'"" N
0 ::.,: co ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
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 133
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 132 , 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 . •
•
230 Tires a nd whee ls
Bead Extra load tire
means the part of the tire that means a tire design to operate
is made of steel wires, wrapped at higher loads and at higher
or reinforced by p ly cords and inflation pressures than the
that is shaped to fit the rim . corresponding standard tire .
Bead separation Extra load tires may be identi-
fied as "XL", "xl", " EXTRA
means a breakdown of the bond LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
between components in the
bead .
Gross A xle Weight Rating
(" GAWR ")
Cord
means the load-carrying capaci-
means the strands forming the ty of a single axle system,
p lies in the tire .
measured at the tire-ground in-
Cold tire inflation pressure terfaces.
means the tire pressure recom-
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
mended by the vehicle manu-( "GVWR ")
facturer for a t ire of a designat-
means the maximum total
ed size that has not been driven loaded weight of the vehicle.
for more than a couple of miles
Groove
(kilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before means the space between two
the tire pressure is measured or adjacent tread ribs.
adjusted.
Load rating (code )
Curb weight
means the max imum load that
means the weight of a motor a tire
is rated to carry for a giv-
vehicle with standard equip -en inflation pressure
. You may
ment including the maximum not find th
is information on all
capacity of fuel, oil, and cool- tires because it is not required
ant, air condit ioning and addi- by law.
...
tional weight of optional equip-
ment.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire
at the maximum permissible in
flation pressure for that tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle
weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible)
inflation pressure
means the maximum cold infla
tion 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 occu pants in a vehicle.
Outer diameter
means the overall diameter of
an inflated new tire.
Tires and wheels 231
Overall width
means the linear distance be
tween the exteriors of the side
walls of an inflated tire, includ ing elevations due to labeling,
decorations, or protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated
parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the combined weight of
those installed regular produc
tion options weighing over 5 lbs. (2 . 3 kg) in excess of those
standard items which they re place, not previously consid
ered in curb weight or accessory
weight, including heavy duty
brakes, ride levelers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery , and special
trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in
which the ply cords that extend
to the beads are laid at sub stantially 90 degrees to the
centerline of the tread.
•
•
'
232 Tires a nd whee ls
Recommended inflation
pressure
see c:::> page 230, Cold tire infla
tion pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a tire design to operate
at higher loads and at higher
inflation pressures than the
corresponding standard t ire .
Reinforced tires may be identi
fied as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA
LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewa ll.
Rim
means a meta l support for a
tire or a tire and tube assembly
upon which the tire beads are
seated .
Rim diameter
means nominal diameter of the
bead seat. If yo u change your
wheel size, you will have to pur
chase new t ires to ma tch the
new rim d iameter .
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nom inal distance be
tween rim flanges.
Sidewall
means that por tion of a tire be
tween the tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at wh ich a tire
is designed to be driven for ex
tended periods of time . The rat
ings range from 93 mph
( 1 50 km/h) to 186 mph
( 2 98 km/h)
c:::> page 2 50. You
may not find th is informat ion
on all tires because it is not re
quired by law.
The speed rati ng letter code,
where applicable, is molded on
the ti re sidewall and ind icates
the maximum permissible road
speeds
c:::> & in Winter tires on
page 255.
Tire pressure monitoring
system*
means a system that detects
when one or more of a vehicle's
tires are underinflate d an d ill u
minates a low tire press ure
warn ing telltale.
Tread
means that por tion o f a tire
that comes into contact with
the road.
234 Tires a nd whee ls
Vehicle ma ximum load on
the tire
means that load on an individu
al tire that is determ ined by
distr ibuting to each axle its
share of the maximum loaded
vehicle weight and div iding by
two.
Vehicle normal load on the
tire
means that load on an in div id u
al tire that is determ ined by d
istribut ing to each axle its
share of the curb weight, acces
sory weight, and normal occ u
pant weigh t (distributed in ac
cordance with table below
¢ page 234) and dividing by
two .
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for
v arious designated seating capac it ies
Designated seating Vehicle normal load, Occupant distribu-
capacity , number of number of occupants tion in a normally
occupants 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.
F ig. 1 89 Tire pressure label: located
on driver's side 8 -pillar
~----------~"'
MW OWE lSlllHS P'RES5l0H OES f'Nall A, FIIICJD
:"" -ICPA. • PSI
.::. -KPA.. . PSI
°'~ -KPA. -PSI
Fig. 1 90 Tire pressure label
Tires and wheels 235
Tire pressure generally refers to tant things you can do to help •
the amount of air in a tire that avoid sudden tire failure. Un-• '
it needs it to do its job and derinflated tires are a major
safely carry the combined load cause of sudden tire failure. of the entire vehicle and its con- Keeping tires at the right pres-
tents. Tire pressure is measured sure is also important for safe
in kilopascals (kPa), the inter- and responsive vehicle han-
national measuring unit and in dling, traction, braking and
pounds per square inch (PSI) . load carrying.
Tire pressures
Tire pressure is based in part on are particularly important
the vehicle's design and load when the vehicle is being driv-
limit - the greatest amount of en at higher speeds, and then
weight that the vehicle can car -especially when heavily loaded
ry safely and the tire size. The even within the permissible
proper tire pressure is frequent-load-carrying capacities ap-
ly referred to as the "recom-proved for your vehicle.
mended cold tire inflation pres-The recommended tire pres-
sure ." Air in the tires expands
sures for your Audi depend on
when the tire heats up because the kind of tires on your vehicle
of internal friction when it flex- and the number of passengers
es in use. The tire pressure is and/or amount of luggage you
higher when the tire has will be transporting.
warmed up than when it is The tire pressure label is locat-
"cold. " It is the inflation pres-
ed on the driver's side B-pillar.
sure in a "cold" tire that counts.
Therefore, you should never let The tire pressure label lists the
recommended cold tire infla-
air out of a warm tire to match
"cold tire inflation pressure" tion pressures for the vehicle at
its maximum capacity weight
recommendations. The tires
would then be underinflated and tires that were on your ve
-
and could fail suddenly. hicle at the time it was manu-
'"" factured
. N
0
Maintaining proper tire pres-::.,: co ,...., \!)
sure is one of the most impor-1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
236 Tires a nd whee ls
If you wish to improve comfort See the illustration ¢ fig. 189
when operating the vehicle at for the location of the label on
normal load (up to 3 occu -driver's side B-pillar (color of
pants), you can adjust tire the actual label and exact loca-
pressures to those specified tion on the vehicle will vary
for normal vehicle load. Before slight ly) .
operat ing the vehicle at maxi -Note that the following table is
mum load, you must increase accurate a t the time of going to
the ti re pressures to those press and is subject to change .
specified for maximum vehicle In the event of discrepancies ,
load¢&. the tire p ressure labe l is locat-
Bear in mind that the tire pres- ed on the driver's side 8-pi llar
sure monitoring system* can a lways takes precedence .
on ly monitor the tire pressures
The table be low lis ts the rec -
you have sto red . The system
ommended cold tire inflation
does not recogn ize t he load
pressures for the Audi model
condition of your vehic le.
covered by your Owner's Li tera-
T he effect iveness of the tire ture at the veh icle's capac ity
p ressure mon itor ing system* weight and the tire sizes instal -
will be impaire d if you st ore led on the respect ive mode ls as
normal load press ures but then original eq uipment, or as a fac -
operate the vehicle at its max i- tory optio n.
...
mum load¢&.
238 Tires and wheels
else or you bought the vehicle
with different rims/tires or you bought the vehicle as a previ
ously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and
that of your passengers also de
pends on making sure that load
limits are not exceeded. Vehicle
load includes everybody and ev
erything in and on the vehicle.
These load limits are technical
ly referred to as the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR"). The Gross Axle
Weight Rating ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can be ap
plied at each of the vehicle's
two axles . The Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating and the Gross
Axle Weight Rating are listed
on the safety compliance stick
er label located on the driver's
side B-pillar. The tire pressure
label on your Audi lists the
maximum combined weight of
all of the occupants and lug
gage or other cargo that the ve
h icle can carry . For the location
of the tire pressure label
¢fig . 189.
.&_ WARNI NG -
Overloading a vehicle can
cause loss of vehicle control,
a crash or other accident, se
rious personal injury, and
even death.
-Carrying more weight than
your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the ve
hicle from handling properly
and increase the risk of a
loss of vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that
has been overloaded may not be able to stop the vehi
cle with in a safe distance .
-Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail
suddenly causing loss of
control and a crash.
- Always make sure that the
total load being transported
- including the weight of a
trailer hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer - does not make the vehicle
heavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
.&_ WARNI NG
-Incorrect tire pressures
and/or underinflation can
-