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 245, fig . 207 for
the number of seating positions .
Refer to the table
c:> table on
page
247for the number of peo
ple that correspond to the vehicle
normal load .
New tires or wheels
Audi recommends having all wo rk
on tires or wheels performed by
an authorized Audi dea ler or au
thorized repair fac ility. These fa
cilities have the proper knowledge
and are equipped with the re
quired tools and replacement
parts.
.,. New tires do not yet have the
optimum adhesion properties. Drive carefully and at moderate
speeds fo r the first 350 miles
(500 km) with new tires .
.,. Use tires of t he same constr uc
tion, size (rolling c ircumference)
and as close to the same tread pattern as possible on all four
wheels.
2 4 2
.,.Do not replace tires individ ually .
At least re place both t ires on the
same axle at the same time.
.,. A udi recommends that you use
Aud i O riginal equipment tires . If
you wo uld li ke to use different
tires, please note that the tires may perform d ifferently even if
they are the same s ize
c:> &. -
.,. If you would like to equip you r
vehic le with a tire/rim combina
tion that is different from what
was installed at the facto ry, con
sult w ith an authorized Aud i
dealer or authorized repair facili
ty be fore making a purchase
¢ .&_ .
The spare tire* is d ifferent from
the regular t ires installed on the
vehicle -for example, if winter
tires or wi de tires are installed -
then only use the spare tire* tem
porar ily in case of emergency and
drive carefully while it is in use . It
s h o u ld be replaced w ith a regular
tire as soon as poss ib le.
On
all wheel drive ve hic les, all
four wheels must be equipped
w ith tires that are the same brand
and have the same construction
and tread pattern so that the
drive system is not damaged by
M N ai
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different tire speeds. For this rea
son, in case of emergency, only
use a spare tire* that is the same
circumference as the regular tires.
A WARNING -
-Only use tire/rim combina
tions and suitable wheel bolts
that have been approved by
Audi. Otherwise, damage to
the vehicle and an accident
could result.
-For technical reasons, it is not possible to use tires from oth
er vehicles - in some cases,
you cannot even use tires from
the same vehicle model.
-Make sure that the tires you select have enough clearance
to the vehicle . Replacement
tires should not be chosen
simply based on the nominal
size, because tires with a dif
ferent construction can differ greatly even if they are the
same size. If there is not
enough clearance, the tires or
the vehicle can be damaged
and this can reduce driving
safety and increase the risk of
an accident.
-Only use tires that are more
than 6 years old when abso-
Wheels
lutely necessary and drive
carefully when doing so.
-Do not use run-flat tires on your vehicle . Using them when
not permitted can lead to ve
hicle damage or accidents.
-If you install wheel covers on
the vehicle, make sure they al low enough air circulation to
cool the brake system. If they
do not, this could increase the
risk of an accident.
Tire wear/damage
Fig. 205 Tir e profi le : Treadwear indica
tor
Tire wear
Check the tires regularly for wear.
-Inflation pressure that is too low
or high can increase tire wear
considerably .
-Driving quickly through curves,
rapid acceleration and heavy
braking increase tire wear.
-Have an authorized Audi dealer or authorized repair facility
243
...
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Wheels
Model/ Tire designation Tire pressure
engine Normal load Maximum load
(up to 3 people)a)
front rear front rear
PSI
235/60 Rl8 103H
29 Q5: All Season
2.0L 235/55 Rl9 101H
4 cylinders All Season
30
and
Q5: 235/55 Rl9 101W 2
9 High Performance
3.0L
6 cylinders 255/45 R20 101W
29 High Performance
255/45 R20 101W
3
9 SQ5:
High Performance
3.0L
6 cylinders 255/40 R21 102Y XL
41
High Performance
a) 2 p
eopl e in th e fron t, 1 p ers on i n th e re arr
A WARNING
Please note the important safe
ty precautions regarding tire pressure
¢ page 245 and load
limits
¢ page 247 .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of
load or weight that any vehicle
and any tire can carry. A vehicle
that is overloaded will not handle
well and is more difficult to stop.
Overloading can not only lead to
lo ss of vehicle control , but can al
so damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden
tire failure, including a blowout
kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI
20 0 29 2 00 32 220 32
2 10 30 210 33 230 33
200 2 9 200
33 2
30 33
2 00 29 2 00 33 230 33
270 39 270 41 280 41
280 36 2
50 41 2 80 42
and sudden deflation that can
cause the vehicle to crash.
kPA
220
230
2 30
230
280
2 90
Your safety and that of your pas
sengers also depends on making
sure that load limits are not ex
c eeded. Vehicle load includes ev
erybody and everything in and on
the vehicle. These load limits are te chnically referred to as the vehi
cle 's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR") .
The "GVWR " includes the weight
of the basic vehicle, all factory in
stalled accessories, a full tank of
fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids
plus maximum load. The maxi
mum load includes the number of""
247
Wheels
passengers that the vehicle is in
tended to carry ("seating capaci
ty") with an assumed weight of 150 lbs. (68 kg) for each passen
ger at a designated seating posi
tion and the total weight of any
luggage in the vehicle. If you tow
a trailer, the weight of the trailer
hitch and the tongue weight of
the loaded trailer must be includ
ed as part of the vehicle load.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of the
vehicle's two axles.
The fact that there is an upper limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehi
cle Weight Rating means that the
total weight of whatever is being
carried in the vehicle (including
the weight of a trailer hitch and
the tongue weight of the loaded
trailer) is limited. The more pas
sengers in the vehicle or passen
gers who are heavier than the
standard weights assumed mean
that less weight can be carried as
luggage.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
are listed on the safety compli
ance sticker label located on the
248
driver's side B-pillar ~ page 245,
fig. 206.
~ WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause
loss of vehicle control, a crash
or other accident, serious per
sonal injury, and even death.
-Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the vehicle
from handling properly and in
crease the risk of the loss of
vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that
has been overloaded may not
be able to stop the vehicle
within a safe distance.
-Tires on a vehicle that has
been overloaded can fail sud
denly, including a blowout and
sudden deflation, causing loss
of control and a crash.
-A lways make sure that the to
tal load being transported -
including the weight of a trail
er hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer -
does not make the vehicle
heavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
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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 245 , fig. 206.
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 245 , fig. 206 .
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 235 , fig. 204) 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 lt ed 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::,. . ..,.
249
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& WARNING
Using incorrect snow chains or installing snow
chains incorrectly can result i n loss of vehicle
contro l, wh ich inc reases the r is k of an acci
dent.
(D Note
Snow chains can dama ge the r ims/wheel cov
ers * if t he chains come into d irect contact
w it h them . Remove the whee l covers * fir st .
Use coated snow chains.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect ra
tio tires . These tires have bee n thoroughly tested
and been selected specifically fo r yo ur model fo r
the ir supe rb pe rformance, road feel and handling
u nder a va riety o f drivi ng conditions. Ask yo ur au
thor ized Audi de aler for mo re det ail s.
The low aspect ratio of these tires is indica ted by
a numeral of
55 or less i n t he tire's si ze des igna
tion . Th e nu mera l represents the rat io of the
tire's sidewall he igh t in relation to i ts tre ad wid th
expressed in percentage. Convent iona l tires have
a height/wi dth ratio of 6 0 or mo re .
The performan ce of low-a spe ct-rati o tires i s par
ticularly sensitive to improper inflation pre s
sure . It is therefore important that low a spect
ratio tires are inflated to the specified p ressure
and that the inflation pressure is regularly
checked and maintained. Ti re pressures should
be checked at least once a month and always
before a long trip
c:> page 245.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim damage
Low aspect ratio t ires can be damaged more easi
ly by impact with potholes, curbs , gullies or
ridges on the road , par ticu la rly if the t ire is un
de rinflate d.
In order to m inim ize the occurrence of impact
damage to the t ires of your vehicle, we recom
mend that you observe the following precau
tions:
Wheels
- Always ma inta in recommended inflation pres
sures. Chec k your tire pressure every 2,000
m iles (3,000 km) and add a ir if necessa ry .
- Drive carefully on roads with potholes, deep
gu llies o r ridges. T he impact from dr iving
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to your tires.
-After any impact, immed iate ly inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest au
thorized Audi dealer . Replace a damaged t ire as
soon as poss ible .
- Inspect your tires every 2,000 m iles (3,000 km)
for damage and wear. Damage is no t always
easy to see . Damage can lead to loss o f air and
un derinflation, wh ic h could even tually caus e
t ire failure. If you believe tha t a tir e may have
been dam age d, rep lace the t ire as soon as pos
sible.
- These ti res may wear more quickly tha n oth ers.
- Please also remember that, wh ile these tir es
delive r respo nsive handling, they may ride less
c omfortably and m ake mo re no ise th an ot her
choices .
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
All tires a re designe d for cer ta in p urpo ses. The
l ow as pect ra tio, ultra high pe rformance tires
o rigi na lly installed on your vehicle are intende d
for maximum d ry and wet road performance and
handling. They are not suitab le f or co ld, snowy or
icy weather conditions. If you dr ive under those
c ircumstances, you shou ld equ ip your vehicle
with all-season or winter tires, wh ich offe r better
t raction unde r those co ndit ions . We suggest you
u se the recommende d snow or all-season tires
spe cified for your veh icle, o r th eir equiva le nt.
Refer to
c:> page 250 for more detailed informa
t io n regarding w in te r tir es.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wea r
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
251
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 235, fig . 204.
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
252
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 .,,.
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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. 208 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
RIJ and a message
¢fig. 208. If only one tire is affected, the loca
tion 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 254. 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
¢ page 245, fig . 207.
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
changed and it was not stored again
c:!;> page 254.
-the collapsible spare* tire is installed.
253