M N
i? co ,...., \!) 1.1'1
N 1.1'1 ,....,
Determining correct load
limit
Use the example below to calcu
late the total weight of the pas
sengers and luggage or other
things that you plan to transport
so that you can ma ke sure that
your vehicle will not be overload ed .
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
1 . Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCU PANTS AND CARGO SHOULD
NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
LBS"on your vehi cle's pla card
(tire inflation pressure label)
¢ page 215 , fig. 170.
2 . Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas
sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3 . Subtract the combined weight
of the driver and passengers
from
"XXX " kilograms or "XXX"
pound s shown on the sticker
¢ page 215 , fig. 170 .
4. The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For ex
ample, if the
" XXX" amount
equals 1400 lbs. and there will
Wheels
be five 1 SO lb s. passenger s in
your vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capa city is 650 lb s.
(1400-750 (5 X 150) = 650
lb s.)
5. Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle .
That weight may not safely e x
c eed the available cargo and
luggage load capa city cal culat
ed in Step 4 .
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your vehi
cle. Con sult thi s manual to d e
termine how this redu ce s the
available cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle .
.,.Check the tire sidewall
(¢ page 205 , fig. 168) to deter
mine the designated load rating
for a specific tire.
Wheel bolts and rims
Wheel bolts
W heel bolts mus t be clean and loose n/tighten
easily .
Rims
Rims with a bo lted r im ring* or with bo lted wheel
cove rs* cons ist of multi ple p ieces . These compo
nents were bolted together using specia l bolts
and a spec ia l procedu re . You must not repa ir or
disassemb le th em
i::> Li::,. . ..,.
219
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
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire side wall between t read sho ulder and
maximum sect ion w idth
c::> page 205, fig . 168.
For example: Tr ead wear 200 , Tract ion AA, Tem
peratu re
A .
All passenger ca r tires must confo rm to Federal
Safety Req uiremen ts in add it ion to these grades.
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
unde r controlled conditions on a spec ified gov
ernment test course.
For examp le, a t ire graded 150 would wear one
and one half ( 1 1/2) t imes as well on the govern
ment course as a tire graded 100 .
The relat ive performance of t ires depends upon
the actua l conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to
variations i n driving hab its, service practices and
d iffe rences in road character istics and clima te.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A , Band
C. Those grades represent the tire's
ab ility to stop on wet pavement as measu red u n
de r controlled cond it ions on spec ified govern
ment test su rfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance
c::> &_ .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
a nd C, rep resent ing t he tire's res istance to the
genera tion of heat and its a bility to dis sipate
heat w hen tested unde r controlled cond itions on
a specified indoo r laboratory test whee l.
Sustained high temperature can cause the mate rial of the tire to degenerate and red uce tire life,
a nd excessive tempera ture can lead to sudden
tire failure
c::> &. .
The grade C co rresponds to a level of perform
ance wh ich a ll passenge r ca r tires m ust meet un
de r th e Federal Motor Vehicle Safety S tandard
No. 109. G rades Band A represent higher levels
222
of pe rformance on the laboratory test whee l than
the minimum required by law .
A WARNING -
The traction grade assigned to th is tire is
based on straight-ahead braking tract ion
tests, and does not include acce lerat ion, cor
nering, hyd roplaning or peak traction charac
teristics.
A WARNING
The temperature g rade for th is tire is estab
lished for a tire that is properly inf lated and
n ot ove rloaded. Excess ive speed, underi nfla
tion, o r ex cess ive lo adi ng, eithe r separately or
i n comb inat io n, can ca use heat bu ild up and
possible tire failure.
A WARNING
Tempe ratu re grades apply to ti res that are
properly inflated and not over or underinflat
ed.
Tire pressure monitoring system
(l) General notes
App lies to vehicl es: wi th tire p ress ure mo nito rin g system
-
Each tire, incl uding the spare (if provided),
sho uld be checked monthly when co ld and inflat
ed to the inflat ion pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or
tire inflat ion pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different s ize than the size indicated on
the ve hicle placard or t ire inflation pressu re la
bel, you should dete rm ine the p roper t ire infla
tion pressu re for those t ires).
As a n added safety feature, your ve hicle has been
equipped with a tire pressure mon itor ing system
( TP MS) that illum inates a low t ire pressure te ll-
ta le w hen o ne or mo re of yo ur ti res is sign ificant -
l y unde r-i nflated. According ly, w hen t he low t ire
pressure te lltale illuminates, you shou ld stop and
check yo ur tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure . Dr iving on a signifi
cant ly under-inf lated tire causes the t ire to over
heat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation .,,.
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's handling and stop
ping ability .
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver's re
sponsibility to maintain correct tire pressure,
even if under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire pres
sure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate when the sys
tem is not operating properly. The TPMS mal
function indicator is combined with the low tire pressure telltale . When the system detects a
malfunct ion, the telltale will flash for approxi
mately one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon
subsequent veh icle start-ups as long as the mal
function exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated,
the system may not be able to detect or signal
low tire pressure as intended. TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons, including the
installation of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure
that the replacement or alternate tires and
wheels allow the TPMS to continue to function properly.
Wheels
If the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
indicator appears
Appl ies to vehicles : wi th t ir e p ress ure mo nito rin g system
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too low
or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig. 172 Instrument cluster: i ndicator light with message
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitor
ing system compares the tire tread circumference
and vibration characteristics of the individual
tires .
If the pressure changes in one or more
tires, this is indicated in the instrument cluster
display with an indicator light
[I] and a message .
If only one tire is affected, the location of that
tire will be indicated .
The tire pressures must be stored in the Infotain
ment system again each time the pressures
change (switching between partial and full load
pressure) or after changing or replacing a tire on
your vehicle ¢
page 224. The tire pressure moni
toring system only monitors the tire pressure you have stored. Refer to the tire pressure label for
the recommended tire pressure for your vehicle
r=> page215, fig.171.
Tire tread circumference and vibration character
istics can change and cause a tire pressure warn
ing if:
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too low .
- the tire has structural damage.
- the tir e was replaced or the tire pressure was
changed and it was not stored ¢
page 224.
-the spare t ire* is installed.
Indicator lights
[I] Loss of pressure in at least one tire¢.& .
Check the tires and replace or repair if necessary .
liJJ,-
223
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.
M N
0 loo
rl I.O
"' N
"' rl
Emergency assistance
Vehicle tool kit
The tools ore stored underneath the floor panel
in the luggage comportment.
Fig. 173 Luggage compartme nt: tool kit
When you need access to the veh icle tool kit or
jack*, you will need to take out the spare t ire*
and cover¢
page 225.
The vehicle tool kit includes:
- Hook for removing wheel covers*
- Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers*
- Alignment pin for changing the whee l
- Screwdriver w ith reversible blade
- Tool for chang ing light bulbs
- Reversible bit (reversible Torx bit for changing
light bulbs)
- Rod for jack
- Jack*
- Lug wrench
- Towing eye
Some of the vehicle items listed above are prov id
ed on certain models only or are optional extras.
Before returning the jack* to its place, retract the
jack arm fu lly.
_& WARNING
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
t ighten whee l bolts, since the bolts cannot
attain the necessary tightening torque if you
use the hex head, potentially causing an ac
cident.
- The factory-suppl ied jack is intended only
for your vehicle model. Under no c ircum
stances should it be used to lift heavy
Emergen cy assistance
vehicles or other loads; you risk injuring
yourself.
- Never start the engine when the vehicle is
raised, which could cause an accident.
- Support the vehicle securely with appropri
ate stands if work is to be performed under
neath the vehicle; otherwise, there is a po
tential risk for injury.
Space-saving spare tire
(compact spare tire)
Applies to vehicles: with space-saving spare tire
The spore tire/wheel is located in the luggage
comportment under the cargo floor cover. It is
intended for short-term use only.
Fig. 174 Spare tire
Removing the spare tire
.,. Lift the cargo floor by the p lastic handle
¢fig. 174.
.,. Hook the handle into the luggage compart
ment weather strip.
., Turn the large screw ¢
fig. 174 counter-clock
wise.
., Take out the spare ti re .
., Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack*, and
the replaced tire in the luggage compartment
¢page 118.
.,. Unhook the cargo floor before closing the rear
lid.
Using the spare tire (compact spare tire)
The compact spare tire is only intended for emer
gencies until you can reach a repa ir shop. Replace
it as quickly as possible with a standard wheel
and tire. ..,
225
Emerg enc y ass is tance
There are some restrictions on the use of the
compact spare tire. The compact spare tire has
been designed specifically for your type of vehi
cle. It must not be swapped w ith a compact
spare tire from another type of vehicle.
Snow chain s
For technical reasons, the use of snow chains on
the compact spare tire is
n ot permitted .
If you do have to drive w ith snow cha ins and a
front tire f ails, mount the spare whee l with tire
instead of a rear tire. Install the snow chains on
the rear tire and use it to replace the defective
front tire .
A WARNING
-Never use the spare tire if it is damaged or if
it is worn down to the tread wear ind icators.
- If the spare t ire is more than 6 years o ld,
use it only in an emergency and w ith ex
treme caut ion and careful driving.
- The spare tire is intended only for tempora
ry and short-term use.
It should be replaced
as soon as possible with the norma l wheel
and t ire.
- After mounti ng the compact spare tire, the
t ire pressure must be checked as soon as
poss ible. The tire pressure of the compact
spare t ire must be 4.2 bar; otherwise, you
risk having an a cc ident.
- Do not drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h) .
You r isk having an accident.
- Avoid full-throttle acce lerat ion, heavy brak
ing, and fast corneri ng. You r is k having an
a cc ident.
- Never dr ive using more than one spare
wheel and tire. You risk hav ing an accident.
- Norma l summer or winter tires must not be
mounted on the compact spare whee l rim.
- For technical reasons, the use of tire chains
on the spare tire is not permitted. If it is
necessary to drive w ith tire chains, the spare
wheel m ust be mounted on the front axle in
the event of a flat in a rear tire. The new ly
available front wheel must then be installed
in place of the rear wheel with the flat tire .
226
Installing the tire chain before mounting
the wheel and tire is recommended.
- Loose items in the passenger compartment
can cause serious personal injury during
hard braking or in an accident. Never store
the spare t ire or jack and tools in the pas
senger compartment .
Replacing wheels
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your own
and your passenger 's safety when changing a
wheel.
~ After you experience a t ire failure, pu ll the ca r
wel l away from mov ing traffic and t ry to reac h
le vel ground before you stop ¢ ,& .
~ All passengers should lea ve the car and move
to a safe location (for instance, behind the
guardrail) ¢,& .
~ Engage the pa rking brake to prevent your vehi
cle from ro lling unintent ionally¢ ,&.
~ Shift into 1st gear on veh icles with manual
transm iss ion, or move the
selector lev er to the
P po sition
on vehicles with automatic transmis
sion .
~ If you are towing a trai le r: unhit ch the trailer
from your ve hicle.
~ Take the jack ¢ page 225 and the spare tire
¢ page 225 out of the luggage compartment .
A WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured wh ile
changing a whee l if you do not follow these
safety precautions:
- If you have a flat tire, move a safe d ista nee
off the road. Turn off the eng ine, turn the
emergency flashers on and use other warn ing dev ices to alert other motor ists.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a safe
place away from the vehicle and well away
from the road and traffic.
- To help preve nt the vehicle from moving
suddenly and possibly slipping off the jack,
always fully set the parking b rake and block
liJ,,