Wheels
technically referred to as the vehi- sengers in the vehicle or passen-cle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat-gers who are heavier than the
ing ("GVWR"). standard weights assumed mean
The "GVWR" includes the weight that less weight can be carried as
of the basic vehicle, all factory in-luggage.
stalled accessories, a full tank of The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
plus maximum load. The maxi- are listed on the safety compli-
mum load includes the number of ance sticker label located on the
passengers that the vehicle is in- driver's side B-pillar
c::::> page 246,
tended to carry ("seating capaci-fig. 207.
ty") with an assumed weight of
.&_ WARNING
150 lbs . (68 kg) for each passen-
Overloading a vehicle can cause
ger at a designated seating posi-
loss of vehicle control, a crash
tion and the total weight of any
or other accident, serious per-
luggage in the vehicle. If you tow
sonal injury, and even death.
a trailer, the weight of the trailer
-Carrying more weight than
hitch and the tongue weight of
your vehicle was designed to
the loaded trailer must be includ-
carry will prevent the vehicle
ed as part of the vehicle load.
from handling properly and
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating increase the risk of the loss of
("GAWR") is the maximum load vehicle control.
that can be applied at each of the -The brakes on a vehicle that
vehicle's two axles. has been overloaded may not
The fact that there is an upper be able to stop
the vehicle
limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehi- within a safe distance.
cle Weight Rating means that the -Tires
on a vehicle that has
total weight of whatever is being been overloaded can fail sud-
carried in the vehicle (including denly, including a blowout and
.... the weight of a trailer hitch and sudden deflation, causing loss
N the tongue weight of the loaded of control and a crash. ci ... :c ": trailer) is limited. The more pas-....
'° "? ....
'° ....
249
.,.Che ck th e tir e s idewall
(c:::> page 2 3 6, fig. 205 ) to deter
min e th e des ig nated load r atin g
for a spec ific tir e.
Wheel bolts and rims
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must be clean and loosen/t ighten
easi ly.
Rims
R ims with a bolted rim ring* or with bolted wheel
covers* consist of m ultip le pieces. These compo
n ents were bolted toge ther using specia l bolts
a nd a specia l procedu re. You must not repair or
disassemble them¢
A.
A WARNING
Wheel bolts that are t ightened or repaired in
co rrectly can become loose and result in loss
of vehicle control, which increases the risk of
an acc ident. For the correct tightening specifi
cation, refer to¢
page 260.
-Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the whee l hub clean and free of
grease.
- Only use wheel bolts that fit the rim.
- Always have damaged r ims repaired by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized repair
facility. Never repair or d isassemble rims
yourself, because th is increases the r isk of
an acc ident .
Winter tires
W inte r tires s ignificantly improve the vehicle's
h andling when d rivi ng in winter condit ions. Be
cause of the ir constr uction (width, compound,
t read pattern), summe r ti res provide less trac
tion on ice and snow.
"'U se winte r tir es on all four wheels.
"' Only use winter t ires that a re approved for your
vehicle.
"' Please note that the maximum permitted
speed may be lower with winter tires
¢ &, .
Wh eel s
Your authorized A udi dealer or authorized re
pair facility can inform you about the maximum
permitted speed for your tires.
"' Check the tire pressure after insta lling wheels
¢page 246.
The effectiveness of winter tires is reduced great
ly when the tread is worn down to a depth of
0.157 inch (4 mm). The characteristics of winter
tires also decrease greatly as the tire ages, re gardless of the rema ining t read .
A WARNING
'---
-Never d rive faster than the max imum pe r
mitted speed for your tires. This could ca use
the t ires to heat up too mu ch. This in cr eases
the r isk of an accident because it can ca use
the t ire to burst.
- Always adapt your driving to the road and
traffic cond itions. Drive carefully an d reduce
your speed on icy or slippery roads. Even
winter t ires can lose tract ion on black ice.
@ For the sake of the environment
Reinsta ll summer tires a t the app ropr iate
time, beca use they prov ide bette r handling
when roads are free of snow and ice . Summer
tires cause less road noise, tire wear and fue l
consumpt ion.
(D Tips
You can also use all season tires instead of
winter tires . Please note that in some coun
tries where winter tires are required, on ly
winter tires w ith the
& symbo l may be per
mitted.
Snow chains
Snow chains improve traction in the snow.
"' On ly install snow chains on the front wheels.
"' Check and co rrect the seating of the snow
chains if necessary after driving a few feet. Fol
low the instructions from the manufacturer.
"' Note the maximum permitted speed when dr iv
ing with snow chains. Do not exceed 30 mph
(SO km/h) . ...
251
Wheels
Snow chains not only improve the driving in win
ter road conditions, but also the broking.
Use of snow cha ins is o nly pe rm itted with certain
r im/t ire combinations due to tec hni cal reasons.
Check with an authorized Audi dealer or author
ized repair faci lity to see if yo u may use snow
cha ins .
The snow c ha ins must have
low-profile lin ks and
m ust not be thicker than 0 .4 inch (10.S mm), in
cluding the lock.
You mus t remove the c hains whe n driving on
roads that are
free of snow. When roads are free
of snow, snow c hains can impair handling and
damage the tires, and the chains wi ll quickly be
destroyed .
_& WARNING
Using inco rrect snow chains or insta lling snow
chains incorrectly can result in loss of vehicle
cont rol, which inc reases the risk of an acc i
dent .
{CT) Note
-Snow cha ins can damage the rims/wheel
covers* if the chains come into d irect con
tact with them . Remove the wheel cove rs*
first. Use coated snow chai ns.
- Using snow chains that add more than 0.4
inch (10.5 mm) of he ight can severely dam
age the wheel hous ings and other vehicle
components.
- Do not i nstall and use snow chai ns if there is
a malfunct ion in the adaptive air suspen
s io n, because the vehicle he igh t will be very
l ow. If you drive wi th snow ch ains anyw ay,
the wheel ho usings and other vehi cle com
ponen ts can be severely damaged .
(D Tips
When using snow chains, it m ay be useful t o
sw itch on sport mo de
¢page 192.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Aud i is factory-equipped with low aspect ra
tio tires . These ti res have been tho roughly tested
252
and been sele cted specifica lly for your mode l for
their superb performance, road fee l and hand ling
u nder a var iety of dr iv ing cond it ions. Ask your au
thori zed Audi dea ler fo r more details.
The low aspect rat io o f these tires is indica ted by
a n umera l of
55 or less in the tire's size designa
t ion . The n umera l represents the ratio of the
tire's sidewall height in relation to its tread width
expressed in percentage. Convent iona l tires have
a height/width ratio of 60 or more .
The performance of low-aspect-ratio tires is par
t ic ularly sensitive to improper inflation pres
sure.
It is the refore important that low aspect
ratio tire s are inflated to the specified pressure
and that the inflation pressur e is regularly
checked and maintained . T ir e pressures should
b e c hec ked at l east on ce a month and alway s
befor e a long trip
¢ page 246.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more eas i
l y by impact with potholes, curbs, gullies or
ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is un
derinflated.
In orde r to mi nimi ze the occur rence of impact
dam age to the tires of yo ur vehicle, we recom
mend tha t you observe the following preca u
tions:
- Always ma intain recommended i nflation pres
sures. Check yo ur tir e pressure eve ry 2,0 00
m iles (3,000 km) and add air if necessary .
- Dr ive ca refully on roads w ith potholes, deep
gullies o r ridges. The impac t from dr iv ing
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may a lso ca use
damage to your ti res.
-After any impact, immediate ly inspect you r
tires or have them inspected by the nearest au
thorized A udi dealer. Replace a damaged tire as
soon as possible.
- Inspect your tires every 2,000 mi les (3,000 km)
for damage and wear. Damage is not always
easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of air and
underinflation, wh ich could eventually cause
tire fa ilure . If you be lieve that a tire may have .,.
been damaged, replace the t ire as soon as
possible .
- T hese tires may wear more q uickly than others.
- Please a lso remembe r th at, while these tires
deliver responsive handling, they may r ide less
comfortab ly and make more noise than other
choices .
Reduc ed performance in wint er/ cold sea son
condit ions
All ti res are designed fo r ce rtain purposes. The
l ow aspect ratio, ultra high performance tires
originally insta lled on your vehicle are intended
for maximum dry and wet road performance and handling . They are not suitable for cold, snowy or
i cy weather cond it ions. If you dr ive under those
circumstances, you should equ ip your vehicle
with a ll-season or winter tires, wh ich offer better
traction under those condit ions. We suggest you
use the recommended snow or all-season tires
specified for yo ur vehicle, or the ir eq uivalent.
Refer to
c::;, page 251 for more detai led informa
tion rega rding winter tires.
Uniform tire quality grading
- T read wear
- T raction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire side wall between tread shoulder and maximum sect ion w idth
c::> page 236, fig . 205.
For e xample: Tread wear 200 , Traction AA , Tem
perature A.
All passenger car tires m ust conform to Federa l
Safety Requirements in addition to these grades .
Tread wea r
The
tread wear grade is a comparat ive rating
based on the wear rate of the t ire when tes ted
under cont ro lled conditions on a specified gov
ernment test course.
F or examp le, a t ire graded
150 would wear one
and one h alf
(1 1/2) times as well on the govern
ment course as a tire g raded
100 .
Wh eel s
The re lat ive pe rformance of tires depends upon
the actual cond itions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to
variations in driv ing habits, service practices and
differences in road character istics and cl imate.
T raction
The
traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, Band
C. Those grades rep resent the tire's
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured un
der controlled cond itions on specified govern
ment test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance
c::;, .&_ .
Te mperature
The
temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C, representing the tire 's resistance to the
generat ion of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained h igh temperature can cause the mate
rial of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure c::;, .&. .
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 pe rformance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minim um req uir ed by law.
A WARNING
-
The t ract io n grade assigned to this t ire is
based on straight -ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, co r
nering, hydroplaning or peak traction charac
terist ics.
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
i n comb inat ion, can cause heat bu ildup and
-
possib le tire fai lure. ~
253
Wheels
_& WARNING
Temperature grades apply to tires that are
properly inflated and not over or underinf lat
ed.
Tire pressure monitoring system
U) General notes
Applies to: vehicles with tire pressure monito ring 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 inflat ion 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 fo r those tir es) .
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a t ire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure tell
tale when one or more of your tires is significant
ly under-inflated . Accord ingly, when the low tire
p ressure telltale illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure. Driving on a signifi
cantly 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
sponsib ility 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.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS
malfunct ion indicator to indicate when the sys
tem is not operating properly. The TPMS mal
function indicator is comb ined w ith the low tire
pressure telltale. When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for approxi
mately one minute and then remain cont inuous ly
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon
254
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as the mal
function exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illum inated,
the system may not be able to detect or s ignal
low tire pressure as intended . TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons, including the
i nstallation of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or
more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure
that the replacement or alternate tires and
whee ls allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
If the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
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.
Fig . 209 Instrument cl uste r: indicator light with me ssage
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitor
ing system compares the tire tread c ircumfer
ence and v ibration characteristics of the individu
al tires.
If the pressure changes in one or more
ti res, this is ind icated in the instrument cluster
display with an indicator light
[I] and a message.
If only one tire is affected, the locat ion of that
tire will be indicated.
The tire pressures must be stored in the Infotain
ment system again each time the pressures
change (switching between partial and full load
pressure) or after changing or replacing a tire on
your vehicle ¢
page 255. The tire pressure moni
tor ing system only monitors the tire pressure you
have stored . Refer to the t ire pressure label for ..,.
the recommended tire pressure for you r ve hicle
¢ page 246, fig . 208.
T ire tread circumference and v ibrat ion character
istics can change and cause a ti re pressure warn
ing if :
- the tire p ressure in one o r more tires is too low.
- the tire has structura l damage .
- the tire was replaced or the tire pressure was
changed and it was not stored¢
page 255 .
-the spare t ire* is installed.
Ind icat or light s
IE Loss of press ure in at least one tire q &. .
Check the tires and replace or repair if necessary.
Check/correct the pressures of a ll four tires and
store the pressure again in the Infotainment sys
tem ¢
page 255.
ffim (T ire Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
pressu re: Sys tem malfunction !.
Iffflm appears
after switching the ignition on or wh ile driving
and the
IE indicator light in the instrument clus
ter blinks for approximate ly one minute and then
stays on, there is system malfunction . Try to
store the correct tire pressures¢ page 255 . If
the indicator light does tur n off or t urns on again
a fte r a short period of time, dr ive to you r author
ized A udi dealer or qualified repair fac ility imme
diate ly to have the ma lfunction co rrected.
&_ WARNING
- If the tire pressu re indicator appears in the
display, reduce your speed immed iate ly and
avoid any hard steer ing or braking maneu
vers. Stop as soon as possib le and check the
t ir es and their press ure .
- The driver is responsib le for maintaining the
correct tire pressure. You must check the
t ir e pressu re regu la rly .
- Under certa in conditions (such as a sporty
dr iv ing style, wi nter cond itions or unpaved
roads), the tire p ressure monitoring system
indicator may be de layed.
- Do not use r un-flat tires on your vehicle. Us
ing them when not permitted can lead to
vehicle damage or accidents.
Wh eel s
(D Tips
-The tire p ressure monitoring system can al
so stop working when there is an ESC mal
function.
- Using snow c hains may result in a system
ma lf u nction.
- The tires wit h the identification "AO" or
"RO"
q page 243 have been matched wit h
your Audi t ire press ure monitoring system.
We recommend that you use these tires.
Storing tire pressures
If the tire pressure changes or a tire is replaced,
it must be confirmed in the Infotainment sys tem.
.,. Ma ke sure befo re storing t hat the t ire pressures
of all four tires meet the specified values and
are adapted to the load ¢
page 244.
.,. Switch the ignit ion on .
.,. Select: the
I CAR ! funct io n button > Car Systems
cont rol button > Serv icing & check s > Tire
pressure monitoring > Store tire pressures >
Ye s, store now .
(j) Tips
Do not sto re the tire pressures if snow chains
are ins talled. Ot he rw ise the system could
malfunc tion.
255
Emergency assistance
Emergency assistance
Trunk escape handle
In case of an emergency, the rear lid can be
opened from the inside using the trunk escape
handle.
Fig. 210 T runk escape handle: View from inside the closed
tru nk
To open rear lid
.. Pull the handle down towards the bumper
¢ fig. 210.
The trunk escape handle inside the rear lid is
made of fluor escent material to glow in the dark.
A WARNING
The trunk escape handle is to be used only in
an emergency.
@ Tips
The emergency release lever should never be
used as a handle for closing the rear lid.
Equipment
Warning triangle
Applies to: vehicles with warn ing triangle
r ---->
Fig . 211 Luggage compartment lid : warning triangle
256
The warning triangle placed in the vehicle at the
factory is located in the luggage compartment.
.. To remove the warn ing triangle, press the fas-
tener in the direction of the arrow and fold the
holder down.
The luggage compartment lid is only designed to
hold the warning triangle offered by the original
accessories program.
Vehicle tool kit
Applies to: vehicles with vehicle tool kit/tire mobility kit
Fig. 212 Luggage compartment: cargo floor cover folded
upward
Fig. 213 L uggage compartment: examp le of vehicle tool
ki t and vehicle jack
The vehicle tool kit and vehicle jack* are stored in
the luggage compartment under the cargo floor cover .
.. Lift the cargo floor by the plastic handle .
.. Hook the handle in the luggage compartment
weather strip
¢ fig. 212 .
.. Tu rn the large screw counter -clockw ise .
.. Remove the spare tire * to access the vehicle
tool kit¢
fig. 212.
Depending on the equipment, the vehicle tool kit
may be located under the spare tire under an ad
d itional cover or in the too l box. The position of
the vehicle jack* may vary.
A WARNING
Improper use of the vehicle jack can cause se
r ious personal injuries.
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
t ighten wheel bolts, since the bolts cannot
attain the necessary tighten ing torque if you
use the hex head, potentia lly causing an ac
c ident.
- The factory-supplied jack is intended on ly
for your vehicle model. Under no circum
stances should it be used to lift heavy
vehicles or other loads; yo u risk injuring
yo urself.
- Never start the engine whe n the vehicle is
raise d, which could ca use a n accident.
- Support the veh icle secure ly with appropr i
a te stands if wor k is to be perfo rmed u nder
neath the veh icle; otherwise, the re is a po
tential risk for in jury.
- Never use the jack s upplied with your Audi
on another vehicle, particularly o n a heav ier
one. The jack is only suitab le for use on the
vehicle it came wit h.
@ Tips
The vehicle j ack* in your vehicle is mainte
nance -free.
Em ergen cy a ssis tanc e
Space-saving spare tire (compact spare
tire)
Applies to: vehicles with space-saving spare tire
The spare tire/wheel is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover . It is
intended for short-term use only.
Fig . 21 4 Spare tire
Ta king out the spare tir e
... Lift the cargo floor by the p lastic handle
q fig. 214.
.,. Hook the handle into the luggage compartment
weather strip.
.,. Turn the large screw
r:=;, fig . 214 cou nter-clock
w ise.
.,. Take ou t the spare tire.
.,. Always s to re the vehicle too l kit, the jac k* and
the rep laced tire i n the luggage compartment
r:::;, page 135.
.,. Unhook the cargo floor before closing the rear
lid.
Using the spare tire (compact spare tire )
The compact spare tire is on ly intended for emer
gencies until you can reach a repair shop . Rep lace
it as quick ly as poss ible with a standard wheel
and tire.
T here are some restr ictions on the use of the
compact spare tire. The compact spa re tire has
been designed specifically for your type of vehi
cle . It must not be swapped with a compact
spare tire from another type of vehicle.
Snow chains
For technical reasons, the use of snow chains on
the compact spare tire is
not permitted. .,..
257