
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 -
194
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:

... N 0 ::,
~
...
'° V, N
'° ...
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weigh t, 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 194, 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 .,.
195

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 192.
You may not find
this information on all tires be
cause it is not requ ired by law.
196
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 206.
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 200, Tread wear indica
tor
fo r more informa tion on
measu ring t ire wear .

different tire speeds. For this reason, in case of emergency, only
use a spare tire that has the same
circumference as the regular
tires.
&_ WARNING -
-Only use tire/rim combina tions and suitable wheel bolts
that have been approved by
Audi. Otherwise, damage to
the vehicle and an accident could result.
-For technical reasons, it is not
possible to use tires from oth
er vehicles - in some cases,
you cannot even use tires from
the same vehicle model.
-Make sure that the tires you
select have enough clearance
to the vehicle . Replacement
tires should not be chosen
simply based on the nominal
size, because tires with a dif
ferent construction can differ
greatly even if they are the
same size. If there is not
enough clearance, the tires or
the vehicle can be damaged and this can reduce driving
safety and increase the risk of
an accident.
Wheels
-Only use tires that are more
than 6 years old when abso lutely necessary and drive
carefully when doing so.
-Do not use run-flat tires on
your vehicle. Using them when
not permitted can lead to ve
hicle damage or accidents.
- If you install wheel covers on
the vehicle, make sure they al low enough air circulation to
cool the brake system. If they
do not, this could increase the
risk of an accident.
Tire wear/damage
Fig. 157 Ti re profi le: tread wear indica
tor
Tire wear
Check the tires regularly for wear .
-Inflation pressure that is too low
or high can increase tire wear
considerably.
-Driving quickly through curves,
rapid acceleration and heavy
braking increase tire wear. ..
199

....
"' 0 ::, 00 ... \D Ln
"' \D ....
risk aquaplaning when driving
through water, when driving
through curves and when brak ing, which increases the risk of
an accident.
Tire pressure
Fig. 158 Driver's side B-pillar: tire pres
sure label
"' -
-,,-----------------.. .,;;
9c::::=.: I :=; I ~ I )@ l8 n. .................................. _ _. .... _ .... '-.................................. ,.._._. ·-...
-VNn
--
-00-
- KPA. . PSI
- KPA. . PSI
- KPA. . PSI
Fig. 159 Tire pressure label
The correct tire pressure for tires
mounted in the factory and for
the spare tire* is indicated on a la
bel. The label is located on the 8-
pillar
c:>fig. 158, c:>fig. 159.
When the vehicle is partially load ed (up to 3 people), use the tire pressure specified for normal
loads
c:> table on page 203. If
Wheels
driving the vehicle when fully loaded, you must increase the tire
pressure to the maximum speci
fied pressure
c:> A .
Checking/correcting tire
pressure
.. Check the tire pressure at least
once per month and also check it before every long drive .
.. Always check the tire pressure
when the tires are
cold. Do not
reduce the pressure if it increas
es when the tires are warm .
.. Check the label
c:> fig. 159 for
the correct tire pressure based on vehicle load.
.. Correct the tire pressure if nec
essary.
..vehicles with Tire Pressure Mon
itoring System*: store the modi
fied tire pressure in the Infotain
ment system
c:> page 210.
.. Check the pressure in the emer
gency tire*/spare t ire*. Always
maintain the maximum temper
ature that is specified for the
tire.
& WARNING
Always adapt the tire pressure
to your driving style and vehicle Load. ..
201

Wheels
-Overloading can lead to loss of vehicle control and increase
the risk of an accident. Read and follow the important safe
ty precautions inc:::> page 203,
Tires and vehicle load limits.
-The tire must flex more if the tire pressure is too low or if
the vehicle speed or load are
too high . This heats the tire up
too much. This increases the
risk of an accident because it
can cause the tire to burst and
result in loss of vehicle con
trol.
-Incorrect tire pressure in
creases tire wear and has a
negative effect on driving and
Tire pressure table
Please note that the information
contained in the following table
was correct at the time of print ing, and the information is sub
ject to change . If there are differ
ences between this information
and the tire pressures specified
on the label on the driver's side 8- pillar, always follow the specifica
tion on the 8-pillar label
c:::>
page 201, fig. 158.
202
braking behavior, which in
creases the risk of an accident.
(D Note
Replace lost valve caps to re
duce the risk of damage to the
tire valves.
@ For the sake of the environment
Tire pressure that is too low in
creases fuel consumption.
(D Tips
Audi recommends using the
tire pressure specified for a
normal load c:::>
table on
page 203
or for a full load
when the vehicle is partially
loaded.
Make sure that the tire designa
tion on your tire matches the des ignation on the tire pressure label
and the tire pressure table.
The following table lists recom mended tire pressures in cold
tires according to the load and
the size of the tires installed.

Wheels
Model/ Tire designation Tire pressure
Engine Normal load Maximum load
(up to 3 people)a>
front rear front rear
PSI
Q3: 235/50 Rl8 97H
2.0L All Season
32
4 cylinders
235/50 Rl8 97V
High Performance
32
255/40 Rl9 l00H xl
All Season
33
255/40 Rl9 96Y
High Performance
33
255/35 R20 97Y xl
High Performance
33
a) 2 people in the front , 1 person in the re ar
A WARNING
-
Please note the important safe-
ty precautions regarding tire
pressure
c=> page 201 and load
limits ¢
page 203.
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of
load or weight that any vehicle
and any tire can carry. A vehicle
that is overloaded will not handle
well and is more difficult to stop.
Overloading can not only lead to
loss of vehicle control, but can al
so damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden
tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation that can
cause the vehicle to crash.
kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
220 32 220 3 3 23 0 36 2 50
220 32 220 33 230 36 250
230 33 230 44 300 46 320
2 30 33 230 44
300 46
320
230 33 230 44 300 46 320
Your safety and that of your pas
sengers also depends on making
sure that load limits are not ex
ceeded. Vehicle load includes ev
erybody and everything in and on
the vehicle. These load limits are
technically referred to as the vehi
cle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat
ing
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight
of the basic vehicle, all factory in
stalled accessories, a full tank of
fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids
plus maximum load. The maxi
mum load includes the number of
passengers that the vehicle is in
tended to carry ("seating capaci
ty") with an assumed weight of
150 lbs. (68 kg) for each passen-
ger at a designated seating
11--
203

Wheels
and a special procedure. You must not repair or
disassemble them¢&. .
A WARNING
Wheel bolts that are tightened or repaired in
correctly can become loose and result in loss
of vehicle control, which increases the risk of
an accident. For the correct t ightening specifi
cation, refer to ¢
page 214, After changing a
wheel .
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hub clean and free of grease.
- Only use wheel bolts that fit the rim .
- Always have damaged rims repaired by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Aud i
Service Facility . Never repair or disassemble
rims yourself, because this inc reases the risk
of an accident.
Winter tires
Winter tires s ignificantly improve the vehicle's
handling when driving in winter conditions . Be
cause of their construction (width, compound,
tread pattern), summer tires provide l ess trac
tion on ice and snow.
.,. Use winter tires on all four wheels.
.,. Only use winter tires that are approved for your
vehicle.
.,. Please note that the maximum permitted
speed may be lower with winter tires
q .&,. . An
authori zed Audi dealer or authori zed Audi Serv
ice Facility can inform you about the maximum
permitted speed for your tires .
.,. Check the tire pressure after install ing wheels
q page 201.
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 character istics of winter
tires also decrease greatly as the tire ages, re
gardless of the remaining tread.
A WARNING
- Never drive faster than the maximum per
mitted speed for your tires. This cou ld cause
the tires to heat up too much. This increases
206
-
the risk of an accident because it can cause
the tire to burst.
- Always adapt your driving to the road and
traffic conditions . Drive carefully and reduce
your speed on icy or slippery roads . Even
winter tires can lose traction on black ice .
@ For the sake of the environment
Reinstall summer tires at the appropriate
time, because they prov ide better handling
when roads are free of snow and ice. Summer
tires cause less road noise, tire wear and fuel
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, only
winter tires w ith the ~ symbol may be per
mitted.
Snow chains
Snow chains improve traction in the snow .
.,. Only install snow chains on the front wheels.
This applies also to vehicles with all wheel
drive* .
.,. Check and correct 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).
Snow cha ins not only improve the
driving in win
ter road conditions, but also the
braking .
Use of snow chains is only permitted with certain
rim/tire combinat ions due to technical reasons .
Check with an author ized Audi dealer or author
ized Audi Service Facility to see if you may use
snow chains.
The snow chains must have
low-profile links and
must not be thicker than 0.53 inch (13.5 mm),
including the lock.
You must remove the chains when driving on
roads that are
free of snow . When roads are free ..,.