M N
0:: loo ,...., \!) 1.1'1
N 1.1'1 ,....,
Winter tires
When driving in the w inter, your vehicle w ith all
wheel drive has an advantage, even with regular
tires. In winter road conditions it may be advisa
ble to mount winter tires (or all-season tires) for
improved driveability and braking: these tires
must be mounted on
all four wheels. See also
c:> page 211, Winter tires .
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain
roads, th is normally also applies to vehicles with
all-wheel drive
c:> page 211, Snow chains.
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles w ith all-wheel drive must a lways have
tires of the same size . Also avoid tires with differ
ent tread depths. For details see page
c:> page 203, New tires or wheels.
Off-Road driving?
Your Audi does not have enough ground clear
ance to be used as an off-road vehicle. It is there
fore best to avoid rough tracks and uneven ter
rain as much as possible . Also refer to
c:>page 177.
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to road and traffic
conditions. Do not let the extra safety afford
ed by all-wheel drive tempt you into tak ing
extra risks .
- Although the all-wheel drive is very effec
tive, always remember that braking capac ity
is limited by tire traction. You should there
fore 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 be
gin to slide on top of the water (aquaplan
ing). If this should occur, you will have no
warning from a sudden increase in engine speed as with a front-whee l drive vehicle .
Always drive at speeds which are suited to
the road conditions -risk of crash .
Smart Technology
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution of
electrical energy and thus optimizes the availa
bility of electrical energy for starting the engine.
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system is
not driven for a long period of time, the battery
is d ischarged by idling current consumers (e.g .
immobilizer). In certain circumstances it can re
su lt in there being insufficient energy available to
sta rt the eng ine .
Intelligent energy management in your vehicle
hand les the distribution of electrical energy .
Starting ability is markedly improved and the life
of the battery is extended.
Basically, energy management consists of
bat
tery diagnosis , idling current management
and
dynamic energy management .
Battery diagnosis
Battery diagnosis continuously determines the
state of the battery . Sensors determine battery
voltage, battery current and battery tempera
ture . T his determines the current state of charge
and the power of the battery.
Idling current management
Idling current management reduces energy con
sumption while the vehicle is standing . With the
ignition switched off, it controls the energy sup
ply to the various electrical components. Data
from battery d iagnosis is considered.
Depend ing on the battery's state of charge, indi
vidual consumers are gradually turned off to pre
vent excessive discha rge of the batte ry and thus
mainta in starting capability.
Dynamic energy management
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic energy
manageme nt distr ibutes the energy gene rated
accord ing to the needs of the individual compo
nents.
It regu lates consumption, so that more
elect rical energy is not being used than is be ing
generated and ensures an optima l state of
charge for the battery. ..,.
175
Wheels
(D Tires for passenger vehicles
(if applicable)
P indicates a tire for a passenger
vehicle. T indicates a tire desig
nated for temporary use .
@ Nominal width
Nominal width of the tire be
tween the sidewalls in millime
ters . In general: the larger the
number, the wider the tire.
@ Aspect ratio
Height/width ratio expressed as a
percentage.
@ Tire construction
R indicates a radial tire.
® Rim diameter
Size of the rim diameter in inches .
@ Load index and speed rating
The load index indicates the tire's
load-carrying capacity.
The speed rating indicates the
maximum permitted speed
¢ & in
W inter tires on page 211 .
"EXTRA LOAD", "xl" or "RF" indi
cates that the tire is reinforced or
is an Extra Load tire.
Speed rat- Maximum permitted speed
ing
p
up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (160 km/h)
202
Speed rat- Maximum permitted speed
Ing
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
s up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
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)a>
z above 149 mph (240 km/h)a)
w up to 168 mph (270 km/h)a)
y up to 186 mph (300 km/h)a)
a) For tires above 149 mph (240 km/h),
tire manufacturers sometimes use the
code "ZR".
(J) US DOT number (TIN) and
manufacture date
The manufacture date is listed on
the tire sidewall (it may only ap
pear on the inner side of the tire) :
DOT ... 4514 ...
means , for example, that the tire
was produced in the 45th week of
the year 2014.
@ Audi Original equipment
tires
Audi Original equipment tires
with the designation "RO" have
been specially matched to your
Audi. When used correctly, these
tires meet the highest standards
of safety and handling. Your au
thorized Audi dealer will be happy
to provide more information . ..,.
® Mud and snow capability
"M/S" or "M+S" indicates the tire
has characte ris tics that make it
suitable for driving on mud and snow .
& indica tes a winter tire.
@ Composition of the tire cord
and materials
T he number of plies indicates the
number of rubbe rized fabr ic lay
e rs in the t ire . In general: t he
more layers, the more weight a
tire can carry. Tire manufa ctu re rs
must also specify the mater ials
used in the t ire. These include
stee l, nylon, polyester and other
materials.
@ Maximum permitted load
This number indicates the maxi
mum load in kilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry.
@ Uniform tire quality grade
standards for treadwear,
traction and temperature resistance
Treadwear, traction and tempera
ture ranges¢
page 212 .
@Running direction
The arrows ind icate the running
direction of un idirect ional tires.
You m ust always follow the speci- fied
running d irection
¢ page 223.
€3) Maximum permitted
inflation pressure
Whe els
T his number ind icates the max i
mum pressure to which a ti re can
be inflated unde r no rmal opera t
ing conditio ns.
New tires or wheels
Audi recommends having al l work
on t ires or wheels pe rformed by
an authorized Audi dealer or au
thorized repair facility. These fa
cilities have the proper know le d ge
and are equippe d with t he re
qu ired t ools and rep lacement
parts.
... New tires do not yet have the
optimum adhesion properties.
Drive caref ully and a t moderate
speeds for the first 3S0 m iles
(500 km) with new tires .
... use tires of the same cons truc
tion , size (ro lling circum ference)
and the same tread pattern on
a ll four w hee ls .
... Do not replace t ires individua lly.
At least rep lace b oth tires on the
same ax le at the same time .
.,. A udi recommends t hat yo u use
A udi Or ig inal equipment tires. If ,.
20 3
Wheels
you would like to use different tires, please note that the tires
may perform differently even if
they are the same size¢
&-
~ If you would like to equip your
vehic le with a tire/rim combina
tion that is different from what
was installed at the factory, con
sult with an authorized Audi dealer or authorized repair facili
ty before making a purchase
¢ & .
All four wheels must be equipped
with tires that are the same brand
and have the same construction
and tread pattern so that the
drive system is not damaged by
different tire speeds .
.&._ 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
20 4
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 absolutely necessary and drive
carefully when doing so.
- 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. 170 Tire profile: Treadwear indica -
~r ~
A WARNING
Always adapt the tire pressure
to your driving style and vehicle load.
-Overloading can lead to loss of
vehicle control and increase the risk of an accident. Read
and follow the important
safety precautions in
¢ page 208, Tires and vehicle
load limits.
-The tire must flex more if the tire pressure is too low or if the vehicle speed or load are
too high. This heats the tire up too much. This increases the
risk of an accident because it
can cause the tire to burst and result in loss of vehicle con
trol.
Tire pressure table
Please note that the information
contained in the following table
was correct at the time of print
ing, and the information is sub
ject to change. If there are differ
ences between this information
and the tire pressures specified
on the label on the driver's side B
pillar, always follow the specifica
tion on the B-pillar label
¢ page 206, fig . 171 .
Wheels
-Incorrect tire pressure increas
es tire wear and has a negative
effect on driving and braking behavior, which increases the
risk of an accident.
(D Note
Replace lost valve caps to re
duce the risk of damage to the
tire valves.
@ For the sake of the environment
Tire pressure that is too low in
creases fuel consumption.
(D Tips
Audi recommends using the
tire pressure specified for a nor
mal load¢
page 207 or for a
full load when the vehicle is
partially loaded.
Make sure that the tire designa
tion on your tire matches the des
ignation on the tire pressure label
and the tire pressure table.
The following table lists recom
mended tire pressures in cold
tires according to the load and
the size of the tires installed.
207
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
0:: loo ,...., \!) ..,.,
N ..,., ,....,
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