
The relative perform a nee of ti res depends
upon the actua l conditions of their use, how
ever, and may depart sign ificantly from the
norm due to var iat ions in dr iving habits, serv
ice practices and differences in road character
istics and climate .
Trac tion
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 under controlled cond itions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance ¢,&. .
Temp erature
The temperature grades are A (the h ighest),
B, and
C, representing the t ire's resistance to
the generat ion of heat and its ability to dissi
pate heat when tested under controlled condi
tions on a specified i ndoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
materia l of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden ti re fa ilu re ¢ ,&. .
The grade
C corresponds to a level of perform
ance which all passenger car tires must meet
u nder the Federa l Moto r Veh icle Safety Stand
a rd No.
1 09. G rades Band A represent h igher
l eve ls of perfo rmance on the laboratory tes t
wheel than the m inimum required by law .
A WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this ti re is
based on stra ight-ahead b raking t raction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydrop lan ing or peak traction
character istics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this t ire is es
tablished for a t ire that is p roperly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed, un
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
-
Tire s an d wheel s 195
separately or in combinat ion, can ca use
heat bui ldup and possible tire failure.
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice. At temperatures below 45 °F (7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments
may require true winter o r "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread. These tires should
o nly be used in pairs and be installed o n all
four wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
t ires that are the same size and construction
type as the other tires on you r vehicle.
If your vehicle is equipped w ith all-whee l
drive*, th is w ill improve traction during winter
driv ing, even with the standa rd tires. Howev
er, we stro ngly recommend that you always
equip all fou r whee ls o n your veh icle w ith co r
rect ly fi tted winter tires o r all-season tires,
when w inter road condit ions are expe cted .
T his also improves the veh icle's b raking per
formance and reduces stopping distances.
Summe r tires provide less grip on i ce and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted
o n all fo ur wheels .
Ask your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop for permitted
winter tire size s. Use
o nly rad ial w inter t ires.
Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
0 .157 inch
(4 mm) .
Only drive w ith w inter t ires under w inter con
dit ions. Summer t ires handle better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °() .
If you have a flat tire, see notes on spare
whee l
¢page 191.
Please a lways remember that winter tires may
have a lowe r speed rating than the tires o rigi -
nally installed on your vehicle at the time it .,.
•
•

196 Tire s and wheel s
was manufactured . Please see q page 192,
Speed roting (letter code) for a listing of the
speed rat ing letter codes and the maximum
speed at wh ich the t ires can be driven .
The speed rating letter code( ¢ page
183) is
on the side wall of the tire ¢ page 191.
A WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower t han your vehicle's max
imum speed . Always know the maximum
speed before driving off . Never drive faster
than the speed permitted for your specific
w inte r tires. This will cause damage to the
tires leading to an accident and serious
pe rsonal inj ury to you and your passen
gers .
A WARNING
= ~
Driv ing faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your vehicle
were designed can cause tire fai lure in
cluding a blowout and sudden deflat ion,
loss of control, crashes and serious per
sonal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires
rep laced immed iate ly .
- Winter tires have maximum speed rat ing
that may be lower tha n your veh icle's
maximum speed .
- Never drive faster than the speed for
w hich the winter or other tires installed
on your vehicle are rated.
A WARNING
Always adjust your d riving to the road and
t raffic conditions. Neve r let the good ac
celeration of the wi nte r t ir es and all-whee l
dr ive temp t you in to taking extr a ris ks . A l
ways remember :
- Whe n bra king, an al l-wheel d rive vehicle
hand les in the s ame way as a front drive
vehicle.
- Drive c aref ully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot he lp under black ice conditions.
{® For the sa ke of the environment
Use summer tires when weather condi
tions permit. They are qu ieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumpt ion.
Snow chains
Snow cha ins may be f itted only to the front
whee ls, and o nly to certain tire sizes . Ask your
autho rized Aud i deale r on which tire sizes
snow c hains ca n be used.
If you are go ing to use snow chains, then you
must i nstall them on the front whee ls at
least.
The snow chains must have low-prof ile links
and must not be t hicker than 0.53 inch
(13.5 mm), includ ing the lock .
Remove whee l center covers and trim discs
before putt ing snow cha ins on your vehicle
¢ \!) . For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts . These are ava il
able from autho rized Aud i deale rs .
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chai ns for your veh i
cle o r in stall ing them in correct ly can in
crease the risk o f loss of cont ro l leading to
se rious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in di fferent
sizes. Always make sure to follow the i n
structions provided by the snow chain manufacturer .
- When driving wi th snow cha ins never
d rive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations .
(D Note
-Remove snow chain s before dr iv ing o n
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessa rily.
- Snow chains, which come in to direc t con
t act with the whee l rim, can scrat ch or
damage it . Therefore , make sure that the
1J1-

snow c hains are suitably cove red . Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow cha in manufacturer when doing so.
Where snow cha ins are mandatory oncer
tain roads, this normally also applies to
veh icles with all-wheel dr ive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque.
The design of whee l bolts is matched to the
factory insta lled r ims . If different rims are fit
ted, the correct wheel bo lts with the right
length and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures t hat wheels are fitted
securely and that the brake system functions
correctly .
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bo lts from a different vehicle -even if it
i s the same model
¢ page 227.
A WARNING
Imprope rly tig htened or maintained wh eel
bolts can become loose ca using loss of
con trol, a collision and serious person al in
jury.
- Always keep the w heel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hubs clea n so the
wheel bolts can tu rn easily and be p rop
er ly tightened .
- Never grease or oil the wheel bo lts and
the threads in the wheel hubs. They can become loose w hile driving if greased or
o iled, even if tig htened to the specif ied
torque.
- Only use whee l bolts that belong to the
rim being installed.
- Never use different whee ls bolts on your
vehicle.
- Always maintai n the co rrect tig htening
torq ue fo r the wheel bo lts to reduce the
risk of a wheel loss. If the tightening tor-
Tire s an d wheel s 197
que of t he whee l bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the vehi
cle is mov ing. If the tig htening torq ue is
too high, the wheel bolts and threads
can be damaged and the whee l can be
come loose.
(D Note
The specified torque for the whee l bolts is
90 ft lb (120 Nm) with a tolerance of± 7,4
ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torq ue whee l bolts diago
nally. After changing a whee l, the tor que
must be checked as soon as possible with a
torq ue w rench -prefe rably by an au thor
iz ed A udi de aler or qu alified workshop .
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory -eq uipped w ith low aspect
r atio tires . These tires have been tho roughly
tested and been se lected specifically for your
model for their superb performance, road fee l
and handli ng under a var iety of driving condi
tions . Ask your authorized Audi dealer for
more d etails.
The low aspect ratio of these t ires is ind icated
by a numeral of
55 or less in the tire's s ize
designation . The numeral represents the ratio
of the t ire's sidewa ll height in relation to its
t read width exp ressed in pe rce ntage. Conven
t iona l tires have a he ight/w idth rat io of 60 or
more.
The performanc e of low-a spect-ratio tire s is
particularly sensitive to impr oper inflation
pre ssure .
It is therefore important that low
a spect ratio tire s are inflated to the specified
pres sure and that the inflation pressure is
regularly checked and maintained. Tire pre s
sures should be checked at least once a month and always befo re a long trip
¢ page 186, Checking tire pressure.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged mo re
easily by impact w it h potholes, curbs, gul lies ..,.
•
•

198 Tire s and wheel s
or ridges on the road, part icu larly if the tire is
u nderinflated .
I n o rder to m inim ize the o ccurrence of impact
damage to the t ires of your vehicle, we recom
mend that you observe the following precau
tions:
- Always maintain recommended infla tion
pressures. Chec k your tire pressure every
2,000 miles (3,000
km) and add air if neces
sary .
- Drive carefu lly on roads with potholes, deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from driving
t h rough or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to your tires.
- After any impact, immediately inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest
authorized Aud i dealer. Replace a damaged
t ire as soon as possible .
- Inspect your t ires every 2,000 miles (3,000
km) for damage and wear . Damage is not al
ways easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of
air and underinflation, wh ich could eventu
ally cause t ire failure . If you be lieve that a
t ire may have been damaged, replace the
t ir e as soon as possible.
- T hese tires may wea r mo re quick ly than oth
ers.
- Please a lso remember that, wh ile these t ires
deliver respons ive handling, they may ride
l ess comfortably and make mo re no ise than
other choices.
Reduced performance in winter /co ld
sea son condit ion s
All ti res a re des igned for certa in pu rposes.
The low aspect ratio, ultra high performance
tires originally installed on your vehicle are in
tended for max imum dry and wet road per
formance and handling. They are not suitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather condit ions. If
you dr ive under those circumstances, you
should equip your vehicle with all -season or
winter tires, which offer better traction under
those cond it ions. We suggest you use the rec
ommended snow or all-season tires specified
fo r your vehi cle, or their eq uivalent. Refer to
q page 195
for more detailed infor
mation regarding winter tires.
Tire pressure monitoring system
General notes
Applies to veh icles: w ith tire pressure monitoring system
Each tire, incl uding the spare ( if provided),
sho uld be checked monthly when co ld and in
flated to the inflation pressure recommended by the veh icle manufacturer on the veh icle
placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size than the
s ize indicated on the vehicle placard or tire i n
flat ion p ressure label, you should dete rmine
the p roper t ire infla tion p ress ure fo r th ose
t i res.)
As an added safety featu re, your ve hicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure mon itoring
system ( TPMS) tha t illum inates a low ti re
pressure tel ltale when one o r more of your
tires is significant ly under-inflated . Acco rding
l y, when the low tire pressure telltale i llumi
nates, you shou ld stop and check your tires as
soon as possib le, and inflate them to the
proper pressure. Driving on a sign ificantly un
der- inflated t ire causes the tire to overheat
and can lead to tire fa ilure . Under-inflat ion al
so reduces fuel effic iency and tire tread life ,
and may affect the vehicle 's hand ling and
stopp ing abili ty.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute
for proper tire ma intenance, and it is the d riv
er's respons ibility to maintain co rrect tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not
reached the leve l to tr igger illum inat ion of the
T PMS low tire pressu re tellta le .
You r vehicle has also been equipped w ith a
T PMS ma lf u nction indicator to ind icate when
the sys tem is not o perating p roperly . Th e
T PMS ma lfunction indicator is combined w ith
t h e low tire pressure te lltale. When the sys
tem detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximately one min ute and then ..,_

remain continuous ly illuminated . This se
quence will continue upon subsequent 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
signa l low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunct ions may occur for a variety of rea
sons, including the installat ion of replace
ment or alternate tires or wheels on the veh i
cle that prevent the TPMS from funct io ni ng
properly. Always check the TPMS malfunct ion
tellta le afte r replacing one or 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 properly.
Tire pressure indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring 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.
F ig. 1 41 Disp lay : under in fla tion warn ing
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni
toring system compares the t ire tread circum
fe rence and vibration characteristics of the in
d iv idual tires . If the pressure decreases in one
or mo re tires, th is is indicated in the instru
ment clus ter with a warning symbol
[I] and a
message
'* fig. 141. The dr iver message in the
d isp lay goes out after 5 seconds . The driver
message can be d isplayed again by pressing
the
! CHECK I button @¢ page 10, fig . 3 . If on
ly one tire is affected, the display will indicate
its pos ition.
The ti re pressure monito ring m ust be reset in
the menu display each time the pressures are
ad justed (e.g. when switching between parti-
Tire s an d wheel s 199
al and fu ll load pressure) or after changing o r
replacing a tire on your vehicle '*
page 200.
The TPMS indicator on ly mon itors the t ire
pressure that you have previously stored . You
can f ind the recommended tire pressures for
your vehicle on the label on the driver's door
pillar ¢
page 184 .
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- the t ire press ure in one or more tires is too
low,
- the tire has structural damage,
- the t ire press ure was changed, wheels rotat -
ed or rep laced but the TPMS was not reset
¢ page 200.
Warning symbo ls
[I] Loss of press ure in at least one tire'*& .
Check the tire or tires and rep lace or repa ir if
necessary . The indicator light
[I] in the instru
ment cluster a lso i lluminates
¢ page 13.
Check/correct the press ures of all four tires
and reset TPMS in the menu display .
mm (T ire Pressure Monitoring System) Ti re
pre ssure! System malfun ction . Ifll appears
after switching the ign it ion on or while dr iving
and the indicator light
[I] in the instrument
clus ter blinks fo r approximately one m inute
and then stays on, there is a system malfunc
tion . Attemp t to store the correct t ire pres
su re '*
page 200 . If the ind icator light does
not turn off or if i t turns on shortly thereafte r,
immedia tely drive your vehicle to an au thor
ized Audi dea ler or author ized repai r fac ility to
have the malfunction corrected .
A WARNING
=
-If the tire pressure indicator appears in
the instrument cluster display, one or
more of your t ires is significant ly under
inflated. Reduce your speed immediately
and avoid any hard steer ing or b rak ing
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possib le and
check the tires and their pressu res . In
flate the tire pressure to the prope r pres-
sure as indicated on the vehicle's tire .,..
•
•

200 Tires and wheels
pressure label¢ page 184. Driving on a
significantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire
failure . Under-inflation also is likely to
impair the vehicle's handling and stop
ping ability .
- The driver is responsible for mainta ining
the correct tire pressures. You must
check the tire pressures regularly.
- Under certain conditions (such as a spor
ty driving style, winter conditions or un
paved roads), the pressure monitor indi
cator may be delayed.
- Ask your author ized Audi dealer if run
flat tires may be used on your veh icle.
Your vehicle registration becomes inval id
if you use these tires when not permit
ted. Damage to your vehicle or accidents
cou ld also resu lt.
- If you switch between standard and run
flat tires, an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop must reprogram the
control module .
@ Tips
-The tire pressure monitoring system may
stop working when there is an ESC mal
funct ion .
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The tire pressure monitoring system on
your Audi was developed using tires with
the "AO" or "RO" identif ication on the
tire sidewall ¢
page 191. We recom
mend using these tires.
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
(Stepl)
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels are ro
tated or changed, the TPMS must be reset in
the menu display.
----- ®
Fig. 142 Wiper lever: Contro ls fo r the menu displ ay
Fig. 143 Disp lay: S tar t m en u
I Reset I button @ and rocker switch @
¢
fig . 142 functions:
To open the menu
" Press the I Rese t I button @ until the men u
disp lay
¢ fig . 143 appears
Selections and settings
" Press the rocker switch @ to reach a menu
disp lay. The switch is operated the same as
the display (up/down) .
Entering and confirming
" Press the I Re set I bu tton @.
Returning to the Start menu
" Press the I Reset I button longer than 2 sec
onds to return from any m enu l evel to the
Start menu.

@ Tips
-Before resetting the TPMS, the current
pressures of
all four tires must corre
spond t o the specified va lues. Adjust the
tire pressu re and reset the pressure in
the tire pressure mon itor ing system ac
cord ing to the load yo u are carry ing
<=> pag e 184.
- Do not store the tire pressure if there are
snow cha ins on the tire . Othe rwise, a
system malfunct ion may occ ur.
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
(Step2}
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
Fig. 144 D isplay: Tir e press ure
Fi g. 145 Display: Tir e pr ess ure
I Reset ! button @ and rock e r swit ch @
~ page 200, fig . 142 func tions:
Storing tire pressures
.. Turn on the ignition .
.. Select the menu :
> Adjusting * > Tire pres-
sure
> Store .
Entering and confirming
.. Se lect t he menu : St ore now
.,. Press the
l Reset ! button @.
.. Se lect the menu : Confim
Tires and wheels 201
.. Press the I Rese t I button @.
Returning to the Start menu
.,. Press the I R eset I butto n longer than 2 sec
onds to retur n from any menu level to the
S ta rt me nu.
{!) Tips
- B efore resett ing the TP MS, the c urrent
pre ssures o f
all four tires must co rre
spond to t he s pec ified v alue s. A dju st t he
tire pressure and rese t the pressure i n
the tire p ressu re monito ring system ac
co rding to the loa d you are carrying
<=> page 184.
-Do not store the tire p ress ure if there are
snow chains on the tire .
Run-flat ti res
Introduction
Applies to vehicles: with Run -f lat tires
Run-flat tires help keep you moving if a tire
goes flat.
Re inforced sidewalls give the tires run-flat ca
pability if tire pressure is lost .
We recommend that r un-flat tires on ly be
m ounted on vehicles that were orig inally
equipped with these special tires at t he facto
ry and have a Tire Pressure Moni toring Sys
tem .
Run-flat tires can be identified by the letters
"RSC" on the tire sidewall.
If you do change the tires on your veh icle from
norma l to run- flat tires, you must b uy the
special rims required for run-flat tires, and the
T ire Pressure Monitor ing System must be re
programmed by an authorized Aud i dealer o r
other qualified worksho p .
What do run-fl at tires do?
These special tires have r un-flat capabilities
that help keep you moving if a t ire loses pres
sure and goes flat . Under favorable conditions
ti res can be dr iven
at least 30 miles (50 km) ,
but you mus t not dr ive faster than 50 mph Ill-

202 Tires and wheels
(80 km/h)
¢ page 202, Driving with run -flat
tires .
When it is not possible to continue
driving, even with run-flat tires?
- If the E lectronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
is not working or keeps coming on.
- If the Tire Pressure Monitoring System does
not work .
-If the tire has been severely damaged, in a
crash, for example. The tread can separate
from a damaged tire as the whee l turns , and
hit parts of the vehicle , such as the fuel tank
filler neck, fuel lines or brake lines.
- Do not continue driving if severe vibration
occurs or if the tire starts to smoke because
the tire is running hot.
- Do not continue driving if damage to the
tire, such as cracks in the sidewall, appears.
A WARNING
Improper use of run-flat t ires can cause
veh icle damage that can lead to loss of ve
hicle control, a crash and serious pe rsonal
injury.
- Run-flat tires can only be used with spe cial rims.
- Run-flat tires must always be mon itored
with a properly programmed Tire
P re
ssure Mon itor ing System.
- Always inspect a tire that has lost air to
make sure it is safe to drive with the tir e
in the run-flat mode.
- Never drive with run-flat tires that have
been damaged in a collision .
- Never drive with run-flat tires if heat
build-up causes the tire to give off
smoke .
- Never drive with run-flat tires if the vehi
cle shakes or v ibrates severely.
- Never drive with a run-flat tire that de
velops sidewall cracks or other damage
wh ile in use .
- If you switch between standard and run
flat tires, an authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop must reprogram the
control module .
-
(D Note
Run-flat tires have specia l characteristics
and requirements, that are very different
from conventional tires. Run-flat tires re
quire special rims for run-flat use and can
not be used on conventional wheel rims.
(D Tips
- If you are not able to cont inue driving
with run-flat tires, please seek professio
nal assistance.
- Please contact your authorized Audi
dealer or Audi of America, Inc. if you
have questions about tires and rims .
Driving with run-flat tires
Applies to vehicles: wit h Run -flat tires
Handling characteristics change when tire
pressure is low .
Driving on tires with low tire pressure changes
the way a vehicle handles, particularly when
cornering and braking. The handling charac
teristics of run-flat tires do not seem to
change a lot even when driving on low pres
sure or in the run-flat mode . Nevertheless you
must still take specia l precautions when ope r
at ing a vehicle on run-flat tires when tire pres
sure is low o r the tire(s) is flat:
.,. The Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
must be switched on.
.,. Never drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h)
¢&_ .
.,. Plan ahead when driving and anticipate
what you will have to do considering traffic
and road conditions up ahead .
.,. Accelerate carefully.
.,. Avo id unnecessary and sudden steering and
brak ing maneuvers.
.,. Reduce your speed in plenty of time before
intersections, curves and other places where
you may have to react quickly.
Please see :
¢ page 202, When it is not possi
ble to continue driving, even with run-flat
tires?