
..... N
co ~ CX)
..... I.Cl U"I
..... I.Cl .....
-Do not interchange the positive a nd nega
tive cables.
- When working on the battery, be sure not to
short-circuit the terminals with tools or oth
er metal objects. This would cause the bat
tery to heat up very quickly, which could
lead to damage or explosion and personal
injury.
- When a battery is charged, it produces hy
drogen gas which is explosive and could
cause personal injury.
- Always keep the battery well out of the reach of children.
- Before work is done on the electrical sys
tem, disconnect the negative ground cable.
- Before performing any work on the electri
cal system, switch off the engine and igni
tion as well as any electrical equipment. The
negative cable on the battery must be dis
connected. If you are just going to replace a
light b ulb, then it is enough to sw itch off
the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switch off
the ant i-theft alarm system! Otherw ise you
will set off the a larm.
- When disconnecting the batte ry, first dis
connect the negative cable and then the
positive cab le.
- Before reconnecting the battery, make sure
all e lectrical consumers are switched off .
Reconnect the posit ive cable first and then
the negative cable . Never interchange the
cables -this could start a fire!
- Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out bat
tery. It could exp lode! If a battery has fro
zen, then it must be replaced. A discharged
battery can freeze over at 32°F (0°C).
- Make sure the vent hose is a lways attached
to the opening on the side of the battery.
- Never use batteries which are damaged.
There is the danger of an explosion! Always replace a damaged battery.
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warn ing:
- Battery posts, termina ls and re lated acces
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
C hecki ng an d Fill in g
chemicals known to the State of Californ ia
to cause cancer and reproductive prob lems.
Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
- Do not disconnect the vehicle battery when
the ignition is sw itched on or when the en
gine is running, otherwise, you will damage
electronic components in the electrical sys
tem .
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a long
period of time w ithout being driven, protect
the battery from "freezing", otherwise it
w ill be damaged and will then have to be re
placed .
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged bat
tery .
Fig . 202 E ngine compar tmen t: Co nn ectors fo r charg er and
j umpe r cables
Alw ays re ad and heed a ll WARN IN GS below
c;, ,& and r=;, .& in Working on the battery on
page 230 .
., Hybrid drive*: read the important information
concern ing a dead high voltage battery under
¢ page 104 .
., Turn off the ignition and a ll electrical consum
ers.
... Make sure the area is we ll ven tilated when you
charge the battery .
... Open the eng ine hood
r=;, page 220 .
... Remove the cover (D by pressing on the arrow
¢ fig. 202 .
... Open the cover @on the pos itive terminal. ..,_
231

Check ing and F illing
"' Connect the charger connectors according to
the instr uctions to the
jump start bolts . (Bolts
u nder the cover = "posit ive", Bo lts with hex
head = "negative") .
"' Only now plug the mains lead for the charging
equipment into the wall outlet and tur n it on
¢& .
"' Make sure the charging rate is not over
30 amp s/14 .8 Volt.
"' When the batte ry is fu lly charged: T urn the
charg ing equipment off and remove the mains
lead from the wall outlet .
"' Now remove the clamps for the charg ing equip
ment .
"' Close the cover @on the positive term inal and
re-install the cover@.
"' Close the hood
c:::;, page 220 .
A discharged battery can freeze at temperatures
of only 32 °F (0 °C). Allow a frozen battery to
thaw completely before attempt ing to charge it
c:::;, ,& . However, we recommend not us ing a
thawed batte ry again because the battery casi ng
can be cracked due to ice fo rmation and can leak
b attery acid.
Battery charging (Maximum charging rate of
30 amps/14.8 Volt)
W hen cha rging at low vo ltages (e .g . with a trick
le charger ),
the ba tte ry cables do not h ave to be
d isconnected first. The b att ery caps sho uld
no t
be opened when charging a battery.
It is not necessary to remove the batte ry from
the l uggage comp artme nt.
Fast charging the battery (charging rate
above 14.8 Volts)
F or techn ica l reaso ns do not use a battery charg
er that uses vol tage greate r th an 14.8 Volts to
charge yo ur vehicle's bat tery.
A WARNING
Charging a ba ttery can be dangerous .
- Alw ays foll ow the operat ing instru ctions
p rovi ded by the bat tery char ger m anuf actur
er when c harging your battery .
232
-Never cha rge a frozen battery . It may ex
plode because of gas trapped in the ice. Al
low a frozen battery to thaw out first.
- Do not reuse batter ies which were f rozen.
The battery housing may have cracked and
weakened w hen the battery froze.
- Charge the battery in a well ventilated area.
Keep away from open flame or electrical
spark. Do not smoke . Hydrogen gas generat
ed by the battery is explosive.
- To reduce the da nger of explosion, never
connect or d isconnect c harger cables while
the charge r is ope ra ting .
- Fast c harg ing a battery is dange rous and
should o nly be attempted by a compe ten t
t echnicia n w ith the prope r equipment .
- Battery acid that may spill duri ng charging
should be washed off w it h a so lution o f
warm water and baking soda to neutra lize
t he a cid.
(D Note
Neve r use a fast c harge r as a booster to start
the eng ine . This will seriously damage se nsi
tive electronic components, such as cont rol
units, re la ys, ra d io, e tc., as well as the batte ry
c h ar ger.
Battery replacement
The new battery must have the same specifica
tions and dimensions as the original equipmen t
battery.
Intelligent energy manageme nt in yo ur vehicle is
r esponsib le for d istr ib uting t he e lec trica l energy
t hr oughou t your ve hicl e
c:::;, page 195 . The intelli
gen t energy management system w ill keep the
engine battery charged bette r then vehicles with
out this system . To make sure the additional
e lectrica l ene rgy is available once aga in after you
have changed the batte ry, we recommend that
you install batteries of the same type and manu
facture only (the same as those installed at the
time yo ur vehicle was delivered) . Specifications
a re listed on the ba tte ry ho using . Your a uth or-
iz ed dealer m ust code the battery in the energy
9"'

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
-Have an authorized Audi dealer wear evenly. To rotate wheels, in-
or authorized Audi Service Facili- stall the wheels from the rear
ty check the wheel alignment if axle on the front axle and vice
there is unusual wear. versa. This will allow the tires to
-Have the wheels rebalanced if an have approximately the same
imbalance is causing noticeable length of service life.
vibration in the steering wheel. For unidirectional tires, make
If you do not, the tires and other sure the tires are installed accord-
vehicle components could wear ing to the running direction indi-
more quickly. cated on the tire sidewall
Treadwear indicator ¢page 263.
Original equipment tires contain Hidden damage
treadwear indicators in the tread
Damage to tires and rims can of-
pattern, which are bars that are ten occur in locations that are
1/16 inch (1 .6 mm) high and are
hidden. Unusual vibrations in the
spaced evenly around the tire per- vehicle or pulling to one side
may
pendicular to the running di rec-indicate that there is tire damage.
tion ¢
fig. 205. The letters "TWI"
Reduce your speed immediately .
or triangles on the tire sidewall Check the tires for damage. If no
indicate the location of the tread- damage is visible from the out-
wear indicators. side, drive slowly and carefully to
The tires have reached the mini- the nearest authorized Audi deal-
mum tread depth
l) when they er or authorized Audi Service Fa-
have worn down to the treadwear cility to have the vehicle inspect-
indicators . Replace the tires with ed.
new ones¢ &.
& WARNING
-
Wheel rotation Tread that has worn too low or
Rotating the wheels regularly is different tread depths on the
recommended to ensure the tires tires can reduce driving safety
.
..
.... N a:i er ~ ... l) Obey any applicable regu lat ions in your '° "? .... country . '° ...
243

A WARNING
Always adapt the tire pressure
to your driving style and vehicle load.
-Overloading can lead to loss of
vehicle control and increase the risk of an accident. Read
and follow the important safe
ty precautions in¢
page 246,
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
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 B pillar, always follow the specifica-
Wheels
negative effect on driving and
braking behavior, which in
creases the risk of an accident.
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.
(1) Tips
Audi recommends using the
tire pressure specified for a normal load ¢
table on
page 246
or for a full load
when the vehicle is partially
loaded.
tion on the B-pillar label
¢ page 244, fig. 206.
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
245

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 ..,.

,....,
N
co
er::
co
,....,
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 acc ident. For the correct tightening specifi
cation, refer to ¢
page 260, 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 r ims repa ired by an
authorized Audi dealer o r autho rized Aud i
Service Facility . Never repair or d isassemble
rims yourself, because this increases the risk
of an accident.
Winter tires
W inte r ti res s ignificantly improve the vehicle's
h andling when driving in win ter condit ions . Be
cause of the ir constr uction (width, compound,
tread pattern), summer tires provide less trac
tion on ice and snow .
"'U se winter t ires on all fo ur wheels .
.. Only use winter t ires that are approve d for your
v ehicl e.
"' Please note that the maximum permitted
speed may be lower with winter tires¢.&_ . An
authorized Aud i dealer or au thori zed Aud i Serv
ice Fac ility can inform you about the maximum
permitted speed fo r your tires .
"' Check the tire press ure after installing wheels
¢page 244.
The effectiveness of winter tires is reduced great
l y when the tread is worn down to a depth of
0 .1 57 inch (4 mm). The character ist ics of winter
tires a lso de crease great ly as the tire ages, re
ga rdless of the remain ing tread.
WARNING
- Never drive faster than the maxim um per
mitted speed for your t ires. This cou ld cause
the tires to heat up too much. Th is increases
Wh eel s
the risk of an accident because it can cause
the t ire to burst.
- Always adapt your driving to the road and
traffic cond itions . Drive carefully and reduce
your speed on icy or slippery roads . Even
winter t ires can lose tract io n on black ice.
@ For the sake of the environment
Reinsta ll summer tires at the app ropr iate
time, beca use they prov ide better handling
when roads are free of snow and ice. Summer
tires cause less road no ise, tire wear and fue l
consumpt io n.
(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 rear wheels.
"' Check and correct the seating of the snow
chains if necessary after drivi ng a few feet. Fol
low the instructions from the manufacturer .
"' Note the maximum pe rmitted spe ed wh en dr iv
ing w it h snow cha ins. Do not excee d 30 mph
( SO km/h) .
S now c ha ins not o nly improve the
driving in win
te r road condit io ns, but also the
braking.
Use of snow chains is only permitted w ith certa in
r im/tire comb inat 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.
U se
fine-mesh snow chains . They must not add
more than 0 .53 inch (13 .5 mm) in heig ht, incl ud
ing the cha in lock.
You m ust remove the chai ns when driving on
r oads t hat are
free of snow . When roads are free
of snow, snow chai ns can impa ir han dling and .,.
249

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.