was manufactured. Please see c> page 193,
Speed rating (letter code)
for a listing of the
speed rat ing letter codes and the maximum
speed at which the tires can be driven .
The speed rating letter code
( c> page 184) is
on the side wall of the tire
c::> page 192 .
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 inte r tires . This will cause damage to the
tires leading to an acc ident and serious
personal injury to you and yo ur 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 deflation,
loss of control, crashes and serious per
sonal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immed iately.
- 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
wh ich the winter or other tires installed
on your vehicle are rated .
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and
traffic conditions. Never let the good ac
celeration of the winte r tires and all-whee l
drive tempt you into taking extra r is k s . A l
ways remember:
- When brak ing, an a ll-wheel drive vehicle
hand les in the same way as a front drive
vehicle.
- Drive carefu lly and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot he lp under black ice conditions.
Tire s an d wheel s 197
@) For the sake of the env ironment
Use summer tires when weather condi
tions permit. They are quieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumption.
Snow chains
Snow cha ins may be fitted only to the front
wheels, and only to certain tire sizes . Ask your
authorized Aud i dealer on which tire sizes
snow chains can be used .
If you are go ing to use snow chains, then you
must install them on the front wheels at
least .
The snow chains mus t have low-prof ile links
and must not be th icker than 0 .53 inch
(13.5 mm), includ ing the lock.
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putting snow chains on your vehicle
c::> (D . For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts . These are avail
able from authorized Aud i dealers.
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi
cle or insta lling them incorrect ly can in
crease the risk of loss of cont ro l leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes . Always make sure to follow the in
structions provided by the snow chain manufacturer .
- When driving with snow chains never drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations .
(D Note
-Remove snow chains before dr iv ing on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direc t con
tact with the whee l rim, can scratch or
damage it . Therefore, make sure that the .,.
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or ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is underinflated .
I n o rder to m inim ize the occu rrence of impact
damage to the t ires of your vehicle, we recom
mend that you observe the following precau
tions :
- Always maintain recommended inflat ion
pressures. Chec k your tire pressure every
2,000 miles (3 ,000
km) and add air if neces
sary.
- Drive carefu lly on roads with potholes, deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from driving
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may a lso
cause damage to your tires.
- After any impact, immediately inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest
authorized Aud i dealer. Replace a damaged
t ire as soon as possible .
- Inspect your t ires every 2,000 miles (3,000
km) for damage and wear . Damage is not al
ways easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of
air and underinflation, wh ich could eventu
ally cause tire failure . If you be lieve that a
t ire may have been damaged , replace the
t ire as soon as possible.
- T hese tires may wea r mo re qui ckly than ot h
ers.
- Please a lso remember that, whi le these tires
deliver respons ive handling, they may ride
l ess comfortably and make mo re noise than
othe r choices.
Reduced perf ormance in winter /cold
s eason condition s
All tires are des igned for certa in pu rposes.
The low aspect ratio, ultra high performance
tires originally installed on your veh icle are in
tended for maximum dry and wet road per
formance and handling . They are not suitable
for cold , snowy or icy weather condit ions .
If
you dr ive under those circums tances, you
should equip your vehicle with all -season or
winter tires, which offer better traction under
those cond itions . We suggest you use the rec
ommended snow or all-season tires specified
for your ve hicle, or their equ ivalent.
Tire s an d wheel s 199
Refer to q page 196 for more detailed infor
mation regarding winter tires.
Tire pressure monitoring system
General notes
Applies to veh icles: w ith t ire pressure monitoring system
Each tire, incl uding the spare (i f provided),
shou ld be checked monthly when co ld and in
flated to the inf lation pressure recommended
by the veh icle manufacturer on the veh icle
placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your
vehicle ha s tires of a different size than the
s ize indicated on the vehicle placard or tire i n
flat ion pressu re labe l, you shou ld dete rm ine
the p roper t ire inflation p ress ure fo r those
t i r es.)
As an added safety feature , your ve hicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure mon ito ring
system ( TPMS) that illum inates a low ti re
pressure te lltale when one or more of your
tires is significant ly under -inflated . Acco rding
ly, when the low tire pressure te lltale i llumi
nates, you should stop and check your tires as
soon as possib le, and inflate them to the
proper pressure. Driving on a sign ificantly un
der- inflated t ire causes the tire to overheat
and can lead to tire fa ilure . Under -inflation al
so reduces fuel effic iency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle 's hand ling and
stopp ing ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute
for proper tire ma intenance, and it is the driv
er's respons ibility to maintain co rrect tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not
rea ched the level to tr igger illum inat ion of the
T PMS low tire pressure tellta le .
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
T PMS ma lfunction indicator to ind icate when
the system is not operating prope rly . T he
T PMS ma lfunction indicator is combined with
the low tire pressure te lltale. When the sys
tem detects a malfunction , the telltale wi ll
flash for approximate ly one minute and then ..,_
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