186 Tire s and wheel s
you have stored . The system does not
recognize the load condition of your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the tire pressu re monito r
ing system w ill be impaired if yo u store nor
mal load pressures but then operate the vehi
cle at its maximum load¢.&..
See the il lustration¢
fig. 138 for the location
of the label on dr iver's side 8-pillar (color of
the actua l labe l and exact location on the ve
hicle wi ll vary slightly).
Note that the followi ng tab le is accurate a t
the time o f go ing to press and is subject to change. In the
event of discrepancies, the t ire
pressure label (on driver's side 8-pi llar) a lways
takes precedence .
T he table below lists the recommended cold
ti re inflation pressu res 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 original
equipment, or as a factory option.
Model/ Tire designation
Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
Engine full load full load
no rmal load
condition normal load
condition
condition (2 occupants condition
(2 occu-
( up to 2 oc-
plus lug- (up to 2 oc-
pants plus
cupants)
gage) cupants)
luggage)
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
TT /TTS : 22 5/50 Rl 7 94H All Sea -
32 220 32 220 29 200 29 200 2.0 liter son
4-c ylin-225 /50 Rl 7 94W XL High
d er
Perf orm ance
32 220 32 220 29 200 29 200
2
45 /4 5 Rl 7 95 H All Sea-
32 220 32 220 29 200 29 200 son
245 /45 Rl7 95YX L High
32 220 32 220 29 200 29 200 Perf ormance
245 /40 R1 8 93H All S ea-
32 220 32 220 29 200 29 200 son
2 45 /40 Rl8 9 3Y XL High
32 220 33 230 29 200 30 210 Perform ance
25 5/35 Rl 9 96Y XL Hi gh
32 220 32 220 29 200 29 200 Perf or mance
X L= r ein for ce d or e xtra lo ad tire . It m ay also a ppear as xl, EX TRA LO AD, or RF on th e tire side-
w all.
The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is
l ocated on a label on the driver's side 8-pillar.
Because technical changes may be made to
vehicle equ ipment dur ing the model year, al
ways compare the tire size designation on the
tire pressure labe l on your vehicle w ith the
tires on your vehicle. Ma ke sure that the tire
size information on the vehicle label is the same
as the size of the tires on the veh icle.
T his is espec ially important if the veh icle be
longs to someone e lse or you boug ht the vehi
cle w ith different rims/tires or you bought the
vehicle as a previously owned veh icle.
Remember, your safety and that of your pas-
sengers also depends on making sure that
II>-
handling when in good condition and properly
inflated¢&..
We recommend that all wo rk on tires and
wheels be perfo rmed by an au thorized A udi
dea ler. They are familiar with recommended
proced ures and have the necessary special
too ls and spare parts as we ll as the proper fa
cilities for dispos ing of the old tires.
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary information about technica l requirements for
insta lling or changing tires and r ims.
R eplacing t ire s an d wheel s
Tires s hou ld be rep laced at least in pairs and
not individua lly (for example both front t ires
or both rear tires together).
Be sure to read and heed the information to
the t ire pressure monitor ing system
¢page 199.
Always buy rep lacement radial tires that have
the same specifications as the tires approved
for your ve hicl e by Audi. Replacement t ires
must always have the same load rating speci
fication as the original equipment or approved optional tires listed in the table
¢ page 185.
Aud i-approved specifica tion ti res are specially
matched to you r vehicle and its load limits,
and can contribute to the important road ho ld
ing, driving characteristics, and safety of the
vehicle. The table
( q page 185) lists specifica
tions of the t ires approved for the Audi mod
e ls covered by your Owner's Literature .
The tire pressure labe l located on driver's side
B-pillar
( q page 185, fig. 139) lists the speci
fications of the orig inal equipment tires in
stalled on your veh icle at the time it was man
ufactured .
Federal law requires t ire manufacturers to
place standard ized information on the s ide
wall of all tires
q fig. 142. This information
ident ifies and describes the fundamental
characterist ics, the quality grade of the tire
and a lso provides a tire identificat ion number
for safety standard certificat ion and i n case of
a recall.
Tire s an d wheel s 193
Tire specification s
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it eas
ier to choose the co rrect tires. Radial tires
have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewa ll, for examp le:
P245 / 45 R 17 95 H
This conta ins the following information:
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars
2 45 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire
from sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In general, the larger the number, the wider
the tire
45 Height/w idt h ratio in percent (aspect ra-
tio)
R Tire construction: Radial
17 Rim diameter code (in inches)
95 Load rating code
H Speed rat ing letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF") ind icates
that the t ire is a"Re inforced" o r an " Extra
Load " tir e
M+5 (or "M/S") Indicates that the tire has
some mud and snow capabi lity
The t ires could also have the informat ion of
direction of rotat ion
q page 181 .
Tire manuf acturing d ate
The manufacturing date is also indicated on
the tire sidewall (possibly on ly on the
inner
s ide of the wheel) :
"DOT ... 2213 ... "means, for examp le, that
the tire was produced in the 22nd week of
2013.
Sp eed rating (letter code )
The speed rating letter code on the whee ls in
dicates the maximum permissible road speeds
q .&. in Winter tires on page 197.
p up to 93 mp h (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mp h (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
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 u
p to 130 mph (210 km/h)
•
•
Driving with different tires reduces vehi
cle handling and can lead to a loss of
control.
- If the spare tire is not the same as the
tires that are mounted on the vehicle -
for example with winter tires -only use
the spare tire for a short period of time
and drive with extra care. Refit the nor
mal road wheel as soon as safely possi
ble.
- Never drive faster than the maximum
speed for which the tires on your vehicle
are rated because tires that are driven
faster than their rated speed can fail
suddenly.
- Overloading tires cause heat build-up,
sudden tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of control.
- Temperature grades apply to tires that
are properly inflated and not over or un
deri nflated.
- For technical reasons it is not always
possible to use wheels from other
vehicles -in some cases not even wheels
from the same vehicle model.
- If you install wheel trim discs on the ve
hicle wheels, make sure that the air flow
to the brakes is not blocked. Reduced air
flow to the brakes can them to overheat, increasing stopping distances and caus
ing a collision.
- Run flat tires may only be used on
vehicles that were equipped with them
at the factory . The vehicle must have a
chassis designed for run flat tires and a
factory-installed tire pressure monitor 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 dealer or
tire specialist to see if your vehicle can be
equipped with run flat tires .
If run flat
tires are used, they must be installed on
all four wheels. Mixing tire types is not
permitted .
Tires and wheels 195
@ Note
-For technical reasons, it is not generally
possible to use the wheel rims from oth
er vehicles. This can hold true 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
profile tires), then use the spare tire for a
short period of time only and drive with
extra care. Replace the flat tire with the
tire matching the others on your vehicle
as soon as possible.
- Never drive without the valve stem cap .
The valves could get damaged.
(® For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accordance with the
local requirements.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire side wall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width
¢ page 192,
fig. 142 .
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA,
Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Feder
al Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades.
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded 1S0 would wear
one and one half (1 1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100. •
•
196 Tire s and wheel s
The relat ive performance of tires depends
upon the actua l conditions of their use, how
ever, and may depart sign ificantly from the
norm due to var iat ions in dr iving habits, serv
ice practices and differences in road character
istics and climate.
Tr action
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled cond itions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance¢ .&,.
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the h ighest),
B, and
C, representing the t ire's resistance to
the generat ion of heat and its abi lity to dissi
pate heat when tested under controlled cond i
tions on a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
materia l of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden ti re fa il ur e~ .&, .
The grade
C corresponds to a level of perform
ance which all passenger ca r tires must meet
u nder the Federa l Moto r Veh icle Safety Stand
a rd No.
1 09. Grades Band A represent higher
l eve ls of performance on t he laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required by law .
.&_ WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering , hydrop lan ing or peak traction
character istics.
.&_ 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, eithe r
-
separately or in combination, can ca use
heat bui ldup and possib le tire failure.
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 winter or "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread . These tires should
only be used in pairs and be installed on all
four wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
tires that are the same s ize and construction
type as the othe r tires on your vehicle .
If your vehicle is equipped w ith all-whee l
drive", th is w ill improve traction during winter
driv ing, even with the standard tires . Howev
er, we st rongly recommend that you always
equip all fou r whee ls o n your ve hicle w ith cor
rect ly fit ted winter tires or all -season t ires,
when w inter road condit ions are expected.
T his also improves the vehicle's braking per
formance and reduces stopping distances.
Summe r tires provide less grip on i ce and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on all four whee ls .
Ask your author ized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop for permitted
winter tir e siz es. Use
on ly rad ial winter t ires .
Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
O .15 7 inch
(4 mm).
Only drive w ith w inter t ires under winter con
ditions. Summer t ires handle better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °() .
If you have a flat ti re, see notes on spare
whee l
¢page 192.
Please a lways remember that winter tires may
have a lower speed rating than the tires origi -
nally installed on your vehicle at the time it .,.
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 ..,_
•
•
Inflate the tire pressure to the proper
pressure as indicated on the vehicle's tire
pressure label¢
page 185. Driving on a
significantly under-inflated tire causes
the tire to overheat and can lead to tire
failure . Under-inflation also is likely to
impair the vehicle's handling and stop
ping ability.
- The driver is responsible for mainta ining
the correct tire pressures. You must
check the tire pressures regularly.
- Under certain conditions (such as a spor
ty driving style, wint er conditions or un
paved roads), the pressure monitor indi
cator may be delayed .
- Ask your authorized Audi dealer if run
flat tires may be used on your vehicle.
Your vehicle registration becomes invalid if you use these tires when not permit
ted. Damage to your vehicle or accidents
could also result.
- If you switch between standard and run
flat tires, an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop must reprogram the
control module .
@ Tips
-The tire pressure monitoring system
stops working when there is an ESC/ABS
malfunction.
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The tire pressure monitoring system on
your Audi was developed using tires with the "AO" or "RO" identification on the
tire sidewall¢
page 192. We recom
mend using these tires.
Tires and wheels 201
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
(Stepl)
Appl ies to vehicles: wi th tire p ress ure mo nito ring system
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels ore ro
tated or changed, the TPMS must be reset in
the menu display.
--- ®
Fig. 144 Wiper lever : Controls for the menu display
Fig. 145 Display: Start menu
I Reset I button @ and rocker switch @
¢
fig. 144 functions:
To open the menu
.,. Press the I Reset I button @ until the menu
disp lay
9 fig. 145 appears
Selections and settings
.,. Press the rocker switch@ to reach a menu
disp lay. The switch is operated the same as
the display (up/down) .
Entering and confirming
.,. Press the I Reset I button @.
Returning to the Start menu
.,. Press the I Reset I button longer than 2 sec
onds to return from any menu level to the
Start menu. "'
When it i s not po ssibl e to co ntinu e
d riv ing, even with run-fl at ti res?
-If the E lectronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
is not working or keeps coming on.
- If the Tire P ressure Monitoring System does
not work .
- If the tire has been severely damaged, in a
crash, for example. The tread can separate
from a damaged tire as the whee l turns, and
hit parts of the vehicle, such as the fuel tank
filler neck, fuel lines or brake lines.
- Do not continue dr iving if severe vibration
occurs or if the tire starts to smoke because
the tire is runn ing hot .
- Do not continue driving if damage to the
tire, such as cracks in the sidewall, appears.
A WARNING
Improper use of run-flat t ires can cause
vehicle damage that can lead to loss of ve
hicle control, a crash and serious personal
injury.
- Run-flat tires can only be used with spe
c ial rims.
- Run-flat tires must always be mon itored
with a properly programmed Tire Pre
ss ure Mon itor ing System.
- Always inspect a tire that has lost air to
make su re it is safe to drive w ith the t ire
in the run-flat mode.
- Never drive with run-flat tires that have
been damaged in a collision.
- Never drive with run-flat tires if heat
build-up causes the t ire to give off
smoke.
- Never drive with run-flat tires if the vehi
cle shakes or v ibrates severely.
- Never drive with a run-flat tire that de
velops sidewall cracks or other damage
wh ile in use .
- If you switch between standard and run
flat tires, an author ized Audi dealer or
qualified wo rkshop must reprogram the
control module.
Tire s an d wheel s 203
@ Note
Run-f lat ti res have special characteristics
and requirements, that are very different
from convent ional tires. Run-flat tires re
quire special rims for run-flat use and can
not be used on conventional whee l rims .
(D Tips
- If you are not able to cont inue driving
w ith run-flat tires, please seek professio
nal ass istance.
- Please contact your authorized Audi
dealer or Aud i of America, Inc . if you
have questions about t ires and rims.
Driving with run-flat tires
Applies to veh icles: w it h Run -flat t ires
Handling characteristics change when tire
pressure is low.
Driving on tires with low tire pressure changes
the way a veh icle handles, particularly when
corner ing and braking. The handling charac
teristics of run -flat tires do not seem to
change a lot even when driving on low pres
sure or in the run-flat mode . Nevertheless you
must still take specia l precautions whe n oper
at ing a veh icle on run-flat tires when t ire pres
s u re is low o r the tire(s) is flat:
" The Electronic Stabilization Contro l (E SC)
must be switched on.
" Never drive fas ter than 50 mph (80 km/h)
q .&_ .
"Plan ahead when driving and anticipate
what you will have to do considering traffic
and road conditions up ahead.
" Accelerate carefully.
" Avo id unnecessary and sudden steering and
braking maneuvers.
" Reduce your speed in plenty of t ime before
intersections, curves and other places where
you may have to react quickly .
Please see:
q page 203, When it is not possi
ble to continue driving, even with run-flat tires?
•
•
...
204 Tires and wheels
Handling characteristics change when
dr iving with low air pressure or with flat
tires even with special run-flat tires
A low pressure or flat front tire affects vehicle
handling characteristics by pulling the vehicle
slightly to the side where the tire is mounted
and reduces braking performance.
A low pressure or flat
rear tire also affects
driving characteristics by pul ling to the side
where the tire is mounted and also reduces
brak ing performance. The effect on vehicle
handling is most not iceable when driving
around curves.
& WARNING
Changed vehicle handling characteristics
when driving in the run -flat mode can
cause loss of vehicle contro l, a c rash and
serious personal in jury.
- Driving on special run-flat tires in the
run-flat mode will change vehicle han
dling characteristics during braking,
when cornering and under heavy acceler
ation .
- Never drive faster than the maximum
rated speed of 50 mph (80 km/h) when
dr iv ing in the run-flat mode .
- Always adjust vehicle speed to traffic,
road and weather cond itions and drive
slower than the max imum rated speed if
necessary weather and road conditions
are taken into account.
- Always obey speed limits and other traf
fic laws.
(D Note
We a lways recommend driving w ith even
more care when using these specia l tires in
the run-flat mode. Always avo id sudden
maneuvers.
Replacing run-flat tires and rims
Applies to veh icles: w it h Run -flat tires
Your vehicle was especially designed to use
special run-flat tires .
You may use and combine only approved run
flat tires and special matching rims that have
been designed for run -flat tires . Mounting
special run-flat tires on standard whee ls will
not work and will not provide the advantages
fo the run-falt feature. Never use special run
flat tires on standa rd whee l rims.
After dr iving w ith a t ire in the run-flat mode,
always have the veh icle and affected tire(s)
and rim(s) inspected by an author ized Audi
dealer. Tires that have been dr iven in the run
flat mode must be rep laced .
& WARNING
=
Use of damaged run-flat tires and rims can
cause vehicle damage that can lead to loss
of vehicle control, a crash and serious per
sonal injury.
- Always have the vehicle and affected
tire(s) and r im(s) inspected by an author
ized Audi dealer after driving a tire in the
run-flat mode.
- Tir es that have been dr iven in the run
flat mode must be replaced.