,....,
N ,....,
N
0 J:
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1"1 ,...., 1.1"1 ,....,
Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety belts are nec
essary, how they work and how to adjust and
wear them correctly.
~ Read all the information that follows and
heed all of the instructions and WARNINGS.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death .
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of se
rious injury and death in automobile acci
dents . For your protection and that of
your passengers, always correctly wear
safety belts when the vehicle is moving.
- Pregnant women, injured, or physically
impaired persons must also use safety
belts. Like all vehicle occupants, they are
more likely to be seriously injured if they
do not wear safety be lts . The best way to
protect a fetus is to protect the mother -
throughout the entire pregnancy.
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of five seating positions:
two in the front and three in the rear. In some
vehicles, there are four seat ing positions : two
in the front and two in the rear. Each seating
position has a safety belt .
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death .
- Never strap more than one person, in
cluding small chi ldren, into any belt. It is
especially dangerous to place a safety
belt over a child sitting on your lap.
Safety belts 143
-Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are safety belts available.
- Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained with a separate safe
ty belt or child restraint.
~-Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle has a warning system for the
driver and front seat passenger to remind you
about the importance of buckling-up.
Fig. 155 Safety bel t warning light in the instrument
cl uster -enla rged
Before driving off, always:
~ Fasten your safety belt and make sure you
are wearing it properly .
~ Make sure that your passengers also buck le
up and properly wear their safety belts.
~ Protect children with a child restraint sys-
tem appropriate for the size and age.
The warning light . in the instrument clus
ter lights up when the ignition is on as a re
minder to fasten the safety belts. In addition,
you will hear a warning tone for a certain peri od of time.
Fasten your safety belt and make sure that
your passengers also properly put on their
safety belts.
A WARNING
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of se
rious injury and death in automobile acci
dents. For your protection and that of
your passengers, always correctly wear
safety belts when the vehicle is moving. •
•
202 Intelligent technology
Driving with your
quattro
With All Wheel Drive, all four wheels are driv
en .
General inform ation
With All Wheel Drive, power is distributed to
all four wheels . This happens automatically
depending on your driving style and the road
conditions at the time . See also
c:;; page 197.
With the sport differential*, power d istribu
tion to the rear wheels is variable and can be
adjusted with Audi d rive select*
c:;; page 108.
Always read and follow safety precautions
¢ .&,.
Winter tires
When driving in the winter , your vehicle with
A ll Wheel Drive has an advantage, even with
regular tir es. In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all-sea
son tires) for improved driveability and brak ing: these tires must be mounted on
all four
wheels.
See also ¢ page 260, Winter tires.
Snow chains
Where snow chains are mandatory on certa in
roads, this normally a lso applies to vehicles
with A ll Wheel Drive
c:;, page 261, Snow
chains .
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles with All Wheel Dr ive must always
have tires of the same size. Also avoid ti res
with different tread depths. For details see
page
c:;, page 256, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels .
Off-Road driving?
Your Audi does not have enough ground clear
ance to be used as an off-road vehicle. It is
therefore best to avoid rough tracks and un
even terrain as much as possible. Also refer to
c:;; page207.
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to road and traf
f ic conditions. Do not let the extra safety
afforded by All Wheel Drive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
- Although the All Wheel Drive is very ef
fective, always remember that braking
capacity is lim ited by tire traction. You
should therefore not drive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippery road surfaces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to
drive too fast because the front wheels
could begin to slide on top of the water
(aquaplaning) . If this should occur, you
will have no warning from a sudden in
crease in eng ine speed as with a front
wheel drive vehicle. Always drive at speeds which are suited to the road con
ditions - risk of crash .
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution
of electrical energy and thus optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting
the engine .
If a vehicle with a conventiona l ene rgy system
is not driven for a long period of time, the bat
tery is discharged by idling current consumers
(e .g. immobilizer). In certain circumstances it
can resu lt in there being insufficient energy
available to start the engine .
Intelligent energy management in your vehi
cle handles the distribution of e lectrica l ener
gy. Starting ability is markedly improved and
the life of the battery is extended.
Basically, energy management consists of
battery diagnosis , idling current manage
ment
and dynamic energy management.
Battery diagnosis
Battery diagnosis continuously determines
the state of the battery. Sensors determine
battery voltage, battery current and battery ..,.
24 6 T ire s and whee ls
- Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo
ry." Old used tires may have been dam
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when driving, al
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check the wheels and tires for dam
age.
(D Note
- Please note that summer and winter
tires are designed for the cond itions that
a re typ ica l in those seasons. Aud i recom
mends using w inter t ires d uring the win-
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means t he comb ined weight (in excess of
those standard items which may be rep laced)
of automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that these
items are available as factory-installed equip
ment (whether installed or not).
Aspect ratio
means t he ratio of the height to the width of
the tire in percent. Numbers of 55 or lower in
d icate a low sidewall for improved steer ing re
sponse and better overall handling on dry pavement .
Bead
means the pa rt of the tire t hat is made of
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the r im.
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means t he strands forming the plies in the
tire. ter months.
Low tempe ratu res signifi
cantly decrease the elasticity of summer
tires, which affects traction and braking ability. If summer tires are used in very
co ld temperatures, cracks can form on
the tread bars, resu lting in permanent
tire damage that can cause loud driving noise and unbalanced tires. Aud i is not
responsib le for this type of damage.
- Burn ished, polished or chromed rims
must not be used in winter weather. The
surface of the rims does not have suff i
c ien t corrosion protect io n for this and
cou ld be pe rmanently damaged by road
salt or simi lar substances. This damage
is not covered by war ranty.
Cold tire inflat ion pre ssure
means the t ire press ure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer for a tire o f a des ignated
size that has not been driven for more than a
coup le of miles (ki lometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire press ure
is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor vehicle w ith
standard equipment including the maximum
capacity of fuel, o il, and coolant, air cond i
tion ing and additional weight of optiona l
equipment.
E x tra load tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor
responding standard tire. Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or
"RF" on the sidewall.
Gross A xle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
means the load-carrying capacity of a single
axle system, measured at the tire-ground in -
terfaces.
IJ>,
,....,
N ,....,
N
0 J:
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1"1 ,...., 1.1"1 ,....,
Tires and wheels 24 7
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR") Ply
means the maximum total loaded weight of
the vehicle .
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ri bs.
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry for a given inflat ion pressure . You
may not find this informat ion on all tires be
cause it is not requ ired by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a t ire at the max i
mum permissible inflation pressure for that
tire .
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accesso ry weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production opt ions we ight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum co ld inf lation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated . Also called
"maximum inflation press ure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs . (68 kilograms) times the
number of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the tota l seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a veh icle.
Outer diameter
means the overall diameter of an inflated new
tire .
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ
ing e levations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs. means a layer of
rubber-coated parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those installed
regular production opt ions we ighing over 5
lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standa rd items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and spec ial trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which the ply cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan
tially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread.
Recommended inflation pressure
see ~ page 246, Cold tire inflation pressure .
Reinforced tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads
and at higher inflation pressures than t he cor
responding standard tire. Reinforced tires
may be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD",
or "RF" on the sidewal l.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a t ire and
tube assembly upo n which the tire beads are
seated .
Rim diamete r
means nominal diameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you wi ll have to
purchase new tires to match the new r im di
ameter .
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a t ire between the
tread and bead .
•
•
.... N .... N
0 J:
"". .... I.O
"' ....
"' ....
Tires and wheels 249
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seating
capacities Designated seating capacity, Vehicle normal load, number Occupant distribution in a nor-
number of occupants of occupants mally loaded vehicle
4 2 2
in front
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.
Fig. 208 Tire pressure label: located on driver 's side B
pillar
Tire pressure generally refers to the amo unt
of air in a tir e that it needs it to do its job and
safely carry the combined load of the entire
vehicle and its contents . Tire pressure is
measured in kilopascals (kPa), the interna
tional measuring unit and in pounds per
squa re inch (PSI). Tire pressure is based in
part on the vehicle's design and load limit -
the greatest amount of weight that the vehi
cle can carry safely and the tir e size. The prop
er tire pressure is frequent ly referred to as the
"recommended cold tire inflation pressure ."
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
because of internal friction when it flexes in
use. The tire p ressure is higher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold." It is the
inflation pressure in a "cold" tire that counts.
Therefore, you should never let air out of a
warm tire to match "cold tire inflation p res
sure" recommendations. The tir es would then
be underinflated and could fail suddenly .
Maintaining proper tire pressure is one of the
most important things you can do to help
avoid sudde n tire failure . Underinflated tire s
are a major cause of sudden tire failure. Keep
in g tires at the right pressure is also impor-
-"' --~ -- ,e
• (:::=~. ~: I =: I :,.. I)( ::: ) l3 n,........,..,.__...,~ ........ ....,_...... • ... _ .. , ....................................... ..,_ "" ..
-""u
--
-...........
- KPA. a PS I
- KPA.
a PSI
-KPA. a PSI
Fig. 209 Tire pressure label
tant for safe and respons ive ve hicle hand ling,
traction, braking and load carrying.
Tire pres
sures are particularly important when the
vehicle is being driven at higher speeds, and
then especially when heavily loaded even
within the permissible load-carrying capaci
ties approved for your vehicle.
The recommended tire pressures for your Audi
depend on the kind of tires on your vehicle
and the number of passengers and/or amount
of luggage you will be transporting.
The tire pressure label is located on the driv
er's side B-pillar. The tire pressure labe l lists
the recommended cold tire inflat ion pressures
for the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and tires that were on your veh icle at
the time it was manufactured.
If you wish to improve comfort when operat
ing the vehicle at normal load (up to 2*/3
occupants), you can adjust tire pressures to
those specified for normal vehicle load. Be
fore operating the vehicle at maximum load,
you must increase the tire pressures to those specified for maximum vehicle load
¢ ,&. . IJi,,-
250 Tires and wheels
Bear in mind that the tire pressure monitoring
system* can only monitor the tire pressures
you have stored . The system does not recog
nize the load condit ion of your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the tire pressure monitor
ing system* will be impaired if you store nor
mal load pressures but then operate the vehi
cle at its max imum load
c:> &. .
See the illustration c:> fig. 208 for the location
of the label on driver's side B-pillar (color of
the act ua l label and exact location on the ve
hicle will vary slightly). Note
that the following table is accurate at
the time of going to press and is subject to
change. In the event of d iscrepancies, the t ire
pressure label is located on the driver's side B
pillar always takes precedence.
The table below lists the recommended cold
t ir e inflation pressures for the Audi mode l
covered by your Owner's Literature at the vehi
cle's capacity weight and the t ire sizes instal
led on the respective models as orig inal
equipment, or as a factory opt ion.
Tire pressure
Model/En- Tire designation normal load condition full load condition
gine fronta> reara>
front rear
PSI kPA
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
A8/A8 L: 235/55 R18 104H
35 240 32 220 36 250 38 260
3.0 liter
255/45 R19 104H 35 240 32 220 36 250 38 260
6-cylinder
265/40 R20 104H 35 240 32 220 36 250 38 260
265/40 R20 104V 33 230 32 220 33 230 35 240
275/35 R21103Y XL 35 240 32 220 36 250 35 240
A8/A8 L: 235/55 R18 104H 35 240
32 220 38 260 38 260
4.0 liter
255/45 R19 104H 35 240 32 220 38 260 38 260
8-cylinder
265/40 R20 104H 35 240
32 220
38 260
38 260
265/40 R20 104V 33 230 32 220
35 240 35 240
275/35 R21103Y
XL 35 240
32 220
38 260
38 260
ASL
: 265/40 R20 104V 35 240 32 220 36 250 35 240
6.3 liter
255/45 R19 104H 36 250 32 220
39 270
38 260
12-cylin-
265/40 R20 104H 36 250 32 220 39 270 38 260
der
275/35 R21103Y XL
35 240 32 220 36 250
35 240
58: 265/40 R20 104V 36 250 32 220
39 270 38 260
4.0 liter
265/35 R21101 Y 39 270 35 240 44 300 42 290
8-cylinder
275/35 R21103Y XL 39 270
35 240
44
300 42
290
XL= reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xl, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire side-
wall.
al n orma l lo ad co ndi tio n~ page 249.
The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is
locat ed on a label on the driver's side B-pillar.
Because technical changes may be made to
ve hicl e equipment during the model year, al
ways compa re the tire size designation on the tire
pressu re lab el on your vehicle wi th the
tires on your vehicle. Make sure that the tire
s iz e inform ation on the vehicle label is the
same as the size of the tires on the vehicle.
This is espec ially important if the vehicle be-
l ongs to someone e lse or yo u bought the ..,.
256 Tires and wheels
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can cause exces
sive tire wear, impairing the safety of the vehi
cle. If tires show excessive wear, have the
wheel alignment checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles with quattro must always have tires
of the same size, construction and tread type.
For details see Qpage 202 .
.&_ WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of con
trol, a crash and serious personal injury!
- Never drive a vehicle when the tread on
any tire is worn down to the wear indica
tors.
- Worn tires are a safety hazard, they do
not grip well on wet roads and increase
your risk of"hydroplaning" and loss of
control.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause
tire damage, such as grease, oil, gasoline
and brake fluid away from tires.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then with special care and at lower speeds.
- Never mount used tires on your vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo
ry." Old used tires may have been dam
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in .
Fig. 212 Tir e specificat ion codes on the s idewall of a
t ire
No. Description
® Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
© Radial
® Rim diameter code
® Load index and speed rating
(J) U.S . DOT tire identification number
® Audi Original tire
® Sever snow conditions
@ Tire ply composition and materials
used
@ Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and temperature
grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pres-
sure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the
vehicle's design . The tires and rims approved
by Audi are specially matched to the charac
teristics of the vehicle and can make a major .,..
258 Tires and wheels
T up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
U up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
1l
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)ll
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)ll
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)l)
Your veh icle is normally factory equipped with
tires, which possess excellent driving charac
teristics and give your Audi opt imum driving
comfort. An electronic speed limiter
c:> page 30 will normally prevent your vehicle
from going faster than the tire speed rating
c:> & .
U.S . DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
and tire manufacture date
This is the tire's "serial number". It begins
with the letters "DOT" and indicates that the
tire meets all federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers
r epresent the week and year of manufacture.
F or example, the numbers 2214 mean the tire
was produced in the 22nd week of 2014. The
other numbers are marketing codes that may
or may not be used by the tire manufacturer .
T his information is used to contact consumers
if a tire defect requires a recall.
Audi original tire
Tires with the identification "AO" or "RO" have
been specially matched with your Audi . We
recommend using only these tires because
they meet the highest standards regarding
safety and driving characteristics when used
correctly . Your authorized Audi dealer will
gladly provide you with more information .
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of plies indicates the number of
layers of rubber-coated fabric in the tire. In
general, the greater the number of plies, the more weight a tire can support. Tire manufac -
ll F t· "t h .
o r ires w 1 a m ax im um spee d ca pabil ity ove r 149
mph (2 40 km/ h), ti re manufact urers sometimes use
the lett ers " ZR."
turers also must indicate the materials in the
tire, which include steel, nylon, polyester, and
others .
Maximum Load Rating
Th is number ind icates the max imum load in
kilograms and pounds that can be carried by
the tire .
Tire quality grading for treadwear,
traction , and temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and tempera ture grades
c:>page 259.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest amount of a ir
pressure that should ever be put in the tire
un der normal driv ing conditions .
_& WARNING
= -
- Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
combinations can lead to loss of control
collision and serious personal injury.
'
- Always use tires, rims and whee l bolts
that meet the specifications of original factory-installed tires or other combina
tions that have been specifically ap
proved by the vehicle manufacturer.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith special care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mount used tires on your veh icle if
you are not sure of the ir "previous histo
ry." Old used tires may have been dam
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire fa ilure
and loss of vehicle control.
- All four whee ls must be fitted with radial
tires of the same type, size (rolling cir cumference) and the same tread pattern . ..,_