Wheels
Model Tire designation Tire pressure
Engine normal load condition full load condition
(up to 2 occupants)a l
front rear front rear
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
PSI kPA
RS 5 Coupe: 265/35 Rl9 98V XL
4.2 liter High Performance
39 27
0
35 2
40 44
300 41
280
8-cylinder
275/30 R20 97V XL
High Performance
39 270 35 240
44 300 41 280
XL= reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xl, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire sidewall.
a) 2 people in the front
_& WARNING
Please note the important safe
ty precautions regarding tire pressure ¢
page 206 and load
limits ¢
page 208.
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
loss of vehicle control, but can al
so damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden
tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation that can
cause the vehicle to crash .
Your safety and that of your pas sengers also depends on making
sure that load limits are not ex
ceeded. Vehicle load includes ev-
208
erybody and everything in and on
the vehicle. These load limits are
technically 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
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. ..,.
Wheels
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 vehicle 's placard
(tire inflation pressure label)
¢ page 206 , fig. 171 .
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"
pounds shown on the sticker
¢ page 206, fig. 171.
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 be five 150 lbs. passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5 X 150) = 650
lbs.)
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely ex-
210
c eed the available ca rgo and
luggage load capa city calculat
ed in Step 4 .
6. If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your vehic le . Consult thi s manual to de
termine how this reduce s the
available cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle .
~check the tire sidewall
(¢ page 201 , fig. 169) to deter
mine the designated load rating
for a spe cific tire.
· Wheel bolts and rims
Wheel bolts
W heel bolts must be clean and loosen/ tighten
e asi ly.
Rims
Rims with a bo lted rim ring* or with bo lted whee l
cove rs* cons ist of mult iple p iec es. T hese com po
nen ts wer e bolte d together using specia l bo lts
a nd a s pe ci al procedu re . Yo u m us t n ot rep air or
d is as semb le th em ¢
&.
_&. WARNING
Wh eel bo lts tha t are ti ghtene d or r epa ired i n
cor rectly ca n be come lo o se and res ult in loss
of vehicle control , wh ic h increases the risk of
an accident. For t he cor rect tightenin g specif i
cati on, refer to¢
page 219 , A~er changing a
wheel.
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the threa ds
in the wh eel hub clean and free of grease.
- On ly us e whee l bolts that f it t he rim .
- Always have damaged rim s repaire d by an
auth orized Audi dealer or auth orized re p air
facility. Neve r repa ir or disassemble r ims
M N
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N ..,., ,....,
yourself, because this increases the risk of
an acc ident.
Winter tires
W inter tires sign ificantly improve t he vehicle's
h andling when drivi ng in winter condit ions. Be
cause of the ir construction (width, compound,
tread pattern), summer t ires p rov ide less t ract ion
on ice and snow.
.. Use w in ter t ires on all four wheels.
.. Only use winter tires that are approved for your
vehicle .
" Please note that the maximum permitted
speed may be lower w it h w inter tir es ~,&. .
You r authorized Audi dea le r or a uthorized re
pair facility can in form you about the maximum
permitted speed fo r yo ur tires.
.. Check the tire pressure after insta lling wheels
~ page 206.
The effectiveness of winte r tires is reduced great
l y when the tread is worn dow n to a depth of
0 .157 inch (4 mm). The characteristics of w inter
tires also decrease greatly as the tire ages, re
gardless of the remai ning 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 ac cident be cause it can cause
the tire to b urst.
- Always adapt you r driv ing to the road and
t raff ic conditions. Dr ive ca refully and re duce
yo ur speed on icy or slippery roads. Even
w inter tires can lose tract ion on black ice.
@ For the sake of the environment
Reinstall summer tires at the approp riate
t ime, because they prov ide be tter h and ling
when roads a re free of snow and ice. S ummer
tires ca use less road no ise, tire wea r and fuel
consumption.
Wheels
{!) Tips
You can also use a ll season tires instead of
winter tires. P lease note that in some coun
tries where w inter tires are required, only win
ter tires w ith the
& symbol may be permit
ted.
Snow chains
Snow chains improve traction in the snow .
.. On ly install snow chains on the front wheels .
T his applies a lso to vehicles with a ll whee l
drive .
.. Check and correct the seating of the snow
chains if necessary after driving a few feet . Fol
low the instructions from the manufactu rer .
.. Note the maximum permitted speed when dr iv
ing wit h snow chains . Do not exceed 30 mph
(SO km/h).
Snow c ha ins not only improve the
driving in w in
te r road cond itions , 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 dea ler or author
ized repa ir fac ility to see if you may use snow
chains.
Use
fine-mesh snow chains. They must not add
more than 0 .41 inch (10 .5 mm) in he ight, includ
i ng the cha in lock.
You must remove the chains when driving on roads that are
free of snow . When roads are free
of snow, snow cha ins can impair handl ing and
damage the tires, and the chains wi ll quickly be
dest royed.
A WARNING
Using incor re ct snow chains o r insta lli ng snow
cha ins incorrect ly can result in loss of ve hicle
control, which increases the risk of an acci
dent .
(D Note
Snow ch ains can damage the rims/wheel cov
ers * if the chains come into direct contact
211
Wheels
with them . Remove the whee l cove rs * firs t.
Use coated snow c hains .
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect ra
tio tires. These tires have been thoro ughly tested
a nd been se lected specifically fo r yo ur model for
their superb per formance, road feel a nd handling
un der a va riety of d riving conditions. Ask you r au
thor ized Audi dealer for more deta ils.
The low aspect ratio of these tires is indicated by
a numeral of
55 or less i n the tire's size des igna
tion . Th e nu mera l re p resen ts th e r atio of t he
tire's sidewall he igh t in relation to i ts trea d w idt h
e xpres sed in per centage. Convent io na l ti res h ave
a heig ht/w idth ra tio of 6 0 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 pre ssure is regularly
checked and maintained. Tire pressu res should
be checked at least once a month and always
before a long trip<=> page 206.
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
r idges on the road, part icu larly if the t ire is un
de rinflated .
In order to m inimize the occu rrence o f impact
damage to the t ires of your vehicle, we recom
mend that y ou obse rve the following precau
tions:
- Always maintain recommende d inflation pres
s u res. Check your tire press ure eve ry 2,000
miles (3,000 km) and add air if necessary.
- Drive carefully on roads w ith po tholes, deep
gull ies or r idg es. The impact from d rivin g
t hr ough or over such obstacles can damage
yo ur tires. Impact w ith a curb may also cause
damage to you r ti res .
- After any impact, im mediately inspect your
t ir es or have th em inspected by the neares t au-
212
thori zed A udi d ealer. Re place a damaged t ire as
soo n as possible .
- Inspe ct your tires every 2, 000 m iles (3,0 00 km)
for damage and wear. Damage is not always easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of air and
unde rinflation, wh ic h co uld event ua lly cause
tire failure. If you believe t hat a t ire may have
been damaged, rep lace the t ire as soon as p os
sible .
- These tires may wea r more quickly than others.
- Please also remember t hat, while these t ires
delive r responsive handling, they may r ide less
comfortably a nd make mo re noise than othe r
choices.
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
A ll tires are designed for certain purposes. The
l ow aspect ratio, ultra hig h pe rformance t ires
o rigina lly ins talled on your veh icle are intende d
fo r max imum dry an d wet road p erformanc e and
h and ling . They are n ot suitab le for co ld , sn owy or
i cy we ather condi tio ns . If you dr ive und er those
c ircu mstances, you sho uld equi p your vehi cle
with a ll-season o r winter tires, which offe r bette r
traction under those co ndit ions. We suggest you
u se the recommended snow or all-season tires
spec ified for your vehicle, or t he ir equiva le nt.
Refe r to
<=> page 211 fo r more detai led informa
tion rega rding w inte r ti res .
Uniform tire quality grading
-T read wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature A BC
Quality g rades c an be fou nd where applicab le on
th e tire side w all b etwee n tre ad shoulder and
ma ximum sec tion wid th
<=>p age 201, fig . 16 9.
For example: Tr ead w ea r 200 , Traction AA , Tem
pera ture
A .
All passenger ca r tir es must conform to Federa l
Safety Requirem ents in addi tion to these grades .
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wea r rate of the t ire when tested
M N
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under controlled conditions on a specified gov
ernment test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one ha lf (11/2) times as well on the govern
ment course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon
the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the tire's
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured un
der controlled conditions on specified govern ment test surfaces of asphalt and concrete . A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance
¢ .&. .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C, representing the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the mate rial of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure
¢ .&. .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform
ance which all passenger car tires must meet un
der the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher levels
of performance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by law .
A WARNING
-
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on stra ight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor
nering, hydroplan ing or peak traction charac
teristics.
Wheels
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is estab lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or
in comb ination , can cause heat buildup and
possible tire failure.
A WARNING
-
-
Temperature grades apply to tir es that are
properly inflated and not over or underinflat
ed.
Tire pressure monitoring system
ill General notes
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and inflat
ed to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or
tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure la
bel, you should determine the proper tire infla
tion pressure for those tires) .
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure tell
tale when one or more of your tires is significant
ly under-inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you shou ld stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure . Driving on a signifi
cant ly under-inflated tire causes the tire 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. .,.
213
Wheels
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
malfunction, 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 ex ists.
When the malfunct ion 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, incl uding the
installation of rep lacement or a lternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction tellta le 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.
If the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
indicator appears
A pp lies to veh icles: w ith tire pressure moni toring sys te m
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. 173 In stru ment cluste r: indicator 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
d isp lay w ith an ind icator light
RE and a message.
214
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 rep lacing a tire on
your vehicle ¢
page 215. The tire pressure moni
toring system on ly monitors the tire pressure you
have stored. Refer to the tire pressure label for
the recommended tire pressure for your vehicle
¢ page 206, fig. 172 .
Tire tread circumference and vibration character
istics can change and cause a tire pressure warn
ing if:
- the t ire 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 215.
Indicator lights
RE loss of pressure in at least one tire¢&. .
Check the tires and replace or r epair if necessary .
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires and
store the press ure again in the Infotainment sys
tem
¢ page 215.
mn:J (T ire Pr essure Mon itoring System) Tire pres
sure: System malfunction!. If@m
appears after
switching the ignition on or while driving and the
RE indicator 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
¢ page 215. If
the indicator light does turn off or turns on aga in
after a short period of time, drive to your author
i zed Audi dealer or qualified repair facility imme
diately to have the ma lfunct ion corrected.
,&. WARNING
- If the tire pressure ind icator appears in the
display, reduce yo ur 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 regu larly. .,..
M N
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N 1.1'1 ,....,
-Under certain cond itions (such as a sporty
dr iv ing style, winter cond itions or unpaved
roads), the t ire pressure monitoring system
indicator may be delayed .
- Do not use run-flat tires on your veh icle. Us
ing them when not permitted can lead to
vehicle damage or accidents.
(D Tips
- The t ire pressure monitoring system can al
so stop work ing when there is an ESC ma l
funct ion.
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The t ires with the ident ificat ion "RO"
c:> page 203 have been matched with your
Audi tire pressure monitoring system. We
recommend that you use these tires.
Storing tire pressures
App lies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring 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 t ires meet the specified va lues and
are adapted to the load
c:> page 206 .
.. Switch the ign ition on .
.. Se lect: the
ICARI function button > Tire pres
s ur e m onitoring
control button. Or
.. Se lect: the
I CAR I function button > Car Sy s
tem s*
control button > Servici ng & check s >
Tir e p re ss ure monitorin g.
@ Tips
Do not store the t ire press ures if snow cha ins
are installed.
Wheels
215
"' N
0:: loo
rl I.O
"' N
"' rl
TMS can be used at temperatures down to -4 °F
(- 20 °C).
A WARNING
Take the following precautions after repairing
the tire:
- Do not drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/ h)!
- Avoid full -throttle acceleration, heavy brak -
ing and fast corner ing.
- T he ve hicle's road behavior can be affec ted.
- T ir es sealed w ith
TMS a re intended only for
temporary , short-t erm use. Damaged t ires
must be replaced. D rive carefully to the nex t
professional repair facility .
- After using the tire sea lant the tire pressure
monitoring system may no longer work
properly . Drive ca refully to the next profes
sional repair facility.
- TMS must NOT be used,
- for cuts or punctures in the tire which a re
larger than 0.16 inch (4 mm)
- for damage to the rim
- if you have been driv ing with very low tire
pressures or tires with no air
- Seek profess ional assistance if it is not pos
sible to repair the tire with the tire sealant.
- The tire sealant must not come into contact
with skin, eyes or clothing.
- If you get any tire sealant in your eyes or
come into contact with it, rinse the affected
area thoroughly with clean water. F ind a
physician immediately!
- Change any cloth ing contaminated with t ire
sealant immediately.
- Do not inhale the vapor!
- If you have swallowed tire sealant, rinse
yo ur mouth thorough ly right away and drink
plenty of water.
- Do not induce vomiting! F ind a phys ic ian
immed iate ly!
- If you have allergic reactions, find a physi
cian immediately.
- Keep the t ire sealant away from chi ldren.
(D Note
Do not use commerc ia lly available tire sea l
ants. The electrical components of the tire
Em erg en cy ass is tan ce
press ure monitoring system w ill no longe r
work properly .
@ For the sake of the environment
Used sealant bottles ca n be dropped off a t a
recycling fac ility.
© Tips
- If sea la nt has run o ut, allow i t to d ry. Then
yo u ca n pee l it off.
- Have the tire sea lant rep laced eve ry 4 years
at a de alership.
Making a tire repair
Fig. 176 Maki ng a t ire repair
Pr eliminary steps
"' If you have a flat tire, park the vehicle as far as
possible from moving traffic .
"' App ly the parking b rake firmly.
"' Move the selector lever to the P pos ition
"' Check whether a repair using the Tire Mobility
System is possib le
~ page 216.
"' Have all passengers leave the vehicle and stay
away from the danger zone
Q _A .
"'Take the sea lant bottle and the electric air
pump from the luggage compartment under
the floor <=>
page 216.
"' Remove the "max . 50 mph" (80 km/h) sticker
from the sealant bottle and aff ix it to the in
s trument cluster in the driver 's view.
Filling a tire
"' Shake the bott le thoroughly before filling.
"' Screw the accompanying fi lling hose complete-
ly onto the bottle . This breaks through the foil
s e al automat ica lly a t the connect ion.
217