M N
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N ..,., ,....,
The all-wheel drive concept is designed for high
engine power . Your vehicle is exceptionally pow
erful and has excellent driving character istics
both under normal driving conditions and on
snow and ice. Always read and follow safety pre
cautions <=>
,&.
Winter tire s
When driving in the winter, your vehicle with all
wheel drive has an advantage, even with regular
tires. In winter road conditions it may be advisa
ble to mount w inter tires (or all-season tires) for
improved driveability and braking: these tires
must be mounted on
all four wheels. See also
<=> page 220, Winter tires.
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this normally also applies to vehicles with
all-wheel drive <=>
page 220, Snow chains.
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles with all-wheel drive must a lways have
tires of the same size. Also avoid tires with differ
ent tread depths. For details see page
<=>
page 212, New tires or wheels.
Off-Road driving?
Your Audi does not have enough ground clear
ance to be used as an off-road vehicle. It is there
fore best to avoid rough tracks and uneven ter
rain as much as possible. Also refer to
<=>page 177.
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to road and traffic
conditions. Do not let the extra safety afford
ed by all-wheel drive tempt you into taking
extra risks.
- Although the all-wheel dr ive is very effec
t ive, always remember that braking capacity
is limited by tire traction. You should there
fore not drive at excessive speeds on icy or
slippery road surfaces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to dr ive
too fast because the front wheels could be
gin to slide on top of the water (aquap lan
ing). If this shou ld occur, you will have no
Smart Technology
warning from a sudden increase in engine
speed as with a front-wheel drive vehicle.
Always drive at speeds which are suited to the road conditions -risk of crash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution of
electrical energy and thus optimizes the availa
bility of electrical energy for starting the engine.
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system is
not driven for a long pe riod of time, the battery
is discharged by idling current consumers (e.g.
i mmobil izer). In certain circumstances it can re
su lt in there being insufficient energy available to
start the engine.
Intelligent energy management in your vehicle
hand les the distribution of electrical energy.
Starting ability is markedly improved and the life
of the battery is extended.
Basically, energy management consists of
bat
tery diagnosis , idling current management
and
dynamic energy management.
Battery diagnosis
Battery diagnosis continuously determines the
state of the battery . Sensors determine battery
vo lta ge, battery current and battery tempera
tu re. This determines the current state of charge
and the power of the battery.
Idling current management
Idling current management reduces energy con
sumption whi le the vehicle is standing. With the
ignition switched off, it contro ls the energy sup
ply to the various electrical components. Data
from battery diagnosis is considered.
Depending on the battery's state of charge, indi
vidual consumers are gradually turned off to pre
vent excessive discharge of the battery and thus
maintain starting capability .
Dynamic energy management
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic energy
management distr ibutes the energy generated ..,.
175
Wheels
Wheels and Tires
General information
.,.Che ck your tires regularly for
damage (punctures, cuts, cracks
and bulges). Remove foreign ob
jects from the tire tread.
.,. If driving over curbs or similar
obstacles, drive slowly and ap
proach the curb at an angle.
.,.Have faulty tires or rims re
placed immediately.
"'Protec t your tires from oil,
grease and fuel.
.,.Ma rk tires before removing
them so that the same running direction can be maintained if
they are reinstalled .
.,.Lay tires flat when storing and
store them in a cool, dry location
with as little exposure to light as
possible.
(D Note
-Please note that summer and
winter tires are designed for
the conditions that are typical
in those seasons. Audi recom
mends using winter tires dur
ing the winter months. Low
temperatures significantly de crease the elasticity of summ
er tires, which affects traction
Wheels
and braking ability. If summer
tires are used in very cold tem
peratures, cracks can form on
the tread bars, resulting in
permanent tire damage that
can cause loud driving noise
and unbalanced tires.
-Burnished, polished or
chromed rims must not be
used in winter driving condi
tions. The surface of the rims
does not have sufficient corro
sion protection for this and
could be permanently dam
aged by road salt or similar
substances.
Tire designations
Fig. 168 T ir e designations on the sid e-
wall ,..
205
® Mud and snow capability
"M/S" or "M+S" indicates the tire
has characte ris tics that make it
suitable for driving on mud and snow .
& indica tes a winter tire.
@ Composition of the tire cord
and materials
T he number of plies indicates the
number of rubber ized fabric lay
ers in the tire . In general: the
more layers, the more weight a
tire can carry. Tire manufacturers
must also specify the mater ials
used in the ti re. These include
stee l, nylon, polyester and other
materials.
@ Maximum permitted load
This number indicates the maxi
mum load in kilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry .
@ Uniform tire quality grade
standards for treadwear,
traction and temperature resistance
Treadwear , traction and tempera
ture ranges¢
page 221.
@Running direction
The arrows ind icate the running
direction of unidirect ional tires.
You must always follow the speci- fied running direction
¢
page 231.
€3) Ma ximum permitted
inflation pressure
Whe els
This number indicates the maxi
mum pressure to which a tire can
be inflated unde r normal operat
ing conditions .
Glossary of tire and loading
terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of auto matic transmission, power steer
ing, power brakes, power win
dows, power seats, radio, and
heater, to the extent that these
items are available as factory-in
stalled equipment (whether in
stalled or not).
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to
the width of the tire in percent. Numbers of 55 or lower indicate a
low s idewall for improved steer
ing response and better overall
handling on dry pavement . .,.
207
Wheels
"XL" "xl" "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF" I I I
on the sidewal l.
Rim
means a metal 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 you change yo ur
wheel size , you w ill have to pur
chase new tires to match the new rim diameter .
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nomina l distance between
rim flanges .
Sidewall
means that port ion o f a t ire be
tween the tread and bead .
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire is
designed to be driven for extend
ed periods of t ime. The rat ings
range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298 km/h)
¢ table
on page 206 .
You may not find
this information on all tires be
cause it is not required by la w.
2 10
The speed rating letter code ,
where applicable , is mo lded on
the tire sidewall and indicates the maximum permiss ible road
speeds
¢ .&. in Winter tires on
page 220.
Tire pressure monitoring
system*
means a system that detects
when one or mo re of a ve hic le's
tires are under inflated and illumi
na tes a low tire p ressu re warning
tellta le .
Tread
means that portion of a tire that
comes into contact w ith the road.
Tread separation
means pu lling away of the tread
from the t ire carcass.
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections wi thin the
principal grooves designed to give
a visua l indication of the deg rees
of wear of the tread . See
¢ page 214 , Treadwear indicator
for mo re information on measur
ing t ire wear.
Wheels
Occupant loading and distri
bution for veh icle normal load
for various designated seat ing
capacit ies
Refer to the tire inflation pressure
label
c:> page 215, fig . 171 for
the number of seating positions .
Refer to the table
c:> page 216 for
the number of people that corre
spond to the vehicle normal load .
New tires or wheels
Audi recommends having all work
on tires or wheels performed by
an authorized Audi dealer or au
thorized repair facility. These fa
cilities have the proper knowledge
and are equipped with the re
quired tools and replacement
parts .
.,.N ew tires do no t yet have the
optimum adhesion properties.
D rive carefu lly and at moderate
speeds fo r the first 350 miles
(500 km) with new tires.
.,. Use tires of the same construc
tion, size (rolling circumference)
and as close to the same tread
pattern as possib le on all four
wheels.
.,. Do not replace tires individually.
At least replace both tires on the same axle at the same time .
212
.,.A udi recommends that yo u use
Aud i O rig ina l equipment tires . If
you would like to use different t ir es, please note that the ti res
may pe rform differently even if
they are the same size
c:> A -
.,. If you would li ke to equ ip your
vehicle with a tire/rim combina
t ion tha t is different from what
was installed at the facto ry, con
sult with an authorized Audi
dea ler or authorized repair facili
ty before making a purchase
¢ ,&. .
The spare tire* is different from
the regular tires installed on the
vehic le - for examp le, if winter
tires or wide t ires are insta lled -
then only use the spare tire* tem
porarily in case of eme rgency and
drive carefully wh ile it is in use. It
s h o ul d be rep laced wi th a regular
tire as soon as poss ib le .
On
all wheel drive vehic les, all
four wheels must be equipped
with tires that are the same brand
and have the same construction
and tread pattern so that the
dr ive system is not damaged by
diffe rent tire speeds. For this rea
son, in case of emergency, only
use a spa re tire* that is the same
circumference as the regular tires . .,.
Wheels
A WARNING
Wheel bolts that are tightened or repaired incorrectly can become loose and result in loss
of vehicle control , which increases the risk of
an accident. For the correct tightening specifi
cation, refer to
c:> page 22 7, After changing a
wheel.
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the threads
in the wheel hub clean and free of grease.
- Only use wheel bolts that fit the rim .
- Always have damaged rims repaired by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized repair
facility. Never repair or disassemble rims
yourself, because this increases the risk of an accident.
Winter tires
Winter tires significantly improve the vehicle's handling when driving in winter conditions . Be
cause of their construction (width, compound,
tread pattern), summer tires provide less traction
on ice and snow.
.., Use winter tires on all four wheels .
.., Only use winter tires that are approved for your
vehicle.
.., Please note that the maximum permitted
speed may be lower with winter tires
c:> .&,.
Your authorized Audi dealer or authorized re
pai r facility can inform you about the maximum
permitted speed for your tires .
.., Check the tire pressure after installing wheels
c:> page 215.
The effectiveness of winter tires is reduced great
ly when the tread is worn down to a depth of
0 .1S7 inch (4 mm). The characteristics of winter
tires also decrease greatly as the tire ages, re
gardless of the remaining tread.
A WARNING
-Never drive faster than the maximum per
mitted speed for your t ires. This could cause
the tires to heat up too much . This increases
the risk of an accident because it can cause
the tire to burst.
220
- Always adapt your driving to the road and
traffic conditions. Drive carefully and reduce
your speed on icy or slippery roads. Even
winter tires can lose traction on black ice.
@ For the sake of the environment
Reinstall summer tires at the appropriate
time, because they provide better handling
when roads are free of snow and ice. Summer
tires cause less road noise, tire wear and fuel
consumpt ion.
(D Tips
You can also use all season tires instead of
winter tires. Please note that in some coun
tries where winter tires are required, only win
ter tires w ith the
& symbol may be permit
ted.
· Snow chains
Snow chains improve traction in the snow .
.., Only install snow chains on the front wheels.
This applies also to vehicles with all wheel drive* .
.., Check and correct the seating of the snow
chains if necessary after driving a few feet. Fol
low the instructions from the manufacturer .
.., Note the maximum permitted speed when driv
ing with snow chains . Do not exceed 30 mph
(SO km/h) .
Snow chains not only improve the
driving in win
ter road conditions, but also the
braking.
Use of snow chains is only permitted with certain
rim/tire combinations due to technical reasons.
Check with an authorized Audi dealer or author
ized repair facility to see if you may use snow
chains .
Use
fine-mesh snow chains. They must not add
more than 0.53 inch (13.S mm) in height, includ
ing the chain lock.
You must remove the chains when driving on
roads that are
free of snow. When roads are free
of snow, snow chains can impair handling and .,.
M N
i? co ,...., \!) ..,.,
N ..,., ,....,
damage the t ires, and the c hains will quickly be
destroye d.
A WARNING
Using inco rrect snow cha ins or installing snow
chains incorrectly can resu lt i n loss of vehicle
cont ro l, whic h increases the r isk of an acci
de nt.
(D Note
Snow chains can dama ge the r ims/whee l cov
ers * if th e cha ins come into d irect contact
w it h them. Remove the whee l cov ers* f irst .
Use coat ed snow c hains.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Au di is factory -equip ped wi th low as pect ra
tio ti res. T hese ti res have bee n thoroughly teste d
a nd been se le cted specific ally fo r your model fo r
t he ir su perb pe rformance, road feel and handling
u nd er a variety o f driving conditions . Ask yo ur au
thor ized A udi dealer for mo re deta ils.
The low aspe ct r atio of these ti res i s indic ated by
a numer al of
55 or les s in th e tire's si ze des igna
tion. The nu mera l represen ts the ra ti o of the
tire's sidewall he ight in relation to its trea d width
e x pressed in percentage. Convent io na l tires have
a he ight/w idth ratio of 60 or mo re.
The performance of low-aspect-ratio tires is par
ticularly sensitive to improper inflation pres
sure . It is therefore important that low aspect
ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure
and that the inflation pressure is regularly
checked and maintained . Tire pressures should
be checked at least once a month and always
before a long trip
¢ pag e 215.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
L ow aspec t rat io t ires ca n be damaged more easi
l y by impact wi th pot ho les, curbs, gulli es or
r idges on the road, par ticularly if the tire is un
de rin fla ted.
In o rder to m inim ize the occu rrence o f impact
damage to the t ires of your v ehicl e, we recom-
Wheels
me nd that yo u observe the follow ing p recau
t ions:
- Alw ays m aintain r eco m me nded infl ation pre s
sures. C heck your tire pressure every 2,000
m iles (3,00 0 km) an d ad d air if necessary .
- Dr ive c arefully on road s wi th pot holes, deep
gu llies o r ridges. The impac t from dr iv ing
through or over s uch obstacles can damage
your tires . Impact with a curb may a lso ca use
damage to your tires .
- After a ny impact, imme diate ly inspect yo ur
tires o r have them inspected by the nearest au
thorized A udi dealer. Rep lace a damaged t ire as
soon as possible.
- Inspect your tires every 2,000 m iles (3,000 km)
for damage and wear . Damage is not always
easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of air and
unde rinflation, w hich could even tually cause
t ire failure .
If you beli eve that a t ire may have
been damaged, re place the t ire as soon as pos
s ible.
- These ti res may wear more quickly tha n oth ers .
- Please also remember that, wh ile these tires
delive r responsiv e han dling, they may r ide less
comfortably and make mo re no ise than other
c h o ic e s.
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
All t ir e s ar e designed for certa in purpos es. T he
l ow asp ect ra tio, ultr a hig h perfor man ce tire s
o rigi nall y insta lled on y our veh icle are in tende d
f or m aximum dry an d we t road pe rformance and
handli ng. They are not suitab le for co ld , snowy or
icy weather conditions . If you dr ive under those
c ircumstances , you sho uld eq uip your vehicle
with all-season or winter tires, which offer better
t raction unde r those co ndit io ns. We suggest you
u se the recommended snow or all-seaso n tires
spec ified for your veh icle, o r the ir equiva le nt.
Refer to¢
page 220 for more detailed informa
t ion regarding w inte r tir es.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wea r
- Traction AA AB C
- Temperature AB C
221
Wheels
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires and
store the pressure again in the Infotainment sys
tem
c!) page 224.
mm (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) Tire pres
sure: System malfunction!.
If m appears after
switching the ignition on or while driving and the
[I] i ndicator light in the instrument cluster
blinks for approximately one minute and then
stays on, there is system malfunction. Try to
store the correct tire pressures
c:> page 224 . If
the indicator light does turn off or turns on again
after a short period of time, drive to your author
ized Audi dealer or qualified repair facility imme
diately to have the malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
-If the tire pressure indicator appears in the
display, reduce your speed immediately and
avoid any hard steering or braking maneu
vers. Stop as soon as possible and check the
tires and their pressure.
- The driver is responsible for maintaining the
correct tire pressure. You must check the
tire pressure regularly.
-Under certain conditions (such as a sporty
driving style, winter conditions or unpaved
roads), the tire pressure monitoring system
indicator may be delayed.
- Do not use run-flat tires on your vehicle. Us
ing them when not permitted can lead to
vehicle damage or accidents.
(D Tips
- The tire pressure monitoring system can al
so stop working when there is an ESC mal
function.
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The tires with the identification "AO" or
"RO"
c:> page 212 have been matched with
your Audi tire pressure monitoring system.
We recommend that you use these tires.
224
· Storing tire pressures
App lies to vehicles: wit h tire press ure mo nitor ing system
If the tire pressure changes or a tire is replaced,
it must be confirmed in the Infotainment sys
tem .
.,. Make sure before storing that the tire pressures
of all four tires meet the spec ified values and
are adapted to the load
c!) page 215.
.,. Switch the ignition on.
.,. Select: the
I CARI function button > Tire pres
sure monitoring
control button. Or
.,. Select: the
I CARI function button > Car Sys
tems*
control button > Servicing & checks >
Tire pressure monitoring.
(D Tips
Do not store the tire pressures if snow chains
a re i nsta lied.