Tires and wheels 2 79
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.
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0
Maintaining proper tire pres-...J
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sure is one of the most impor-1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
280 Tires and wheels
If you wish to improve comfort See the illustration ¢ fig. 250
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 slightly).
operating the vehicle at maxi-Note that the following table is
mum load, you must increase accurate at the time of going to
the tire pressures to those press and is subject to change .
specified for maximum vehicle In the event of discrepancies,
load¢&. the tire pressure label located
Bear in mind that the tire pres- on the driver's side B-pillar al-
sure monitoring system can on- ways takes precedence.
ly monitor the tire pressures
The table below lists the rec-
you have stored . The system
ommended cold tire inflation
does not recognize the load
pressures for the Audi model
condition of your vehicle. covered by your Owner's Litera-
The effectiveness of the tire ture at the vehicle's capacity
pressure monitoring system weight and the tire sizes instal-
will be impaired if you store led on the respective models as
normal load pressures but then original equipment, or as a fac-
operate the vehicle at its maxi-tory option.
...
mum load¢&.
Tires and wheels 283
been driven for more than a It is usually not possible to see •
couple of miles (kilometers) at whether the radial tires used • '
low speeds during the previous today are underinflated just by
three hours . Air in the tires ex- looking at them.
pands when the tire heats up as Therefore, be sure to check tire
a result of internal friction as it pressures at least once a month
flexes in use. The tire pressure and always before going on a
is higher when the tire has long trip. Make sure to take the
warmed up than when it is number of people and the
"cold." amount of luggage into ac-
It is the inflation pressure in a count when adjusting tire pres-
"cold" tire that counts. There- sure for a trip - even one that
fore, you should never let air you would not consider to be out of a warm tire to match "long. " See ¢
page 286 , Tires
"Cold tire inflation pressure" and vehicle load limits for more
recommendations ¢
page 2 78. important information.
The tires would then be under- Always use an accurate tire
inflated and could fail sudden- pressure gauge when checking
ly. and adjusting inflation pres-
The tire pressure label on your sures. Check all of the tires and
Audi lists the recommended be sure not to forget the spare cold tire inflation pressures at tire . If the pressure in any tire is
maximum capacity for the new, too high when the tire is "cold,"
original equipment tires that let air out of the tire slowly
were on your vehicle at the time with the edge of the tire gauge it was manufactured. For the and keep checking the pressure
location of the label until you reach the pressure
¢
page 278, fig. 250. that is correct for the load (pas-
Most tires lose air naturally sengers and luggage) and kind
over time. They can also lose of driving you plan to do
.
....
M N some air if you drive over a pot-0 ..J
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hole or hit a curb while parking . .... \!) 1.1'1
.... 1.1'1 ....
286 Tires and wheels
build-up, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
-If the tire pressure is too low or too high, the tires
will wear prematurely and
the vehicle will not handle
well.
-If the tire is not flat and you
do not have to change a
wheel immediately, drive at reduced speed to the near
est service station to check
the tire pressure and add air
as required.
(D Note
Driving without valve stem
caps can cause damage to
the tire valves. To prevent
this, always make sure that
factory installed valve stem caps on all wheels are secure
ly mounted on the valve .
@ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will also
increase the fuel consump
tion .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount
of load or weight that any vehi
cle and any tire can carry. Ave
hicle that is overloaded will not handle well and is more diffi
cult to stop. Overloading can not only lead to loss of vehicle
control, but can also damage important parts of the vehicle
and can lead to sudden tire fail
ure, including a blowout and
sudden deflation that can cause
the vehicle to crash .
Your safety and that of your passengers also depends on
making sure that load limits are
not exceeded. Vehicle load in
cludes everybody and every
thing in and on the vehicle.
These load limits are technical
ly referred to as the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR") .
The "GVWR " includes the
weight of the basic vehicle, all
factory installed accessories, a
full tank of fuel, oil, coolant
and other fluids plus maximum load. The maximum load in
cludes the number of passen
gers that the vehicle is intend
ed to carry ("seating capacity")
with an assumed weight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each pas
senger at a designated seating
position and the total weight of
any luggage in the vehicle. If ""
Tires and wheels 287
you tow a trailer, the weight of the total weight of whatever is •
the trailer hitch and the tongue being carried in the vehicle (in-• '
weight of the loaded trailer eluding the weight of a trailer must be included as part of the hitch and the tongue weight of
vehicle load. the loaded trailer) is limited.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating The more passengers in the ve- hicle or passengers who are
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of heavier than the standard
weights assumed mean that
the vehicle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rat- less weight can be carried as
luggage
.
ing and the Gross Axle Weight
The tire pressure label on your
Rating are listed on the safety
Audi also lists the maximum
compliance sticker label locat-
ed on the driver's side B-pillar. combined weight of all of the
Your Audi has 5 seating posi- occupants and luggage or other
cargo that the vehicle can carry.
tions, 2 in the front and 3 in the
rear for total seating capacity For the location of the label
¢
page 278, fig. 250. of 5. On vehicles with six
seats* , your vehicle has two
A WARNING
-~
front seats, two seats in the
Overloading a vehicle can
second row seating and two cause loss of vehicle control,
seats in the third row seating. a crash or other accident, se-
On vehicles with seven seats*, rious personal injury, and
your vehicle has two front even death.
seats, three seats in the second -Carrying more weight than
row seating and two seats in your vehicle was designed
the third row seating . Each
to carry will prevent the ve-
seating position has a seat belt hicle from handling properly
¢ page 173, Safety belts . and increase the risk of the
The fact that there is an upper loss of vehicle control.
M N limit to your vehicle's Gross Ve-0 ...J
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hicle Weight Rating means that ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
M
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"' rl
"' rl
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your trail
er will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual
to determine how this re
duces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
.,.Check the tire sidewall
(¢ page 291, fig. 254) to de
termine the designated load rating for a specific tire.
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends
on a lot of different things in
cluding proper installation and
balancing, correct tire pressure and driving style .
Fig. 252 Tire tread: tread wear indi
cators (TWI)
Tires and wheels 289
.... N M ::;;
;g
Fig. 253 Rotating tires for more even
wear
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The original tires on your vehi
cle have
1/16 inch (1.6 mm)
high "wear indicators"
¢ fig. 252 running across the
tread. Depending on the make,
there will be six to eight of
them evenly placed around the
tire. Marks on the tire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other
symbols) indicate the positions
of the tread wear indicators.
Worn tires must be replaced.
Different figures may apply in
other countries
¢ & .
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes
premature wear and can cause
sudden tire blow-out. For this
reason, tire pressure must be
checked at least once a month
¢ page 282.
324 Technical Dat a
designated seating position) and luggage
weight¢ .&,.
Gross Axle W eight Rating
The Gross Axle Weight Rating is the maximum
l oad that can be applied at each axle of the
vehicle ¢Lr!, .
Vehicle capacit y weight
The vehicle capac ity we ight (max. load) is list
ed on the driver's side B-p illar.
A WARNING
- T he Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing for your
vehicle, fo und on the safety compliance
label on the driver's side B -pillar, must
never be exceeded under any circumstan
ces. Exceeding the Gross Vehicle We ight
Rating of your vehicle is likely to damage
your vehicle, and such damage will not
be covered by your Lim ited New Vehicle
Warranty. Exceeding the Gross Vehicle
We ight Rating will also change the per
formance and handling cha racte rist ics of
yo ur vehicle, which cou ld cause a crash
result ing in se rious in jury or death.
- T he Gross Veh icle Weight Rat ing fo r yo ur
vehicle would be exceeded if yo ur vehicle
is simultaneo us ly equipped with Panor
amic sliding sunroo f; th ird-row seating;
Dimensions
Length
Width
Width (across mirrors) Height (unloaded) al trailer towing
equipment (factory or
dea le r-installed), and running boards
(dealer-installed). UNDER NO CIRCUM
STANCES MAY ALL SUCH ITEMS BE IN
STA LLED ON THE SAME VE HICLE .
- The actual Gross Ax le Weig ht Rating at
the front and rear ax les should not ex
ceed the permissible weights, and the ir
comb inat io n must not exceed the Gross
Vehi cle Weight Rating.
- Exceeding permiss ible weight ratings can
result i n ve hicl e damage, a ccidents and
personal inj ury.
....--
CD Note
- The vehicle capacity weight figu res apply
when the load is d istr ibuted evenly in the
vehicle (passenge rs and luggage). When
t ransport ing a heavy load in the lugg age
compar tment, carry the load as near to
t he rear ax le as possible so that the vehi
cle's handling is not impaired.
- Do not exceed the maximum permissib le
ax le loads or the maximum gross vehicle
we ight . A lways remember that the vehi
cle's handling w ill be affected by the ex
tra load. Therefore, ad just your speed ac
cordingly.
- Always observe local regulat ions.
in (mm)
200 .3 (5089)
in (mm) 78.1 (1983)
in (mm) 85 .7 (2 177)
in (mm) 68.4 (1737)
al The he ight of the veh icle depen ds on the tires and th e su spension.
When driv ing up steep ramps, on rough roads,
over curbs, etc . it is important to remember
that some parts of your vehicle, such as spoil-ers
or exha ust system components, may be
close to the ground. Be carefu l not to damage
them.
1
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0 ...J 'SI' ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
_______________________________ ___:I~n~d~e:.::x 337
Fuel gauge ................. ... .... 12
Gasoline ... ................ ... ... 248
Gasoline additives ................. 249
Low fuel level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 35
Octane rating ............ .... .. ... 248
Recommendation .............. .... 248
Refuelling .. ... .. .. ...... .. .. .. .. . 250
Reserve .. ............ ...... .... ... 12
Tank capacity ............ .. .. .. .. . 325
Unlocking the fuel filler flap by hand . . 252
Fuel economy messages (efficiency pro-
gram) . .. .. .. .. ........ ... .. ... ... .. 27
Fuse arrangement ............ ... .. . 312
G
Garage door opener (Homelink) . ... .. .. 57
Gas discharge lamps ........... .... .. 315
Gauges Engine coolant temperature .. .. .. .. .. 10
Fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Speedometer . .............. ... ... . 12
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Trip odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
General illustration Instruments and controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
General rules and driving tips . ... .. .. . 235
Before driving offroad ........ ... .. . 235
Driving offroad ........... .. .. .. .. . 235
Glossary of tire and loading termino logy 273
Glove compartment .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .. 91
Cooling box ................. .... ... 91
Valet key function ............... ... 41
Glove compartment - emergency unlock-
ing ... .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. .. .. .. 91
Glow plug system Indicator light .............. ... .. .. 15
Grad ient angle ... ......... .... .. .. . 235
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) .. . 323
Ground clearance 235
H
Headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Adapt ive light ............ .. .. .. .. .. 62
Cleaning ... .. .............. ... ... 243
Defective .. .. .............. ... .... 23
Front fog lights ................ .. .. 61 Headlight range control
............. 36
Switching off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Switching on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Xenon headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Headlight washer reservoir ......... .. 270
Head restraints .. ... ............... . 166
Adjust ing . .. .. .. ... .. .......... .. 166
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Rear seats . .. .. .. .. . ... ........... . 80
Heated Exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Front seats .. .. .. .. .. .... ....... .. 103
Rear seats . .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. 104
Rear seats (four-zone automat ic comfort
air conditioning) .. .. .............. . 104
Steering wheel ..... .............. . 104
Washer je ts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Heating Climate controls .. .... ......... .. .. . 94
Heavy clothing and safety belts ........ 17 6
High beam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 , 63
Warning/indicator lights . ....... .... . 18
High voltage warning label ....... .. .. 323
Hill descent control . . . . . . . . . . . . 142, 224
Hill hold Starting on hills .... .............. . 112
Homelink (garage door opener) ... .. .. . 57
Hood Opening 256
Release lever .. .. .. . .. ... ... ...... 256
Horn ...... .. .. .. .... ............. .. 8
How are child restraint system anchors re-
lated to child safety .... ...... ....... 216
How many airbags does my vehicle have? 189
How often should I ch eck my tire pres-
sures? 284
How safety belt pretensioners work .. .. 180
Hydroplaning ....... .......... ..... 291
I
Ignition key . .. .. .. ... ..... ....... .. 107
Ignition lock . ....... ............... 107
Malfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33, 37
Ignition lock positions .............. . 107
Important things to do before driving .. 163
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