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cause a crash and personal injury.
- Only mount the roof rack on the designated
locations on the roof
c:> fig . 65.
- The roof rack system must be installed ex
act ly according to the instructions provided .
- When driving with a roo f rack system,
changes to the center of gravity and wind
resistance can change the vehicle handling
and lead to a collision. Always adapt your
dr iv ing and your speed to the current condi
t ions .
- Your vehicle warranty does not cover any
damages to the vehicle caused by using roof
racks or mounting structures not approved
by Audi for your vehicle . The same applies to
damage result ing from incorrect roof rack
i nstallation .
-Always check the roof rack mount ings and
hardware before each t rip and dur ing a tr ip
to make sure everyt hing is securely tight
ened.
If necessary, ret igh ten the mo unt ings
and c hec k the en tire system from time to
time.
- After mounting a roof rack system, or when
you transport objects on the roof of your ve
hicle, the height of the vehicle is naturally
increased . Be careful when driving under
l ow bridges or in parking garages for exam
ple. This could cause damage to the load
and even the vehicle itself.
- Make s ure that the open rear lid and the
sunroof do not come into contact with ob
jects on the roof .
Loading the roof rack
Always distribu te loads evenly. Make sure any
thing on the roof rack is securely tied down.
~ Always distribute th e loads on the roof rack
evenly .
~ Always attach items to the roof rack securely
before you drive off .
T he maximum perm iss ible roof weight is
165 lb
( 75 kg ). The roof weight is the total of the
Seat s and sto rage
weight o f the roof rack, the attachments and the
cargo you ar e carrying. You must a lso not exceed
the max imum load weight for the roof rack you
are using.
When using a roo f rack system which has a lower
load carry ing capacity, you must not use up the
total max imum permissible load carry ing capac i
ty specified above. Instead, you should load the
roof rack sys tem only to the maximum capacity
specified by the manufacturer of the roof rack
system .
A WARNING
= -Weak, damaged or imprope r straps used to
secure items to the roof rac k can fail d uring
hard brak ing o r in a co llision and cause seri
ous persona l injury.
- Make sure the roof r ack is installed exactly
as specified above
c:> page 62.
- Always use suitable mounting straps fo r se
cur ing items to the roof rac k to he lp prevent
items from shifting o r flying forward .
- Items on the roof rack mus t always be se
curely mounted.
- The use of a roof rack can negative ly affect
the w ay a vehicle hand les . Cargo tha t is
large, heavy, b ulk y, long or flat wi ll have a
grea ter negat ive infl uence on the vehicle's
aerodynamics, center of gravity and overa ll
handling. Always drive slowly, avoid sudden
braking and maneuvers when transporting
cargo on the roof of your vehicle.
- Never exceed the max imum permissib le
load carrying capacity of the roof of your ve
h icle, the permiss ible axle weights and the
perm iss ible total we ight of your vehicle
c:> page 241, Weights .
@ For the sake of the environment
As a result of the increased wind res istance
created by a roof rack, your vehicle is using
fuel unnecessarily . So remove the roof rack
after using it .
63
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cially with the rear lid left open . A child
could crawl into the vehicle through the lug
gage compartment and close the rear lid be
coming trapped and unable to get out . Be
ing trapped in a vehicle can lead to serious
personal injury.
- Never let children play in or around the vehi
cle.
- Never let passengers r ide in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must al
ways be properly restrained in one of the ve
hicle's seating positions.
-Air circulation helps to reduce window fog ging . Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure to
keep these slots free and open.
- The tire pressure must correspond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the tire
pressure label. The tire pressure label is lo
cated on the driver 's side B-pillar. The tire
pressure label lists the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures for the vehicle at its
maximum capacity weight and the tires that
were on your vehicle at the time it was man
ufactured. For recommended tire pressures
for normal load conditions, please see chap
ter
c:> page 215.
Tie-downs
App lies to vehicles: wit h tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with four
tie-downs to secure luggage and other items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo properly
¢ page 118, Loading the luggage compartment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that even
smaller items that are loose in the vehicle will
become heavy missiles that can cause serious in
jury. Items in the vehicle possess energy which
vary with vehicle speed and the weight of the item . Vehicle speed is the most significant factor .
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed of
30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10-lb
(4 .5 kg) object are about 20 times the normal
Driving safety
weight of the item. This means that the weight
of the item would suddenly be about
200 lbs. (90 kg) . You can imagine the injuries
that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying freely through
the passenger compartment could cause in a col
lision like this.
A WARNING
-Weak, damaged or improper straps used to
secure items to tie-downs can fai l during hard
braking or in a collision and cause serious per
sonal injury.
- Always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help prevent items from shifting or flying forward as dan
gerous missiles .
- When the rear seat backrest is folded down,
always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from flying forward as dangerous
missiles into the passenger compartment .
- Never attach a child safety seat tether strap
to a tie-down.
Reporting Safety Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If you believe that your vehicle
has a defect which could cause a
crash or could cause injury or
death, you should immediately in
form the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in
addition to notifying Audi of
America, Inc.
If NHTSA receives similar com
plaints, it may open an investiga
tion, and if it finds that a safety defects exists in a group of ..,.
119
Trailer mode
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of you r
veh icle to the cold tire pressure listed under "Fu ll
load" on the label located on the driver's side B
pillar (visib le when the door is open) . Inflate
trai ler tires to trailer and tire manufacturers'
specifications.
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked with
the trailer attached before driving off. Check to
make sure both vehicle and trailer lights are
working properly .
Safety chains
Be sur e trailer safety chains are properly connect
ed from the trai ler to the hitch on the vehicle .
Leave enough slack in the chains to permit turn
ing corners . When you install safety chains, make
sure they w ill not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains shou ld cross under the trailer tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the hitch.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the fo llowing :
.. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself
is not load ed .
.. Be especia lly carefu l when passing other
vehicles .
.. Observe speed limits.
.. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed .
.. Always apply brakes early.
.. Monitor the temperature gauge .
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car resu lts
in a high ly unstable distribution of weight. If this
cannot be avo ided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
182
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle shou ld be loaded
to the extent possible and permissib le, wh ile
keeping the trailer as light as poss ible under the
c ir cumstances . Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow veh icle while observing tongue load require
ments and vehicle load ing considerations .
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be
comes for the driver to control the r ig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or wind
cond it ion s are unfavorab le -particularly when
go ing downh ill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of sway ing .
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for
vehicles towing tra ilers are lower than for regular
vehicles.
Always apply brakes early. When driving down
hill, shift into a lower gear to use the engine
braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Coolant tempe rature
The coolant temperature gauge c::> page 10 must
be observed carefully.
If the needle moves close
to the upper end of the scale, reduce speed im
med iately and/or turn off the a ir cond itioner .
If the coolant temperature warning light . in
the instrument cluster starts flashing, pull off
the road, stop and let the engine
idle for about
two m inutes to prevent heat build-up .
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving
vehicle is at a much greater risk in an acci
dent. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wearing the restraints provided
by Audi.
-
Wheels
Wheels and Tires
General information
.,.Check your tires regularly for
damage (punctures, cuts, cracks
and bulges). Remove foreign ob
jects from the tire tread.
.,. If driving over curbs or similar
obstacles, drive slowly and ap
proach the curb at an angle.
.,.Have faulty tires or rims re
placed immediately.
"'Protect your tires from oil,
grease and fuel.
.,.M ark tires before removing
them so that the same running
direction can be maintained if
they are reinstalled.
"'Lay tires flat when storing and
store them in a cool, dry location
with as little exposure to light as
possible.
(D Note
-Please note that summer and
winter tires are designed for
the conditions that are typical in those seasons. Audi recom
mends using winter tires dur
ing the winter months. Low
temperatures significantly de crease the elasticity of summ
er tires, which affects traction
Wheels
and braking ability. If summer
tires are used in very cold
temperatures, cracks can form
on the tread bars, resulting in
permanent tire damage that
can cause loud driving noise
and unbalanced tires.
-Burnished, polished or
chromed rims must not be
used in winter driving condi
tions. The surface of the rims
does not have sufficient corro
sion protection for this and
could be permanently dam aged by road salt or similar
substances.
Tire designations
Fig. 167 T ir e designations on the side -
wall Ill>
205
be happy to provide more infor
mation.
® Mud and snow capability
"M/5 " or "M+S" indicates the tire
has character istics that make it
suitable for driving on mud and
snow .
& indicates a winter tire .
@Composition of the tire cord
and materials
The number of plies indicates the
number of rubberized fabric lay
ers in the tire. In general: the
more layers , the more weight a
tire can carry . Tire manufacturers
must also specify the materials
used in the tire. These inc lude
steel, nylon, polyester and other
materials.
@ Maximum permitted load
This number indicates the max i
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 222.
;:::: @ Running direction
~ ~ ...
'° V, ....
'° ....
The arrows indicate the running
direction of unidirectional tires .
Wheels
You must always follow the speci
fied runn ing d irect ion
¢ page 231 .
@ Maximum permitted
inflation pressure
This number ind icates the maxi
mum pressure to which a tire can
be inflated unde r normal operat
ing condit ions.
Glossary of tire and loading
terminology
Accessory weight
means the comb ined weigh t (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of auto
matic transm ission, power steer
ing , power brakes, power win
dows, power seats, radio, and
heater, to the extent that these
items are available as facto ry-in
stalled equipment (whether in
stalled or not) .
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the heigh t to
the width of the tire in percent .
Numbers of 55 or lowe r indicate a
low sidewa ll for improved steer
ing response and better overall
handling on dry pavement. .,.
207
Wheels
Bead
means the part of the tire that is
made of steel wires, wrapped or
reinforced by ply cords and that is
shaped to fit the rim .
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond
between components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the
plies in the tire.
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recom
mended by the vehic le manufac
turer for a tire of a des ignated
size that has not been driven for more than a couple of miles (kilo
meters) at low speeds in the
three hour period before the tire pressure is measured or adj usted.
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor ve
hicle w ith standard equipment in
cluding the maximum capacity of
fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi
tioning and additiona l weight of
op tional equipment.
E x tra load tire
means a tire des igned to operate
at higher loads and at h igher in -
208
flation pressures than t he corre
spond ing standa rd tire. Extra load
tires may be identified as "XL",
"xl" , "EXTRA LOAD" , or "RF" on
the sidewall.
Gross A xle Weight Rating
("GAWR ")
means the load-carrying capacity
of a single axle system , measured
at the ti re-gro und interfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR")
means the max imum total loaded
weight of the vehicle .
Groove
means the space between two ad
jacent tread ribs .
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load tha t a
tire is rated to carry for a given in
flation pressure. You may not find
this informat ion on all ti res be
cause it is not required by law .
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire at
the maximum permissible infla
tion p ressure for that ti re .
Maximum loaded vehicle
weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options we ight
Ma ximum (permissible)
inflation pressure
means the maximum cold infla
tion pressure to which a t ire may
be inflated. Also called "maxi
mum inflation pressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms)
times the number of occupants
seated in the veh icle up to the to
tal seating capacity of your vehi c le.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants
in a vehicle.
Outer diameter
means the overall diameter of an
inflated new tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance be
tween the exteriors of the side
walls of an inflated tire, including elevations due to labeling, deco
rations, or protective bands or
ribs .
Wheels
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated
parallel cords .
Production options weight
means the combined weight of
those installed regular production
options weighing over 5 lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard
items which they replace, not pre
viously considered 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 substantially 90
degrees to the centerline of the
tread.
Recommended inflation
pressure
see ~ page 208, Cold tire infla
tion pressure .
Reinforced tire
means a tire designed to operate
at higher loads and at higher in
flation pressures than the corre sponding standard tire. Rein
forced tires may be identified as .,.
209
Wheels
"XL" "xl" "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF" I I I
on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal 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 you change your
wheel size, you w ill have to p ur
chase new tires to match the new rim diameter .
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nomina l distance between
rim flanges.
S idewall
means that portion of a tire be
tween the tread and bead .
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire is
designed to be driven for extend
ed periods of time. The rat ings
range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298 km/h)
¢ table
on page 206 .
You may not find
this information on all tires be
cause it is not requ ired by law.
2 10
The speed rating letter code,
where applicable, is molded on
the tire sidewall and ind icates the
maximum permissible road
speeds
¢ .&. in Winter tires on
page 220.
Tire pressure monitoring system*
means a system that detects
when one or mo re of a vehicle's
tires are underinflated and illum i
na tes a low tire pressure warning
te lltale .
Tread
means that portion of a tire that
comes into contact w ith the road .
Tread separation
means pulling away o f the tread
from the t ire carcass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the
principal grooves designed to give
a visua l indication of the deg rees
of wear of the tread. Se e
¢ page 214, Treadwear indicator
for more information on measur-
ing tire wear. .,.