
Occupant loading and distri
but ion for vehicle normal load
for various design ated se ating
c a pa cit ies
Refer to the tire inflation pres
sure label ¢
page 244, fig. 207
for the number of seating posi
tions. Refer to the table ¢
table
on page 246
for the number of
people that correspond to the ve
hicle normal load.
New tires or wheels
Audi recommends having all work
on tires or wheels performed by
an authorized Audi dealer or au
thorized Audi Service Facility .
These facilities have the proper
knowledge and are equ ipped with
the required tools and replace
ment parts .
.,,. New tires do not yet have the
opt imum adhesion properties.
Drive carefully and at moderate
speeds for the first 350 m iles
(500 km) with new tires .
... use tires of the same construc
tion, size (rolling circumference)
and as close to the same tread pattern as possible on all four
wheels.
Wheels
.,,. Do not replace tires individually.
At least replace both tires on the same axle at the same time .
.,,. Audi recommends that you use
Audi Original equipment tires. If
you would like to use different
tires, please note that the tires may perform differently even if
they are the same size¢,&..
.,,. If you would like to equip your
vehicle w ith a tire/r im combina
tion that is different from what
was installed at the factory, con
sult w ith an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility before making a pur
chase ¢
..1,..
The spare t ire* is diffe rent from
the regular tires installed on the
vehicle - for example, if winter
tires or wide tires are installed -
then only use the spare tire* tem
porarily in case of emergency and
drive carefully while it is in use . It
should be replaced with a regular
tire as soon as possible.
On
all wheel d rive vehicles, all
four wheels must be equipped
with tires that are the same brand
and have the same construction
and tread pa ttern so that the
drive system is not damaged by
24 1

Wheels
different tire speeds. For this rea
son, in case of emergency, only
use a spare tire* that is 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 t ires 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.
242
-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. 205 Tire profile: tread wear ind ica
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. ..

Wheels
tires according to the load and
the size of the tires installed.
Model/ Tire designation
Engine Tire pressure
Normal load Maximum load
(up to 3 people)al
front rear front rear
PSI
235/60 Rl8 103H
29 Q5:
All Season
2 .0L
235/55 R19 101H
4 cylinders All Season
30
and
Q5: 235/55 R19101W 29 High Performance
3.0L
6 cylinders 255/45
R20 101W
29 High Performance
255/45 R20 101W
39 SQ5: High Performance
3.0L
6 cylinders 255/40
R21102Y XL
41 High Performance
a) 2 people in the front, 1 person in the rear
A WARNING
Please note the important safe
ty precautions regarding tire pressure ¢
page 244 and load
limits ¢
page 246.
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
246
kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
200 29 200 32 220 32 220
210
30 210 33 230 33 230
2 00 29 2 00 33 2 30 33 230
200 29 200 33 230 33 230
27 0
39 27
0 41 2 80 41 2 80
280 36 250 4 1 280 42 290
tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation that can
cause the vehicle to crash.
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 posi
tion and the total weight of any luggage in the vehicle . If you tow
a trailer, the weight of the trailer
hitch and the tongue weight of
the loaded trailer must be includ
ed as part of the vehicle load .
The
Gross A xle Weight Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be appl ied at each of the
vehicle's two axles.
The fact that there is an upper
limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehi
c le Weight Rating means that the
total weight of whatever is being
carried in the vehicle (including
the weight of a tra iler hitch and
the tongue weight of the loaded
trailer) is limited. The more pas
sengers in the vehicle or passen
gers who are heavier than the
standard weights assumed mean
that less weight can be carried as luggage.
The Gross Vehicle We ight Rating
and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
Wheels
are listed on the safety compli
ance sticker label located on the
driver's side B -pillar
¢ page 244,
fig . 206.
_& WAR NING
Overloading a vehicle can cause
loss of vehicle control, a crash
or other accident, serious per
sonal in jury, and even death.
-Carrying more weight than
your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the vehicle
from handling properly and increase the risk of the loss of
vehicle control.
- The brakes on a vehicle that
has been overloaded may not
be able to stop the vehicle
within a safe distance.
-Tires on a vehicle that has
been overloaded can fail sud
denly, including a blowout and
sudden deflation, causing loss
of control and a crash.
-Always make sure that the to
tal load being transported -
including the weight of a trail
er hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer - does not make the vehicle
heavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating .
247

Wheels
Determining correct load
limit
Use the example below to calcu
late the total weight of the pas
sengers and luggage or other
things that you plan to transport so that you can make sure that
your vehicle will not be overload ed .
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
1 . Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCU PANTS AND CARGO SHOULD
NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
LBS"on your vehicle 's placard
(tire inflation pre ssure label)
c:::> page 244, fig. 206.
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas
sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3 . Subtra ct the combined weight
of the driver and passengers
from
"XXX" kilograms or " XXX"
pounds shown on the sticker
c:::> page 244 , fig. 206 .
4. The re sulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For ex
ample, if the
"XXX" amount
equals 1400 lbs. and there will
248
be five 150 lbs. passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lb s.
(1400-750 (5 X 150) = 650
lb s.)
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely ex
ceed the available cargo and luggage load capacity calculat
ed in Step 4 .
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your ve
hicle. Con sult this manual to
determine how this reduces
the available cargo and lug gage load capacity of your vehi
cle .
~check the tire sidewall
(¢ page 234, fig. 204) to deter
mine the designated load rating
for a specific tire.
· Wheel bolts and rims
Wheel bolts
W heel bolts mus t be clean and loose n/tighten
eas ily.
Rims
R ims with a bo lted r im ring * or with bo lted wheel
covers" co nsist of mult ip le p ieces . T h ese compo-
n ents were bolted togethe r usin g s pec ial bolts ..,.

Wheels
damage the ti res, and the chains w ill quickly be
destroyed .
A WARNING
Using incorrect snow chains or insta lling snow
chains incorrectly can result in loss of vehicle
control, which increases the risk of an acc i
dent .
(D Note
Snow chains can damage the rims/wheel cov
ers * if the chains come into d irect contact
w ith them. Remove the wheel covers* first .
Use coated snow chains.
(D Tips
When using snow cha ins, it may be useful to
sw itch the off road mode on
<=> page 191.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Aud i is factory -equipped with low aspect ra
tio tires. These t ires have been tho roughly tested
a nd been se lected specifically fo r yo ur model fo r
thei r supe rb per fo rman ce , road feel and handling
un der a va riety of d riving conditions . As k yo ur au
thor ized Audi dealer for mo re details .
T he low aspect ratio of these t ires is in dicated by
a nume ral of
55 or less in the tire's size desig na
tion . The numera l rep resents the rat io o f th e
tire's sidewall he ight in relat ion to its tread width
expressed in pe rcentage. Conventional tires have
a height/w idt h rat io o f 60 o r more .
The performance of low-aspect -ra tio tires i s par
ticularly sensitive to improper inflation pres
sure . It is therefore important that low aspect
ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure
and that the inflation pressure is regularly
checked and maintained . Tire pressures should
be checked at least once a month and always
before a long trip <=>
page 244.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect rat io tires can be damaged more easi
ly by impact with potholes, cu rbs, gullies or
250
ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is un
derinflated.
I n orde r to mi nimize the occur rence o f imp act
dam age to the tires o f yo ur vehicle, we recom
mend that you observe the following preca u
tions:
- Always m aintain reco mmende d in fla tion pres
sures. Check yo ur tir e pressure eve ry 2,0 00
m iles (3,00 0 km) and add air if necessary .
- Dr ive c arefully on ro ads w ith potholes, deep
gu llies o r ridges . The impact from dr iving
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may a lso ca use
damage to your t ires.
- After any impact, immediate ly inspect you r
tires or have them inspected by the nearest au
thorized Aud i dealer. Replace a damaged tire as
soon as possible.
- Inspect your tires every 2,000 m iles (3,000 km)
for damage and wear . Damage is not always
easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of a ir and
unde rinflation, w hich could event ua lly cause
tire fa ilure . If you believe that a tire may have
be en damaged, replace the tire as soon as pos
sible .
- These tires may wear mo re quickly than o thers .
- Please also remember that, while these tires delive r responsive hand ling, they may ride less
comfortab ly and make mo re noise than o ther
choi ces.
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
A ll tires are des igned for certain purposes. The
l ow aspect ratio, ultra h igh performance tires
o rigin ally ins talle d on your veh icle are inten ded
for m aximum dry and wet road per forma nce and
handling . They a re not suitable for co ld, snowy or
i cy weather conditions . If you drive under those
c ir cumstances, you should equip yo ur vehicle
with all-season o r winter tires, which offer better
tract ion under t hose conditions. We suggest you
u se the recommended s now or all-season tires
spec ified for your vehicle, o r the ir equiva lent .
Refer to<=>
page 249 for more detailed informa
tion regard ing winter tires.

,....,
N
co
er::
co
,....,
- T read wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Qua lity grades can be found where applicable on
the tire side wall between tread shoulder and
maximum sect ion w idth
c:> page 234, fig. 204.
For example: Tread wear 200 , Traction AA, Tem
perature
A .
All passenge r ca r tires m ust conform to Federal
Safety Requirements in add ition to these grades .
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparat ive rating
based on the wear rate of the t ire when tested
under cont ro lled conditions o n a specified gov
e rnment test course.
For example, a t ire graded
1 50 would wear one
and one ha lf
( 1 1/2) times as well on the gove rn
men t course as a tire g raded
100.
The relative performance of t ires depends upo n
the actual conditions of their use, howeve r, and
may depart significant ly from the norm due to
va ria tions in driving ha bits, serv ice practices and
d ifferences in road cha racteristics and climate .
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B and
C. T hose grades represent the t ire's
ab il ity to stop on wet pavement as meas ured un
de r contro lled condi tions on specified gove rn
ment tes t sur faces of asphalt and conc re te. A tire
mar ked C may have poor traction performance
c:> &. .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (t he hi ghest), B ,
a nd C, represent ing the tire's resis tan ce to t he
generation o f heat and its ability to diss ipate
h eat when tested unde r contro lled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory test whee l.
Sus ta ined hig h temper ature c an cause t he mate
r ial of the ti re to degenerate and red uce tire life,
and excessive temperatu re can lea d to sud den
tire fai lure
c:> &..
Wh eel s
The grade C cor responds to a level of perform
ance which all passenger car tires must meet un
der the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standa rd
No.
109 . Grades Band A represent higher levels
of pe rformance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum req uired by law .
A WARNING ,-
The tractio n grade assigned to this tire is
based on st raight-a head braking traction
t es ts, and does no t include acceler ation, co r
n eri ng, hy dropla ning or pe ak tra ction charac
terist ics.
A WARNING ,.,___
The tempera ture 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 separate ly or
i n comb inat ion, can cause heat bu ildup and
possib le tire fai lure.
A WARNING
-
Temperature g rades apply to tires that are
p roperly inflated a nd not over o r under inflat
ed.
Tire pressure monitoring system
ill General notes
App lies to vehicles: wi th tire pressure mo nito rin g syste m
-
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly whe n cold and inflat
ed to the inflat io n pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the veh icle placard or
t ir e infla tion p ressure la be l. (If your ve hicle has
t ir es of a different size than t he si ze ind ic a ted on
the vehi cle placar d or tire in flat ion press ure la
bel, you sho uld dete rmine the proper tire infla
t ion press ure for those tires) .
As an ad ded s afety feat ure, yo ur vehicle has been
equipped with a tire press ure mon itor ing system
( T PMS) t hat illuminates a low tire pressure tell
ta le when one or mo re of your tires is signif icant -
ly under-inf lated. According ly, when the low t ire
pressure telltale i llum inates, you shou ld stop and.,.
251

Wheels
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 overheat 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
sponsibility 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 malfunction indicator to indicate when the sys
tem is not operating properly. The TPMS mal
function indicator is combined with the low tire pressure telltale. When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for approxi
mately one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as the mal
function exists .
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated,
the system may not be able to detect or signal low tire pressure as intended . TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons, including the
installation 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
wheels allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
252
· 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. 208 Instrument cl uster: i ndic ator ligh t with message
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitor
ing system compares the tire tread circumfer
ence and vibration characteristics of the individu
al tires . If the pressure changes in one or more
tires , this is indicated in the instrument cluster
display with an indicator light
RE and a message
c>fig. 208. If only one tire is affected, the loca
tion 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
c> page 253. The tire pressure moni
toring system only monitors the tire pressure you have stored. Refer to the tire pressure label for
the recommended tire pressure for your vehicle
c> page 244, fig . 207.
Tire tread circumference and vibration character
istics can change and cause a tire pressure warn
ing if:
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too low.
- the tire has structural damage.
- the tire was replaced or the tire pressure was
changed and it was not stored
c> page 253 .
-the collapsible spare* tire is installed.
Indicator lights
RE Loss of pressure in at least one tire c> &.
Check the tires and replace or repair if necessary . .,.