the vehicle. These
l oad limits are techn ica lly referred to as the
ve hicle's
Gross Veh icle We ight Rat ing
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic
veh icle, all factory insta lled accessories, a full
tank of fu el, oil, coolant and other fluids plus
maximum load. The maximum load includes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is
i n tended to carry ("seating capacity") with a n
assumed weight of 150 lbs . (68 kg) for each
passenger at a des igna ted sea ting pos ition
and the tota l we ight of any l uggage in the ve
h icle. If you tow a trailer, the weight o f the
trailer hitch and the tong ue weight of the
l oaded trailer must be included as part of the
veh icle load.
The
Gro ss A xle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each
of the vehicle's two ax les.
The G ross Vehicle We ight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance sticker labe l located on the
driver's side B -pi llar . Your Audi has 5 seating
positions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rear for
tota l seating capacity of 5. Each seating posi
tion has a seat belt¢
page 138, Safety belts.
The fact that there is an upper limit to your
veh icle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the tota l weight of whatever is being car
ried in the vehicle (including the weight of a
trailer hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded trailer) is limited. The more passen
ge rs in the veh icle or passengers who are
h eav ier than the standa rd weights assumed
mean that less weight can be ca rr ied as l ug
gage.
The tire pressure labe l on you r Audi also lists
the maximum combined we ight of all of the
oc cu pants and luggage o r othe r ca rgo that
the vehicle can carry . For the location o f the
l abe l
¢page 234, fig. 189.
Tires an d wheel s 239
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve
h icle contro l, a crash or other accident, se
rious pe rsonal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more we ight than your veh icle
was des igned to carry will prevent the
veh icle 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
veh icle w ith in a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload
ed can fail suddenly, incl uding a blowout
and sudden defla tion, causing loss of
contro l and a crash.
- Always ma ke sure that the total load be
ing transpor ted - incl uding the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a loaded trailer -does not ma ke the vehi
cle heavier than the vehicle's Gross Vehi
cle We ight Rating.
Determining correct load limit
U se th e example below to ca l
culate the total weight of the
pa ssengers and lu ggage or oth
e r thing s that you pl an t o tran s
po rt so that you can make sur e
that your vehicle will not be
o verloaded.
Steps for Determining
Correct Load Limit
1 . Lo cate th e statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF O C
CUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NE VER E XCE ED XXX
KG OR XXX LBS"on your vehi-
c le 's pla card (tire inflation ..,
•
•
242 Tires and wheels
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in .
Fig. 193 Tire speci fication codes o n the s idewal l of a
t ir e
No. Description
CD Passenger car tire (where applicable)
@ Nominal width of tire in millimeters
® Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
@ Radial
® Rim diameter code
® Load index and speed rating
0 U.S. DOT tire identification number
® Audi Original tire
® Sever snow conditions
@ Tire ply composition and materials
used
@ Maximum load 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 specially matched to the charac
ter istics of the vehicle and can make a major contribution to good road holding and safe
handling when in good condition and properly
inflated
¢
&..
We recommend that all work on tires and
whee ls be performed by an authorized Audi
dealer. They are familiar with recommended
procedures and have the necessary special
tools and spare parts as well as the proper fa
cilities for disposing of the old tires.
Authorized Audi dea lers have the necessary
information about technical requirements for
installing or changing tires and rims .
Replacing tires and wheels
Tires should be replaced at least in pairs and
not individually (for example both front tires
or both rear tires together).
Be sure to read and heed the information to
the tire pressure mon itor ing system *
co page 249 .
Always buy replacement radia l tires that have
the same spec ifications as the tires approved
for your vehicle by Audi. Replacement tires
must a lways have the same load rating speci
fication as the origina l equipment or approved
optiona l tires listed in the table¢
page 234 .
Audi-approved specification tires are specia lly
matched to your vehicle and its load limits,
and can contribute to the important roadhold
ing, driving characteristics, and safety of the
vehicle. The table
(c;, page 234) lists specifica
tions of the tires approved for the Audi mod els covered by your Owner's Literature .
The tire pressure label located on driver's side
B-pillar
(c;, page 234, fig. 190) lists the speci
ficat ions of the original equipment tires in
stalled on your vehicle at the time it was man
ufactured .
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to
place standardized information on the side
wall of all tires
co fig . 193. Th is information
identifies and descr ibes the fundamenta l
characteristics, the quality grade of the tir e
and also provides a tire identification number
II>-