
M N 
0 <.J 'SI: ,...., \!) ..,., 
,...., ..,., ,...., 
U.S. Federal  Standard  if a  child with  elec
trical  capac itance  greater  than  the  com
bined  capacitance  of  a  typical  one-year 
old  infant  restrained  in one  of  the  for
ward  fac ing  or  rearward-fac ing  ch ild 
seats  w ith  which  your  vehicle  was  certi
fied  is on  the  front  passenger  seat  and 
the  other  conditions  for  airbag  deploy ment  are  met. 
- Acc ident  statist ics  have  shown  that  chil
dren  are  generally  safer  in the  rea r seat 
area  than  in the  front  seating  posit ion . 
- For their  own  safety,  all  children,  espe
cially  12  years  and  younger,  sho uld  al
ways  ride  in  the  back  p roperly  rest rained 
for  their  age  and  size . 
Advanced  front  airbag  system 
Your vehicle  is equipped  with  a front  Advanced 
Airbag  System  in comp liance  with  Un ited 
States  Federal  Motor  Vehicle  Safety  Standard  208  as  applicable  at  the  time  your  vehicle  was 
manufactured. 
The  front  Advanced  Airbag  System  supple ments  the  safety  belts  to  provide  add it iona l 
protection  for  the  driver's  and  front  passeng
e r's  heads  and  upper  bodies  in frontal  crashes. 
The  airbags  inflate  only  in frontal  impacts 
when  the  vehicle  dece le rat io n  is high  enough. 
The  front  Advanced  A irbag  System  for  the 
front  seat  occupants  is  not  a  substitute  for 
your  safety  belts . Rather,  it  is part  of  the  over
all  occupant  rest raint  system  in your  ve hicle. 
A lways  remember  that  the  airbag  system  can 
only  help  to  pro tect  you,  if you  are  s itting  up
righ t, wearing  your  sa fety  belt  and  wearing  it 
properly.  This  is why you  and  yo ur passengers 
must  always  be  properly  restrained,  not  just 
because  the  law  requires  you  to  be. 
The  Advanced  Airbag  System  in your  vehicle  h as  been  certified  to  meet  the  " low  r isk"  re
q ui rements  for  3  and  6 year-o ld  children  on 
the  passenger  s ide  and  very  small  adu lts  on 
the  dr iver  side.  The  low  risk  deployment  crite
ria are  intended  to  he lp  reduce  the  risk  of  i n
j ury through  interaction  with  the  front  airbag 
A irbag  system  15 1 
that  can  occur,  for  examp le,  by being  too 
close  to  the  steering  wheel  and  instr ument 
panel  when  the  airbag  inflates . 
In  add ition,  the  system  has  been  certified  to 
comply  with  the  "s uppression"  requirements 
of  the  Safety  Standard,  to  turn  off  the  front 
airbag  for  in fants  12  months  o ld  and  younger 
who  are  restrained  on  the  front  passenger 
seat  in child  restraints  that  are  listed  in  the 
Standard 
c> page  173,  Child restraints  and 
Advanced  front  airbag  system . 
"Suppression"  requires  the  front  a irbag  on  the 
passenger  side  to  be  turned  off  if: 
- a  child  up  to  abo ut  one  year  of  age  is  re
strained  on  the  front  passenger  seat  in one 
of  the  rear-fac ing  or  forward -facing  infant 
restraints  listed  in  Federal  Motor  Vehicle 
Safety  Standard  208  with  which  the  Ad 
vanced  Airbag  System  in your  ve hicle was 
cert ified . For  a  listing  of  the  chi ld  restraints 
that  were  used  to  certify  you r vehicle's  com
p lia nce  w it h t he  US Safety  Standa rd 
c>page 173, 
-When  a  pe rson  is detec ted  o n the  front  pas 
senge r seat  that  has  an  e lec trica l capa ci
tance  t hat  is  more  than  the  tota l electrical 
capacitance  of  a  child  that  is  about  1 year 
old  restrained  in  one  of  the  rear-facing  or 
forward-facing  infant  restraints  (listed  in  Federal  Motor  Vehicle  Safety  Standard  208 
w ith  which  the  Advanced  A irbag  System  in 
your  vehicle  was  certified),  the  front  airbag 
on  the  passenger  side  may  or  may  not  de
ploy. 
The 
PASSENG ER AIR  BAG OFF light  comes  on 
when  the  electron ic cont ro l unit  detects  a to 
ta l elect rical  capac itance  on  the  front  passen
ger  seat  that  requi res  the  front  a irbag  to  be 
turned  off.  If  the 
PAS SENGER  AIR  BAG OFF 
light  does  no t come  on,  the  front  airbag  on 
the  passenger  side  has  not  been  turned  off  by 
the  contro l unit  and  can  deploy  if the  control 
u nit  senses  an  impact  that  meets  the  condi
tions  stored  in  its  memory. 
If  the  total  e lectr ica l capacitance  registered 
on  the  front  passenger  seat  is  more  than  that 
ll> 
• 
•  

M N 
0 <.J 'SI: ,...., \!) ..,., 
,...., ..,., ,...., 
-Always read  and  heed  all WARNINGS 
whenever  using a child  restraint  in ave
hicle 
¢ page 136, Safety  belts, 
¢ page  145,  Airbag system and 
¢ page 171, Important  things  to 
know. 
(D Tips 
Always replace  child  restraints  that  were 
installed  in a vehicle  during  a crash.  Dam
age  to  a child  restraint  that  is not  visible 
could  cause  it to  fail  in another  collision 
situation. 
Advanced  front  airbag  system  and children 
Your vehicle  is equipped  with  a front  "Ad
vanced  Airbag System"  in compliance  with  United  States  Federal  Motor Vehicle Safety 
Standard  (FMVSS) 208  as  applicable  at  the 
time  your vehicle  was  manufactured . 
T he Advanced Airbag system  in your vehicle 
has  been certified  to  meet  the  "low-risk"  re
quirements  for  3-and  6-year  old  children  on 
the  passenger  side  and  small  adults  on  the 
driver  side.  The low  risk deployment  criteria 
are  intended  to  reduce  the  risk of  injury 
through  interaction  with  the  airbag  that can 
occur, for  example , by being  too  close  to  the 
steering  wheel  and  instrument  panel  when 
the  airbag  inflates . In  addition,  the  system 
has  been  certified  to  comply  with  the  "sup
pression"  requirements  of  the  Safety  Stand
ard,  to  turn  off the  front  airbag  for  infants  up 
to  12  months  who  are  restrained  on the  front  passenger  seat  in child  restraints  that  are  list
ed  in the  Standard . 
Even though  your vehicle  is equipped  with  an 
Advanced Airbag system,  all children,  espe
cially those  12 years  and  younger,  should  al
ways  ride  in the  back seat  properly  restrained 
for  their  age  and  size.  The airbag  on the  pas
senger  side  makes  the  front  seat  a potentially 
dangerous  place  for  a  child to  ride.  The front 
seat  is not  the  safest  place  fo r a child  in a for
ward-facing  child  safety  seat.  It  can  be a very 
Child  Safety  173 
dangerous  place  for an infant  or  a larger  child 
in a  rearward-facing  seat. 
The  vehicle's  Advanced Airbag System  has  a 
capacitive  passenger  detection  system  in  the 
front  passenger  seat  cushion  that  can  detect 
the  presence  of  a baby  or  a child  in a child  re
straint  system  on this  seat. 
The  capacitive  passenger  detection system 
registers  the  changes  that  result  in an  electri 
cal field  when  a child,  a child  restraint,  and  a 
baby  blanket  are  on the  front  passenger  seat . 
The change  in the  measured  capacitance  due 
to  the  presence  of  a child,  a child  restraint, 
and  a baby  blanket  on the  front  passenger 
seat  is related  to  the  child  restraint  system  resting  on  the  seat . The  measured  capacitance 
of  a  child  restraint  system  varies  depending 
on  the  type  of  system  and  specific  make  and 
model. 
The electrical  capacitance  of the  various 
types,  makes,  and  models  of  child  restraints 
specified  by  the U.S.National  Highway Traffic 
Safety  Administration  (NH TSA) in the  relevant 
safety  standard  are  stored  in the  Advanced 
Airbag System  control  unit  together  with  the  capacitances  typical  of  infants  and  a  1-year 
old  child. When  a child  restraint  is used  on the 
front  passenger  seat  with  a typical  1 year-old  infant,  the  Advanced Airbag System  compares 
the  capacitance  measured  by the  capacitive  passenger  detection  system  with  the  data 
stored  in  the electronic  control  unit. 
Child restraints  and  Advanced  front 
airbag  system 
Regardless  of  the  child  restraint  that  you  use, 
make  sure  that  it has  been  certified  to  meet 
United  States  Federal  Motor Vehicle Safety 
Standards  and  has  been  certified  by its  manu
facturer  for  use  with  an airbag.  Always be sure 
that  the child  restraint  is properly  installed  at 
one  of  the  rear seating  positions.  If  in excep
tional  circumstances  you  must  use  it on the 
front  passenger  seat,  ca refully  read  all of the 
information  on  child  safety  and  Advanced Air-
bags  and  heed  all of  the  applicable  ..,. 
• 
•  

198  Intelligent  technology 
Winter  tires 
When  dr iv ing  in the  w inter,  your  ve hicl e w ith 
a ll-whee l drive  has  an  advantage, 
even with 
regular  ti res . In  winter  road  conditions  it may 
be  advisable  to  mount  winter  tires  (o r all-sea
son  t ires)  for  improved  driveability  and  brak
ing:  these  tires  must  be  mounted  on 
all four 
whe els . 
See  also c:> page  264,  Winter  tires. 
Tire  chains 
Where  tire  cha ins  are  mandatory  on  certa in 
roads,  th is  normally  a lso  applies  to  vehicles 
with  a ll-wheel  drive 
c:> page  265,  Snow 
chains. 
Replacing  wheel s/tir es 
Vehicles  w ith  all-wheel  drive  must  a lways 
have  tires  of  the  same  size . Also  avoid  tires 
with  d ifferent  tread  depths.  For details  see 
page 
c:> page  257,  New  tires  and replacing 
tires  and  wheels. 
Off-Road  driv ing? 
Your Audi  does  not  have  enough  ground  clear 
ance  to  be  used  as  an  off-road  ve hicle . It  is 
therefore  best  to  avoid  rough  tracks  and  un 
even terrain as  much  as  possible.  Also  refer to 
c:> page  201. 
A WARNING 
Always  adjust  your  driving  to  road  and  traf
fic conditions . Do not  let  the  ext ra safety 
afforded  by all-wheel  dr ive tempt  you  into 
taking  extra  risks. 
- Alt hough  the  all-whee l dr ive  is 
very ef
fec tive, a lways  remember  that  b raking 
c ap aci ty  is limited  by  tire  traction.  Yo u 
sho uld  the re fo re  not  dr ive at  excessive 
speeds  on  icy or  slippery  road  su rfaces. 
- O n wet  road  s urfa ces,  be  c areful  not  to 
drive  too  fast  because  the  front  wheels 
cou ld  begin  to  sli de on  top  of  the  water 
(aq uaplaning) . If  this  sho uld  occ ur, you 
will  have  no warn ing  from  a  sudden  in
crease  in engine  speed  as  with  a front
w heel  d rive vehicle.  A lways  drive  at 
speeds  w hich  are  suited  to  the  road  con
ditions  -risk  of  c rash. 
Energy  management 
Starting  ability  is optimized 
Energy  management  controls  the distribution 
of  electrical  energy  and  thus  optimizes  the 
availability of  electrical  energy  for starting  the  engine. 
If  a vehicle  with  a  conventiona l energy  system 
is  not  driven  for  a  long period  of  t ime,  t he  bat
te ry is discharged  by idling  current  consume rs 
(e .g.  immobili ze r).  In  certa in circumstan ces  it 
ca n res ult in the re  be ing  insu ffic ien t energy 
available  to  start  the  eng ine. 
Intelligent  energy  management  in your  vehi
cl e  ha ndles  the  dist rib ution  o f electr ica l ene r
gy.  Start ing  abili ty is m arke dly improved  and 
the  life  of  the  battery  is extended . 
Bas ica lly, energy  management  consists  of 
battery diagnosis , idling current manage
ment 
and dynamic energy management . 
Battery  diagnosis 
Battery  diagnosis  continuously  determines 
the  state  of  the  batte ry. Sensors  determine 
batte ry voltage,  batt ery cu rr e nt  and  battery 
tempe ratu re.  This  de termines  the  cur ren t 
sta te  o f cha rge  and  t he  power  o f th e  battery. 
Idling  current  management 
Idli ng  cur rent  management  reduces  energy 
consumpt ion  while  the  vehicle  is standing . 
With  the  ig nition  sw itched  off,  it  controls  the 
energy  supp ly to  the  variou s ele ctri ca l  compo 
nen ts.  Da ta from  ba ttery d iagnos is  is  co nsid
ered. 
Depend ing  on  the  batte ry's  state  of  cha rge, 
i ndivid ual  con sume rs are g radually  turned  off 
to  prevent  excessive  discharge  o f the  battery 
and  th us  main tain  starting  capabi lity. 
Dynamic  energy  management 
While  the  vehicle  is being  d riven,  dynamic  en
ergy  ma nagement  distr ib utes  the  energy  ge n
era ted  a ccord ing  to  t he  needs  of  the  indivi du-
al  components . 
It regula tes  consumption,  so 
t h at  more  electrical  energy is not  being  used  ..,.  

242 Tires  and  whee ls 
Recommended  inflation  Sidewall 
pressu re 
means  that  portion  of  a  tire  be -
see 
c:::> page  240,  Cold tire  infla-tween  the  tread  and  bead. 
tion  pressure. 
Spe ed  rating  (letter  code ) 
Reinforced tire 
means  the speed  at  which  a  tire 
means  a tire  design  to  operate 
is designed  to  be  driven  for  ex-
at  higher  loads  and  at  higher  tended periods  of  time. The  rat-
inflation  pressures  than  the  ings range  from  93  mph  (150 
corresponding  standard  t ire . 
km/h) to 186  mph  (298  km/h) 
Reinforced  tires  may  be  identi -
c:::> page 260.  You may  not  find 
fied  as "XL",  "xl",  "EXTRA 
this  information  on  all  tires  be-
LOAD", or  "RF" on  the  sidewall. 
cause  it  is  not required by  law. 
Rim The  speed  rating  letter  code, 
means  a  meta l support  for  a  where  applicable
,  is  molded  on 
tire  or  a  tire  and  tube  assembly  the  tire  sidewall  and  indicates 
upon  which  the  tire  beads  are  the 
maximum  pe rmissible  road 
seated .  speeds 
c:::> A in  Winter  tires  on 
Rim  diameter 
page  264. 
means 
nominal  diameter  of  the 
Tire pressure monitoring 
system 
bead  seat.  If yo u change  your 
means  a  system  that  detects 
wheel  size,  you  will  have  to  pur-
chase  new  tires  to  ma tch  the  when  one  or  more  of  a vehicle's 
new  rim  diameter .  tires  a
re  underinflated  and  illu-
Rim size designation 
m inates  a  low  tire  pressure 
warning  telltale. 
means  rim diameter  and  width. 
Tread 
Rim width 
means  that portion  of  a  tire 
means  nominal  distance  be-
that  comes  into  contact  with 
tween  rim  flanges.  the  road. 
...  

Tires  and  wheels  245 
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-
M factured
. N 
0 
Maintaining  proper  tire  pres-<.J 'SI: ,...., \!) 
sure  is one  of  the  most  impor-1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,  

246 Tires  and  wheel s 
If you wish  to  improve  comfort See the  illustration ¢ fig. 195 
when  operating  the  vehicle  at for  the  locati on of  the  labe l 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  vehic le will  vary 
for  normal vehicle  load.  Before slight ly) . 
operat ing  the  vehicle  at  maxi -Note  that  the  following  table  is 
mum  load , you  must  increase accurate  at  the  time  of  going  to 
the  ti re  pressu res  to  those press  and  is subject  to  change . 
specified  for  maximum  vehicle In  the  event  of  discrepancies, 
load¢&. the  tire  pressure  labe l is  locat-
Bear  in  mind  that  the  tire  pres- ed  on  the  driver's  side  8-pi llar 
sure  monitoring  system  can  on -always  takes  precedence . 
ly monitor  the  tire  pressures  The  table  below  lists  the  rec-
you  have  stored . The  system 
ommended  cold  tire  inflation 
does  not  recogn ize  the  load 
pressures  for  the  Audi  model 
condition  of your  vehic le. 
covered  by your  Owner's  Litera-
T he  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  mode ls  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  24  7 
Model/  Tire designation Tire pressure 
• Engine 
normal  load  condition full  load  condition 
• 
front rear front rear 
PSI  kPA  PSI 
kPA  PSI  kPA  PSI  kPA 
A6:  225/55  Rl 7  97H 
32  220  29  200  35  240 
38  260 2.0  liter  All  Season 
4-cylinder  245/45  Rl8  lOOH  XL 
All  Season 
33  230  32  220  35  240  38  260 
255/40  Rl9  lOOH  XL 
33  230  32 
220 
35 240 
38 260 All  Season 
255/40  Rl9  lOOY XL 
32  220  32  220  33  230  36  250 High  Performance 
255/35  R20  97Y  XL 
35  240  32  220  38  260  41 280 High  Performance 
A6:  225/55  Rl 7  97H 
35  240 
32  220  38 260  41 
280 3.0  liter  All  Season 
6-cylinder 
245/45  Rl8  lOOH  XL 
All  Season 
35  240  32  220  38  260  41  280 
255/40  Rl9  lOOH  XL 
35 240 
32 220 
38 260 
41 280 All  Season 
255/40  Rl9  lOOY XL 
36  250  33  230  39  270 
42 
290 
High  Performance 
255/35  R20  97Y  XL 
39  270  36  250  44 300  46 320 High  Performance 
S6:  255/40  Rl9  lOOY XL 
39  270 
35 240  42  290  44 
300 4.0  liter  High  Performance 
a-cylinder  255/35  R20  97Y  XL 
High  Performance 
44 300  39  270  46 
320  48 
330 
XL=  reinforced or extra  load tire . It  may also appear  as  xl, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the  tire  side-
wall. 
The correct  tire  pressure  for  the  tire  size  information  on the  ve-
spare  wheel is located  on  a la- hicle  label  is the  same  as the 
bel  on the  driver's  side  B-pillar.  size of  the  tires  on the  vehicle. 
Because technical  changes  may  This  is especially  important  if 
the  vehicle  belongs  to  someone 
be made  to  vehicle  equipment 
during  the  model  year,  always  else or you  bought  the  vehicle 
with  different  rims/tires  or you 
compare  the  tire  size designa-
M 
tion  on the  tire  pressure  label  bought  the  vehicle  as a previ-N 
0 <.J ously  owned  vehicle. ... 'SI: on your  vehicle  with  the  tires  on ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., your  vehicle.  Make sure that  the 1.1'1 ,....,  

256 Tires  a nd whee ls 
Driving  style - Extra  care  must  be  ta ken  when 
Driving fast  around  curves , rotat
ing  direction-specific 
heavy  acceleration  and  hard  tires
¢ 
page 2 77. 
b raking  increase  tire  wear. 
Wheel  balancing 
Rotating  tires  for  more even 
The  wheels  on  new  vehicles  are 
wear ba lanced.  However,  various  sit-
For all  four  tires  on  your  vehicle  uations  during  everyday  driving 
to  have  the  same  service  life,  can  cause  them  to  become  un-
we  recommend  that  the  front  balanced,  resulting  in vibra-
and  rear  tires  are  rotated  ac -tions  you  can  usually  feel 
cording  to  the  tire  manufactur- through  the  steering  wheel. 
er's  suggested  tire  rotation  in- Unbalanced  wheels  must  be  re-
tervals . Please  remember  the 
balanced  to  avoid  excessive 
following:  wear on  steering,  suspension 
-T ire  rotation  intervals  may  dif -and  tires.  A wheel  must  also  be 
fer  from  the  vehicle  service  in·  rebalanced  when  a  new  tire  is 
tervals  outlined  in your  War- insta
lled. 
ranty 
& Maintenance  booklet . Incorrect  wheel  alignment 
-The  longer  one  tire  is used  in 
Incorrect  wheel  alignment  can 
one  location  on  the  vehicle, 
cause  excessive  tire  wear,  im-
the  more  it wears  at  certain 
pairing  the  safety  of the  vehi-
points;  therefore,  we  recom-
cle. If tires  show  excessive 
mend  that  you  follow  the  tire 
wear,  have  the  wheel  alignment 
manufacturer's  suggested  tire 
checked  by an  authorized  Audi 
rotation  intervals. 
dealer  or  qualified  workshop. 
-Vehicles  with  front-wheel 
dr ive  experience  more  t read 
All-wheel  drive 
wear  on  the  front  wheels  com-
Vehicles  with  quattro  must  al-
pared  to  all-wheel  drive  (quat- ways  have  tires  of  the  same 
tro) . 
size,  construction  and  tread 
-Please  rotate  tires  as  shown  type.  For details  see 
¢ 
fig . 198. ¢page 197. ...