64 Seats and storage
-Make sure the roof rack is installed exact
ly as specified above
r::;, page 62.
- Always use suitable mounting straps for
securing items to the roof rack to help
prevent items from shifting or flying for
ward.
- Items on the roof rack must always be
securely mounted.
- The use of a roof rack can negatively af
fect the way a vehicle handles. Cargo
that is large, heavy, bulky, long or flat
will have a greater negative influence on
the vehicle's aerodynamics, center of gravity and overall handling. Always
drive slowly, avoid sudden braking and
maneuvers when transporting cargo on
the roof of your vehicle.
- Never exceed the maximum permissible
load carrying capacity of the roof of your
vehicle, the permissible axle weights and
the permissible total weight of your veh i
cle
r::;, page 286, Weights.
@ For the sake of the environment
As a result of the increased wind resist
ance created by a roof rack, your vehicle is
using fuel unnecessarily. So remove the
roof rack after using it .
Luggage compartment
Loading luggage compartment
Luggage items must be stowed securely .
Fig. 58 Place heavy objects as far forward as possible.
Note the following to preserve the vehicle's
good handling characteristics .
.,. Distribute the load as evenly as possible .
0
s
> "' m
.,. Place heavy objects as far forward as possi
ble
r::;, fig. 58.
.,. Secure luggage items with the cargo net* or
with non-elastic retaining straps to the tie
down rings*
r::;, page 65.
A WARNING
- Loose objects in the luggage compart
ment can slide about suddenly and alter
the vehicle's handling characteristics.
- Loose objects in the passenger compart
ment can fly forward during abrupt ma
neuvers or accidents and injure occu
pants.
- Always store objects in the luggage com
partment and use suitable straps, partic
ularly w ith heavy objects.
- When you transport heavy objects, al
ways remember that a change in the cen
ter of gravity may result in a change in
the vehicle's handling characteristics.
- Follow all warnings
¢page 125, Driving
safety.
'
(D Tips
The tire pressure must be adjusted to the
load -see the tire pressure sticker located
on the driver's side B-pillar.
General information
A WARNING ,-
Refer to the chapter Driving Safely
r::;, page 125, Driving safety for important
information , tips, suggestions and warn
ings that you should read and follow for
your own safety and the safety of your pas
sengers .
132 Driving saf ety
A WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your ve
hicle handles. To help reduce the risk of a
loss of control leading to ser ious personal
injury:
-Always keep in m ind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the cen
ter of gravity can also cause changes in
vehicle handling:
- Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Ax le Weight Rat
ing or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
specified on the safety compliance stick
er on the left door jamb. Exceeding per
missible we ight standards can cause the
vehicle to slide and handle differently.
- Please observe information on safe driv
ing
opoge 125.
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from be ing drawn into the veh icle, always
keep the rea r lid closed while dr iving.
- Never transport objects larger than those fitting completely into the luggage
area because the rear lid cannot be fully
cl osed.
- If you absolutely must drive w ith the rear
lid open, observe the follow ing notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all w indows,
- Close the power roof *,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Sw itch off the air recircu lation,
- Set the fresh a ir fan to the highes t
speed.
A WARNING
Always ma ke s ure th at the doors, all win
dows, the power roo f* and the rear lid are
securely closed and locked to reduce the risk of injury when the vehicle is not being
used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es
pecially with the rear lid left open. A
child cou ld craw l into the vehicle thro ugh
the luggage compartment and close the rea r lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out. Being t rapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious pe rsonal in jury.
- Never let children play in or around the veh icle.
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compa rtment. Vehicle occupants must
always be prope rly restra ined in one of
the vehicle's seating posit ions.
(D Tips
- Air circulation helps to reduce window
fogging. Stale a ir escapes to the outside
through vents in the t rim panel. Be sure
to keep these slots free and open.
- The tire pressure m ust correspond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the
t ire pressure label. The tire pressure la
bel is located on the drive r's side B-pilla r.
The tire pressure label lists the recom
mended co ld tire inflation pressures for
the vehicle at its maxim um capacity
we ight and the tires that we re on your
vehicle at the t ime it was manufactured.
For recommended tire pressures for nor
ma l load cond itions, please see chapter
opoge240.
Tie -downs
The luggage comportment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items.
Use the t ie-downs to secure your cargo prop
erly
o page 131, Loading the luggage com
portment .
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi-
cle w ill become heavy missiles t hat can cause .,..
202 Trailer towing
Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a tra iler, p lease remember
that the addit ional load will affect durab ility,
economy and performance .
T railer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra
tion from the driver.
F or this reason, always fo llow the operating
and drivi ng i nstr uctions provided and use
common sense.
Technical requirements
Traile r hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer we ight. The hitch must be suita
b le for your veh icle and trailer and mu st be
mounted secure ly on the ve hicle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a trailer
h itch with a removab le ball mount. A lways
check with the tr ailer hitch manu fac tur er to
make sure tha t you are using t he cor rect
hitch.
Do not us e a bumper hitch .
The hitch must be installed in such a way t hat
it does not interfe re with t he impact-absorb
ing bumper syst em . No mod ifications should
be made to the vehi cle exhaust and brake sys
tems . From time to time, check th at a ll hit ch
mo unt ing bo lts remain secure ly fastened.
When you are not towing a trail er, remove the
tra iler hitch ba ll mount. This prevents the
hi tch from causing d amage sho uld your ve hi
cle be str uck from be hind
¢ A .
Trailer brakes
If you r tra ile r is eq uipped w ith a braking sys
tem, check to be su re that it conforms to a ll
r egulat ions . T
he trailer hyd raulic brake system mus t not be
direct ly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system .
Safety chains
Always use s afety chains be tween your ve hicle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Tra ile r li ghts must meet all regulations. Be
su re to c hec k w ith your Audi dea le r fo r cor rect
wiring, swi tches and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
u sing the regular o utside m irrors, then you
must insta ll ext ended mirro rs . It is important
t h at you
always have clea r vis io n to the rea r.
,8. WARNING
-
Afte r removing t he trailer hit ch, d o no t
s tore it in yo ur vehicle . In case of sudden
br aking, t he h itch cou ld fly forward an d in
j ur e you or yo ur passengers .
Operating instructions
Maximum traile r weight
A trai le r fo r you r vehicle is limited to a typi cal
class 1 or class 2 trai le r.
Trailer load distribution
B e sure the load in the t ra ile r is held secure ly
i n p lace to p reven t it from shift ing forw ard,
backw ard or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢ A in Driving instru ctions on page 203.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard
er . It is impo rtant that the cooling system 's
performance is up to the additional load .
Make su re that the coo ling system has enough
fl uid .
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to t he cold tire pressure listed under
ll>
234 Tires and wheels
and make of tire and the tread
pattern.
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and rims is of
ten not readily visible. If you
notice unusual vibration or the
vehicle pulls to one side, this may indicate that one of the
tires has been damaged . The
tires must be checked immedi
ately by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop.
Unidirectional tires
A unidirectional tire can be identified by arrows on the
sidewall, that point in the direc
tion the tire is designed to ro
tate. You must follow the speci
fied direction of rotation. This is
necessary so that these tires
can develop their optimum
characteristics regarding grip,
road noise, wear and hydro
planing resistance. For more in
formation
¢page 274.
&_ WARNING
New tires or tires that are
old, worn or damaged cannot provide maximum control
and braking ability. -New
tires tend to be slip
pery and must also be bro
ken-in. To reduce the risk of
losing control, a collision
and serious personal inju
ries, drive with special care
for the first 350 miles (560 km).
-Driving with worn or dam aged tires can lead to loss of
control, sudden tire failure,
including a blowout and
sudden deflation, crashes
and serious personal injuries. Have worn or damaged
tires replaced immediately.
-Tires age even if they are
not being used and can fail
suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more
than 6 years old can only be
used in an emergency and
then with special care and at low speed.
-Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of their "previous histo
ry." Old used tires may have
been damaged even though
the damage cannot be seen
that can lead to sudden tire
failure and loss of vehicle
control.
...
236 Tires a nd whee ls
Bead Extra load tire
means the part of the tire that means a tire design to operate
is made of steel wires, wrapped at higher loads and at higher
or reinforced by p ly cords and inflation pressures than the
that is shaped to fit the rim . corresponding standard tire .
Bead separation Extra load tires may be identi-
fied as "XL", "xl", " EXTRA
means a breakdown of the bond LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
between components in the
bead .
Gross A xle Weight Rating
(" GAWR ")
Cord
means the load-carrying capaci-
means the strands forming the ty of a single axle system,
p lies in the tire .
measured at the tire-ground in-
Cold tire inflation pressure terfaces.
means the tire pressure recom-
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
mended by the vehicle manu-( "GVWR ")
facturer for a t ire of a designat-
means the maximum total
ed size that has not been driven loaded weight of the vehicle.
for more than a couple of miles
Groove
(kilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before means the space between two
the tire pressure is measured or adjacent tread ribs.
adjusted.
Load rating (code )
Curb weight
means the max imum load that
means the weight of a motor a tire
is rated to carry for a giv-
vehicle with standard equip -en inflation pressure
. You may
ment including the maximum not find th
is information on all
capacity of fuel, oil, and cool- tires because it is not required
ant, air condit ioning and addi- by law.
...
tional weight of optional equip-
ment.
M N
0 > co ,...., \!) 1.1'1
M 1.1'1 ,....,
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire
at the maximum permissible in
flation pressure for that tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle
weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible)
inflation pressure
means the maximum cold infla
tion pressure to which a tire
may be inflated. Also called
"maximum inflation pressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms)
times the number of occupants seated in the vehicle up to the
total seating capacity of your
vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occu pants in a vehicle.
Outer diameter
means the overall diameter of
an inflated new tire.
Tires and wheels 237
Overall width
means the linear distance be
tween the exteriors of the side
walls of an inflated tire, includ ing elevations due to labeling,
decorations, or protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated
parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the combined weight of
those installed regular produc
tion options weighing over 5 lbs. (2 . 3 kg) in excess of those
standard items which they re place, not previously consid
ered in curb weight or accessory
weight, including heavy duty
brakes, ride levelers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and special
trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in
which the ply cords that extend
to the beads are laid at sub stantially 90 degrees to the
centerline of the tread.
' •
•
' •
238 Tires a nd whee ls
Recommended inflation
pressure
see c:::> page 236, Cold tire infla
tion pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a tire design to operate
at higher loads and at higher
inflation pressures than the
corresponding standard t ire .
Reinforced tires may be identi
fied as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA
LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewa ll.
Rim
means a meta l 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 yo u change your
wheel size, you will have to pur
chase new t ires to ma tch the
new rim d iameter .
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance be
tween rim flanges.
Sidewall
means that por tion of a tire be
tween the tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at wh ich a tire
is designed to be driven for ex
tended periods of time . The rat
ings range from 93 mph
( 1 50 km/h) to 186 mph
( 2 98 km/h)
c:::> page 257 . You
may not find th is informat ion
on all tires because it is not re
quired by law.
The speed rating letter code,
where applicable, is molded on
the ti re sidewall and ind icates
the maximum permissible road
speeds
c:::> & in Winter tires on
page 261.
Tire pressure monitoring
system
means a system that detects
when one or more of a vehic le's
tires a re underinflated an d ill u
m inates a low tire press ure
warn ing telltale.
Tread
means that por tion of a tire
that comes into contact with
the road.
24 0 Tires a nd whee ls
Vehicle ma ximum load on
the tire
means that load on an individu
al tire that is determ ined by
distr ibuting to each axle its
share of the maximum loaded
vehicle weight and div iding by
two.
Vehicle normal load on the
tire
means that load on an in div id u
al t ire that is determ ined by d
istribut ing to each axle its
share of the curb weight, acces
sory weight, and normal occ u
pant weigh t (distributed in ac
cordance with table below
¢ page 240) and dividing by
two .
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for
v arious designated seating capac ities
Designated seating Vehicle normal load, Occupant distribu-
capacity , number of number of occupants tion in a normally
occupants loaded vehicle
5 3 2 in front, 1 in back
seat
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety
of a vehicle.
F ig. 16 8 Tire pressure label: locat ed
on driv er's side 8 -pillar
~----------~"'
MW OWE lSlllHS P'RES5l0H OES f'Nall A, FIIICJD
:"" -ICPA. • PSI
.::. -KPA.. . PSI
°'~ -KPA. -PSI
Fig. 16 9 Tire pressure label