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Reinforced tire
means a tire design to operate
at higher loads and at higher
inflation pressures than the
corresponding standard tire. Reinforced tires may be identi
fied as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA
LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
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 your
wheel size, you will have to pur chase new tires to match the
new rim diameter.
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance be
tween rim flanges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire be
tween the tread and bead.
Tires and wheels 215
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire
is designed to be driven for ex
tended periods of time. The rat
ings range from 93 mph
(150 km/h) to 186 mph
(298 km/h)¢
page 232. You
may not find this information
on all tires because it is not re
quired by law.
The speed rating letter code,
where applicable, is molded on
the tire sidewall and indicates
the maximum permissible road speeds
¢ .& in Winter tires on
page 237.
Tire pressure monitoring
system*
means a system that detects
when one or more of a vehicle's
tires are underinflated and illu minates a low tire pressure
warning telltale.
Tread
means that portion of a tire
that comes into contact with
the road.
Tread separation
means pulling away of the
tread from the tire carcass.
•
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If you wish to improve comfort
when operating the vehicle at
normal load (up to 2 occu
pants), you can adjust tire
pressures to those specified
for normal vehicle load. Before
operating the vehicle at maxi mum load, you must increase
the tire pressures to those
specified for maximum vehicle
load
c> .&. .
Bear in mind that the tire pres
sure monitoring system* can
only monitor the tire pressures
you have stored. The system does not recognize the load
condition of your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the tire p ressure monitoring system*
will be impaired if you store normal load pressures but then
operate the vehicle at its maxi
mum load
c> .&. .
Model Tire designation
Engine
RS 5 Cabriolet: 265/35 Rl9 98V XL
4.2
liter High Performance
a-cylinder
275/30 R20 97V XL
High Performance
Tires and wheels 219
See the illustration c> fig. 182
for the location of the label on driver's side B-pillar (color of
the actual label and exact loca
tion on the vehicle 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 discrepancies,
the tire pressure label is locat ed on the driver's side B-pillar
always takes precedence.
The table below lists the rec ommended cold tire inflation pressures for the Audi model
covered by your Owner's Litera
ture at the vehicle's capacity
weight and the tire sizes instal
led on the respective models as
original equipment , or as a fac
tory option.
Tire pressure
normal load condition full load condition (up to 2 occupants)
front rear front rear
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
41 280 38 2 60 45 310 44 300
41 280
38 2
60 4 5 310 44 30 0
•
•
'
XL= reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xi, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire side-
wall.
220 Tires and wheels
Because technical changes may
be made to vehicle equipment
during the model year, always
compare the tire size designa
tion on the tire pressure label
on your vehicle with the tires on
your vehicle. Make sure that the
tire size information on the ve hicle label is the same as the
size of the tires on the vehicle.
This is especially important if
the vehicle belongs to someone else or you bought the vehicle
with different rims/tires or you
bought the vehicle as a previ
ously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and
that of your passengers also de pends on making sure that load
limits are not exceeded . Vehicle
load includes everybody and ev
erything in and on the vehicle.
These load limits are technical
ly referred to as the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR"). The Gross Axle
Weight Rating ("GAWR") is the
maximum load that can be ap
plied at each of the vehicle's
two axles . The Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating and the Gross
Axle Weight Rating are listed on the safety compliance stick- er label located on the driver's
side B-pillar.
The tire pressure
label on your Audi lists the
maximum combined weight of
all of the occupants and lug
gage or other cargo that the ve
hicle can carry. For the location
of the tire pressure label
¢fig. 182.
&_ WARNING
-
Overloading a vehicle can
cause loss of vehicle control,
a crash or other accident, se rious personal injury, and
even death .
-Carrying more weight than
your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the ve
hicle from handling properly
and increase the risk of a
loss of vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may
not be able to stop the vehi
cle within a safe distance.
-Tires on a vehicle that has
been overloaded can fail
suddenly causing loss of
control and a crash.
-Always make sure that the
total load being transported
- including the weight of a
224 Tires and wheels
are located on a sticker on
the driver's side B-pillar.
-Only when all tires on the vehicle are filled to the correct pressure, the tire pres
sure monitoring system*
can work correctly.
-The use of incorrect tire pressure values can lead to
accidents or other damage.
Therefore it is essential that
the driver observe the speci
fied tire pressure values for
the tires and the correct pressures for the function of
the tire pressure monitoring
system*.
-Always inflate tires to the
recommended and correct
tire pressure before driving
off.
-Driving with underinflated
tires bend more, letting
them get too hot resulting
in tread separation, sudden
tire failure and loss of con
trol.
-Excessive speed and/over loading can cause heat
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 .,.
24 0 T ire s and wheel s
According ly, when the low tire pressure te ll
tale illuminates, you shou ld stop and check
your tires as soon as possible, and inf late
them to the proper pressure. Driving on a s ig
n ificantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure. Under-in
flation also reduces fuel efficiency and tire
tread life, and may affect the vehicle's han
dli ng and stopp ing ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a subst itute
for proper tire maintenance, and it is the driv
e r's responsib ility to ma inta in correct tire
p ressu re, even if under- inflation has not
reached the leve l to trigger ill umination of the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your veh icle has also been equ ipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicato r to indica te when
the system is not opera ting properly. The
TPMS mal function indicator is combined wi th
the low tire press ure telltale . When the sys
tem detects a malfunction, the te lltale will
f lash fo r approximately one minute and then
remain cont inuous ly illuminated. This se
quence will continue upon subsequen t vehicle
start -ups as long as the ma lfunction ex ists .
When the malfunct ion indicator is ill uminat
ed, the system may not be able to detect or
signal low t ire pressure as intended . TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of rea
sons , includ ing the installat ion of replace
ment or a lternate tires or whee ls on the veh i
cle that prevent the TPMS from funct ioning
p roperly. Always check the TPM S malf unct ion
tellta le after replacing one o r more t ires or
wheels on your veh icle to ensure that the re
p lacement or a lternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function p roperly. Tire pressure indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: wit h tire press ure mo nitor ing 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 . 1 87 Displa y: un derin flation w arnin g
U sing the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni
toring system compares the tire tread circum
ference and vib ration characteristics of the in
dividua l tires.
If the pressure decreases in one
or more t ires, this is indicated in the instru
ment cluster with a
RI] war ning symbol and a
message ¢
fig. 187 . The driver message in the
display goes out afte r 5 seconds . The driver
message can b e displayed again by pressing
t h e
ISE TI button. If o nly one t ire is affec ted,
the d isp lay w ill indicate its posi tion.
The tire pressure monitoring system must be reset via rad io or M MI* each time the pres
su res a re adjusted (e.g. when swit ching be
tween partial and f ull load p ress ure) or after
changing or rep lacing a tire on your ve hicle
¢
page 241 . The TPMS indicator only mon i
tors the ti re pressure that yo u have previous ly
stored. You can find the recommended tire
pressures for your vehicle on the label on driv
er 's side 8-pillar ¢
page 217.
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac
teristics can change and cause a ti re pressure
warning if:
- the tire press ure in one or more tires is too
low,
- the t ire has struc tural damage,
- t he t ire p ress ure was c hanged, wheels rota t-
ed or rep laced but the TPMS was not reset
¢ page 241. ..,_
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Warning symbol s
ti] Loss of p ressure in at least one tire c::> ,&. .
Check the tire or tires and replace o r repair if
necessary . The indicator light
ti] in the instru
ment cluster also illuminates
c::> page 13.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS v ia radio or MMI*.
liif:I ( T ire Pressure Monitoring System) Ti re
p ressu re : Sys tem malfun ction !.
Ifffi:m appears after sw itching the ign ition on
or while driving and the indicator light
ti] in
the instrument cluster blinks for approxi
mate ly one min ute and then stays on, there is
a system malfunction. Attempt to store the
correct t ire pressure
c::> page 241. If the ind i
cator light does not turn off or if it turns on
shortly thereafter, immediately drive your ve h icle to an authorized Audi dealer or author
i zed repair facility to have the malfunction
corrected.
_& WARNING
- If the t ire pressure indicator appea rs in
the instrument cl uster display, one or
more of you r tires is significantly under
inflated. Reduce your speed immediately
and avoid any hard steering or braking
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and
check the t ires and the ir pressures . In
flate the tire pressure to the proper pres sure as indicated on the vehicle's t ire
pressure label
c::> page 217. Driving o n a
signific antly under-inflated tire ca uses
the tire to overhea t and can lead to tire
f ailure. Under-inflation also is likely to
impair the vehicle's handling and stop
ping ability.
- The driver is responsible for maintaining
the correct tire pressures . You must
check the t ire pressures regular ly.
- Under certain cond itions (such as a spor
ty driving style, w inter condit ions or un
paved roads), the pressure monitor ind i
cator may be de layed.
-Ask your authorized Audi dealer if run flat tires may be used on your veh icle.
Tire s an d wheel s 241
(D Tips
-The tire pressure monitor ing system may
stop working when there is an ESC ma l
function.
- Using snow c hains may res ult in a system
ma lf u nction.
- The tire pressure mon itoring system on
your Audi was deve loped using tires with
the "ROl" identificat ion on the tire side
wall
c::> page 230. We recommend using
these tires.
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
App lies to vehicles : wit h tire p ress ure mo nitor ing system
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels ore ro
tated or changed, the TPMS must be reset via
radio or MM!*.
.,. Before storing the new t ire pressures, check
that the current pressures on all four tires
correspond to the specified va lues and
adapt the pressures to the current load
c::> page 217 .
.,. Switch on the ignition.
.,. Select: the
I CARI fu nct ion button > Tir e pre s
sure monitoring
> Store now . Or
.,. Select: the
I CAR I fu nction button > Car s ys
tem s*
contro l butto n > Servicing & checks >
Tire p ressure monitoring > Sto re tire pres
sures
> Yes , store now .
(D Tips
Do not store the tire pressure if there are
snow cha ins on the tire. Otherwise, a sys
tem malfunction may occur.
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~ Engage th e pa rkin g bra ke to p revent your
v eh icl e from ro lling unintentionally ¢,&. .
~ Move the sele ctor le ve r to the P po siti on.
~ Take the jack c> page 242 out of the l uggage
compartment .
_& WARNING
You or your passengers cou ld be injured
wh ile changing a wheel if you do not fol
low t hese safety precautions :
-If you have a flat t ire, move a safe dis
tance off the road. Turn off the eng ine,
tu rn the emergency flashers o n and use
othe r warning dev ices to alert o ther mo
torists.
- Make su re that passengers wai t in a safe
place away from the vehi cle and well
away from the road and traff ic.
- T o help p revent the veh icle from mov ing
sudden ly and possibly slipping off the
jack, a lways fully set the parking brake
and block the whee l diagona lly opposite
the wheel being changed with the fo ld
ing chocks or other objects. When one
front wheel is lifted off the ground, plac ing the Automat ic Transm iss ion in "P"
(Park) w ill
not prevent the vehicle from
moving.
- Before you change a wheel, be sure the ground is level and firm. If necessa ry,
use a sturdy board under the jack.
- Always store the vehicle tool kit , the
jack* and the replaced ti re in the luggage
compartment
c> page 118.
([) Note
If you are chang ing the wheel on a steep
incline, use a rock or similar object to
b lock the opposite whe el to prevent the
veh icle from mov ing.
Obey all laws.
What do I do now? 245
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel , follow these
quence described below step-by-step and in
exactly that order.
l. Remove the w heel bolt cap s* . For more
details see also
c> page 246, Wheels with
wheel bolt caps .
2. Loosen the wheel bolts .:>page 246.
3. Locate the p roper mounting point fo r the
jack and align the jack below that point
.:> page 247 .
4. Lift the car with the jack Q page 247 .
5. Remov e the wheel with the flat tire and
then install the other wheel
c> page 248.
6. Tig hten all wheel bolts lightly.
7.
Lower the vehicle with the jack .
8 . Use the wheel bolt w rench and
firmly
t ighten all wheel bolts in a crisscross pat
te rn
Q page 246.
9. Replace the whe el bolt cap s*.
WARNING
A lways read and fo llow all WARN INGS and
information
Q .&. in Raising the vehicle on
page 247
and ¢ page 249 .
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not complete without the
doing the following .
~ Always store the vehicle tool kit, t he jack*,
and the rep laced tire in the lugg age com
par tment
Q page 118.
~ As soon as possib le, have the t ight ening
torque s
on all wheel bolts checked with a
torque w rench. The correct tightening to r
que is 90 ft lbs. (120 Nm).
~ Have the flat tire replaced as soon as possi
ble.
(D Tips
- If you not ice that the wheel bolts are
corroded and diff icult to turn while
chang ing a tire, they should be replaced
before you check the tightening torque . •
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Tires with unidirectional tread design
Tires with unidirectional tread design must be
mounted with their tread pattern pointed in the right direction.
Using a replacement tire with a tre ad
patte rn intend ed for us e in a specific
directi on
When us ing a replacement t ire with a tread
pattern intended for use in a specific direc
tion, please note the fo llowing:
- T he direction of rotation is marked by an
ar
row on th e side of the tire.
- If the replacement tire has to be installed in
t h e incorrect d irection, use the tire only
temporarily since the tire will no t be able to
achieve its optimum performance character
istics with regard to aquaplaning, noise and
wear .
- We recommend that you pay particular at
tention to this fact during wet weather and
that you adjust your speed to match road conditions.
- Replace the flat tire with a new one and
have it installed on your veh icle as soon as
poss ible to restore the handling advantages
of a unid irect ional tire.
Notes on wheel changing
P lease read the information ¢ page 230, New
tires and replacing tires and wheels
i f you are
go ing to use a replacement tire w hich is dif
fe rent from the tires on your vehicle.
After you change a ti re:
- Chec k the ti re p ress ure on the rep lacement
t ire immed ia tel y aft er in stall ation.
- Ha ve the wheel bolt tightening torque
checked w ith a to rqu e wrench as soon as
possible by your autho riz ed Aud i dealer o r
qualifi ed wor kshop .
- With steel and allo y wheel rims , the wheel
bol ts are correctl y tightened at a to rque of
9 0 ft lb s. (120 Nm ).
- If y ou no tice th at the whee l bolts are cor
roded and d ifficult to tu rn whil e cha nging
What do I do now? 249
a tire , th ey s hould be repl aced before you
c heck the tightening torq ue.
- Repl ac e th e flat ti re with a new on e and
ha ve it in sta lled on you r veh icle as s oon a s
po ssible. Remount the whee l cove r.
Until then , dri ve with extr a care and at r e
du ced sp ee ds.
A WARNING
-=
- If you are going to equip your vehicle
with tires or rims which differ from those
which were factory installed, then be sure to read the information ¢
page 230,
New tires and replacing tires and
wheels.
- Always make sure the damaged wheel or
even a flat tire and the jack and tool kit
are properly secured in the luggage com
partment and are not loose in the pas
senger compartment.
- In an accident or sudden maneuver they
co uld fly forwa rd, injuring anyone in the
veh icle.
- Always sto re damaged wheel, jack and
too ls securely in the luggage compa rt
men t. Othe rwise, in an accident or s ud
den maneuver they co uld f ly forward,
causing injury to passengers in the vehi
cle.
([) Note
Do not use commercially avai lab le tire
sea lants. O therwise, the e lectr ica l compo
nents of the tire pressure monitoring sys
tem * wi ll no longer work properly and the
sensor for the tire pressure mon itor ing
system* will have to be replaced by quali
fied workshop. •
•