-When not in use, to reduce fuel consumption,
wind noise and to guard against th eft.
A WARNING
- Use of an unapproved roof rack or incorrect
mounting of an approved roof rack can
cause the roof rack or the items attached to
it to fall off the roof onto the road.
- Objects falling from the roof of a vehicle can
cause a crash and personal injury.
- Only mount the roof rack on the designated
locations on the roof
c::> fig . 77.
- The roof rack system must be installed ex
actly according to the instructions provided.
- When driving with a roof rack system,
changes to the center of gravity and wind
resistance can change the vehicle handling
and lead to a collision . Always adapt your
driving and your speed to the current condi
tions.
@ Note
- 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 resulting from incorrect roof rack installation .
-Always check the roof rack mountings and
hardware before each trip and during a trip
to make sure everything is securely tight
ened. If necessary, retighten the mountings
and check the entire 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
low bridges or in parking garages for exam
ple. This could cause damage to the load
and even the vehicle itself .
- Make sure the open rear lid and the sun
roof* do not come into contact with the roof
rack .
Seats and storage
Loading the roof rack
Always distribute loads evenly. Make sure any
thing on the roof rack is securely tied down .
.,. Always dist ribute the loads on the roof rack
evenly.
.,. Always attach items to the roof rack securely
before you drive off .
The maximum permissible roof weight is
220 lb
(100
kg) . The roof weight is the total of the
weight of the roof rack, the attachments and the
cargo you are carrying . You must also not exceed
the maximum load weight for the roof rack you
are using.
When using a roof rack system which has a lower
load carrying capacity, you must not use up the
total maximum permissible load carrying capaci
ty specified above. Instead, you should load the
roof rack system only to the maximum capacity
specified by the manufacturer of the roof rack
system.
.&_ WARNING
=
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to
secure items to the roof rack can fail during
hard braking or in a collision and cause seri
ous personal injury .
- Make sure the roof rack is installed exactly
as specified above
c::> page 70 .
-Always use suitable mounting straps for se
curing items to the roof rack to help prevent
items from shifting or flying forward.
- Items on the roof rack must always be se
curely mounted.
- The use of a roof rack can negatively affect
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 ve
hicle, the permissible axle weights and the
permissible total weight of your vehicle
-
c::> page 277, Weights. ~
71
Driving safety
-Never leave your vehicle unattended espe
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 ride 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, on the left
side of the luggage compartment. 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 ¢
page 247.
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with four
tie-downs to secure luggage and other items .
Use the tie-dow ns to secure your cargo properly
¢ page 135, Loading the luggage compartment .
In a coll ision, 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
136
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 th is.
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to
secure items to tie-downs can fail 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.
- 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 complaints, it may open an investiga
tion, and if it finds that a safety
defects exists in a group of
vehicles, it may order a recall and remedy campaign. However,
NHTSA cannot become involved in
individual problems between you,
11>
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in
p la ce to prevent it from sh ifting forward, back
ward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer¢.&.
in Driving instructions on page 204.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder . It
is important that the cool ing system's perform
ance is up to the addit ional load. Make sure that
the cooling system has enough fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
veh icle to the cold tire pressure listed under "Full
load " on the label located on the driver's side B
pillar (vis ible when the door is open). Inflate
trailer tires to trailer and tire manufacturers'
specif ications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working proper ly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly connect
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle.
Leave enough slack in the chains to permit turn
in g corners . When you install safety cha ins, make
sure they wi ll not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separat ion
from the hitch.
Adjusting the Audi drive select
Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface before
hitching up the trailer and before adjusting the
tongue we ight. The vehicle must be in
auto or
comfort driving mode and not ra ised
¢ page 106, 9Q) .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info
tainment, select:
I CARI function button > lower
control button .
Trailer mode
If you must drive under poor road conditions, you
can raise the vehicle
after coupling the trailer or
after adjusting the tongue weight¢ page 108.
(D Note
-Changes in temperature or load can affect
the height of the vehicle.
- Always select auto or comfort mode. Other
w ise, the tong ue load specified for your ve
hicle will no longer be applicable .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration.
T o obtain the best possible handling of veh icle
and trailer, p lease note the following:
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself
is not loaded.
.,. Be especially careful 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 tra iler with an empty car results
in a highly unstab le distribution of weight . If this
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle shou ld be loaded
to the extent possib le and permissib le, while
keeping the trailer as light as possible under the
cir cumstances . Whenever poss ible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow veh icle while observing tongue load require
ments and vehicle load ing conside rations.
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 .,._
203
Wheels
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.
~ Mark 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.
(i}) Note
-Please note that summer and
winter tires are designed for
the conditions that are typical i n those seasons. Audi recom
mends using winter tires dur
i ng the winter months. Low
temperatures significantly de crease the elasticity of summ
er tires, which affects traction
236
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 r ims
does not have sufficient corro
sion protection for th is and
could be permanently dam
aged by road salt or similar
substances.
Tire designations
Fig. 205 Tire specifi cation codes on the
sidewall of a tire .,._
Wheel s
® Mud and snow capability
"M/5" or "M+S" indicates the tire
has characteristics that make it
suitab le 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 include
steel, nylon, polyester and other materials.
@ Ma ximum permitted load
This number indicates the maxi
mum load in kilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry.
@ Uniform tire quality grade
standards for treadwear,
traction and temperature resistance
T readwear, traction and tempera
ture ranges ~
page 253.
@ Running direction
The arrows indicate the running
direction of unidirectional t ires.
You must always follow the speci-
238
fied running direction
~ page 264 .
(8) Maximum permitted
inflation pressure
This number indicates the maxi
mum pressure to which a tire can
be inflated under normal operat
ing condit ions.
Glossary of tire and loading
terminology
Accessory we ight
means the combined weight (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of auto matic transmission, power steer
ing, power brakes, power win
dows, power seats, radio, and
heater, to the extent that these
items are available as factory -in
stalled equipment (whether in
stalled or not).
Aspect rat io
means the rat io of the height to
the width of the tire in percent.
Numbers of 55 or lower indicate a
low sidewall for improved steer
ing response and better overa ll
handling on dry pavement.
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 tir e pressure recom
mended by the vehic le manufac
turer for a tire of a designated
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 adjusted .
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor ve
hicle with standard equipment in
c luding the maximum capacity of
fuel, oi l, and coolant, a ir condi
tioning and add itional weight of
optional equipment.
E xtra load ti re
means a tire designed to operate
at higher loads and at h igher in -
Wheels
flation pressures than the corre
sponding standard tire . Extra load
tires may be identified as "XL",
" xl", "EXTRA LOAD", o r "RF" on
the sidewal l.
Gross Axle Weight Rating
( " GAWR")
means the load -carrying capacity
of a single axle system, measured
at the tire-ground interfaces .
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR ")
means the max imum total loaded
weight of the vehic le.
Groove
means the space between two ad
jacent tr ead ribs .
Load rating (code)
means the max im um load tha t a
tire is rated to carry fo r a g iven in
flat ion pressure . You may not find
this informat ion on all tires be
cause it is not requ ired by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire at
the maximum pe rmissible infla
tion pressure for that tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle
weight
means the sum o f:
239
..
Wheels
(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 "maxi
mum inflation pressure ."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs . (68 kilograms)
times the number of occupants
seated in the vehicle up to the to
ta l seating capacity of your vehi
c le .
Occupant distribution
means distribut ion of occupan ts
in a vehic le .
Outer diameter
means the overall diamete r of an
inflated new tire.
Overall width
means the l inear distance be
tween the exter iors of the side
walls of an infla ted tire , including
elevations due to labeling , deco
rations, or protective bands or
r ibs.
2 4 0
Ply
means a layer of rubber -coated
pa rallel cords.
Production options weight
means t he comb ined we ight of
those insta lled 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, inc luding
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers,
roof rack, heavy duty battery, and
special trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which
the ply co rds that extend to the
beads are laid at subs tantially 90
deg rees to the centerline o f the
tread .
Recommended inflation
pressure
see~ page 239, Cold tire infla
tion pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a tire designed to operate
at highe r loads and at h igher in
flat ion pressures than t he corre
spond ing standa rd tire . R ein
forced tires may be identified as .,.
-
"XL" "xl" "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF" ' ' '
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 will have to pur
chase new tires to match the new
rim d iameter.
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between
r im flanges.
Sidewall
means that portion 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 exten d
ed periods of t ime . The ratings
range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298 km/h)
¢ table
on page 237.
Yo u may not find
ci this information on all tires be-:c
; cause it is not required by law. V,
-"' -
Wheels
T he speed rating letter code,
where applicable, is molded on
the tire sidewall and indicates the
maximum pe rmissible road
speeds
¢ & in Winter tires on
page 251 .
Tire pressure monitoring
system*
means a system that detects
when one or more of a vehicle's
tires are underin flated and illum i
na tes a low tire pressure wa rning
telltale.
Tread
means that port ion of a tire that
comes into contact with the road.
Tread separation
means pulling away of the tread
from the tire carcass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the
principal grooves designed to give
a visua l indication of t he degrees
of wear of the tread . See
¢ page 245, Treadwear indicator
for mo re info rma tion on measu r-
ing tire wear. .,.
241