..... N
0 ::..:: co .....
You can also use all season tires instead of
winter t ires . Please note that in some coun
tries where w inter t ires are required, only
w inter t ires with the
& symbol may be per
m itted.
Snow chains
Snow chains improve trac tion in the snow.
"' Only install snow chains on the front wheels.
This applies also to ve hicles w ith 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 max imum permitted speed when d riv
ing with snow chains . Do not ex ceed 30 mp h
(50 km/h).
Snow chains not only imp rove the
driving in win
ter road cond itions, but also the
braking .
Use of snow chains is only perm itted with certain
r im/t ire combinations due to tec hnical reasons .
Check w ith an authorized Aud i dealer o r autho r
iz ed A udi Service Fac ility to see if yo u may use
snow cha ins.
Use
fine-mesh snow chains . They must not add
mo re than 0.53 inch (13 .5 mm) in height , includ
in g the chain lock.
You must remove the chains when driving on roads that are
free of snow. When roads are free
of snow, snow chains can impair handling and
damage the t ires, and t he cha ins w ill quickly be
destroyed.
_& WARNING
Us ing in co rrect snow chains o r inst alling snow
chains incorrectly can result in loss o f vehicle
cont rol, which inc reases t he risk of an acci
dent.
([) Note
Snow chains can damage the rims/whee l cov
ers * if the chains come into direct con ta ct
Wh eel s
with them. Remove the whee l covers* fi rst .
Use coated snow chains .
(D Tips
When driv ing wi th snow chains, it may he lp to
switch on sport/offroad mode<=>
page 178.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory -equ ipped with low aspect ra
tio t ires . These tires have been thorough ly tested
and been selected spec ifically for your model for
their superb performance, road fee l and handling
under a var iety of dr iv ing condit ions . Ask your au
thorized Aud i dea le r fo r more detai ls .
The low aspect rat io of these tires is indica ted by
a numeral of
55 or less in the t ire 's size des igna
tion . The numeral represents the ratio of the
t ir e's s idewa ll height in relation to its t read width
exp ressed in perce ntage. Conve ntiona l tires have
a height/wid th ra tio of 60 or more.
The performance of low-asp ect-ratio tir es is par
ticularly sen sitive to improper inflation pres
sure. It is therefore important that low aspect ratio tire s are inflated to the specified pressure
and that the inflation pressure i s regularly
checked and maintained. Tire pressures should
be checked at lea st once a month and alway s
before a long trip
¢ page 22 7 .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more easi
l y by impact with potho les, curbs, gullies or
ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is un
der i nflated.
In order to minimize the occurrence of impact
damag e to the tires of yo ur v ehicle, we recom
mend that you observe the following preca u
tions:
- Always maintain recommended inflation pres
sures . Check yo ur tire pressure every 2,000
m iles (3,000 km) and add air if necessary.
- Dr iv e carefully on roads w ith potholes, deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from dr iving
through or over such obstacles can damage
233
Wheels
you r tires. Impact with a cu rb may also cause
damag e to your tires .
- After any impact, immediately inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest au
thorized Audi dea ler. Replace a damaged tire as
soon as possib le.
- Inspect yo ur tires every 2,000 miles (3,000 km)
f or damage and wear. Damage is not always
easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of air and
underinflation, which could eventually cause
tire failure . If you believe that a tire may have
been damaged, replace the t ire as soon as pos
s ible .
- These tires may wear more quickly than others .
- Please a lso remember that, w hile these t ires
deliver responsive handling, they may r ide less
comfortably and make more no ise than other
cho ices .
Reduced perform ance in winter /cold season
conditions
All tires are designed fo r certa in purposes. The
low aspect ratio, ultra hig h pe rformance t ires
or iginally insta lled on you r vehicle a re intended
for max imum dry and we t road performa nce and
handling. They are not s uita ble fo r cold, snowy or
icy weathe r cond itions. If you drive under those
circumstances, you shou ld equip your vehicle
with all-s eason or winter tires, which offer b etter
traction under those condit ions. We suggest you
use the recommended snow or all-season tires
specif ied for your vehicle, or their equivalent .
Ref er to ¢
page 232 for more detai led informa
tion regarding winter tires.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Q ua lity grades c an be found where app licab le on
the tire side wall between tread shoulde r and
maximum section width
¢ page 217, fig . 188.
For example : Tread wea r 200, Trac tion AA , Tem
pe ra ture
A .
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal
Safety Requi rements in add ition to these grades.
234
Tre ad wear
The tread wear g rade is a compara tive rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
u nder controlled conditions on a specified gov
e rnment test course .
Fo r example, a tire g raded 150 wou ld wear one
and one half (1 1/2) times as we ll on the govern
ment course as a t ire graded 100.
The re lative pe rformance of tires depends upon
the actual cond itions o f the ir use, however, and
may depa rt sign ificantly from the no rm due to
variations in driv ing habits, service practices and
differences in road character istics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades , from highest to lowest, a re
AA, A, B and
C. Those g rades rep resent the tire 's
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured un
der controlled conditions on specified govern
ment test s urfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance
¢ ,& .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C, representing t he 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 high temperature can cause the mate rial of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure¢ ,&.
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 performance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum requ ired by law .
A WARNING
-
The t ract ion g rade assigned to this t ire is
based on straight-ahead br aking traction
tes ts, and does not include acceler ation, cor
nering, hydroplaning or pea k traction charac
teristics .
Emerg ency assis ta nce
Removing th e spar e tir e
.. Lift the ca rgo floor by the plast ic ha ndle
¢ fig. 195 .
.. Hook the hand le into the luggage compartment
weather strip.
.. Turn the large screw
c;, fig. 195 counter-clock
wise.
.. Take out the spare tire.
.. Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack*, and
the replaced t ire in the luggage compartment
¢ page 126.
.. Unhook the ca rgo floor befo re closing the rear
li d.
Using the spare tire (compact spare t ire )
The compact spare tire is only intended for emer
genc ies until you can reach a repair shop . Replace
it as qu ickly as possible with a standard wheel
and tire.
There are some restrictions on the use of the compact spare tire. The compact spare tire has been designed specifically for yo ur type of vehi
cle .
It must no t be swapped w ith a compact
spare tire from another type of vehicle.
Snow chains
For technical reasons, the use of snow chains on
the compact spare t ire is
not p ermi tted.
If you do have to drive with snow chains and a
front tire fails, mount the spare wheel with tire
instead of a rear tire. Install the snow chains on
the rear t ire and use it to replace the defective
front tire.
,&. WARNING
- Never use the spare tire if i t is damaged or if
it is worn down to the tread wear i ndicators .
- If the spare tire is more than 6 years o ld,
use it only i n an emergency a nd with ex
treme caution and carefu l driving.
- T he spare tire is intended o nly for tempora
ry and short-term use. It sho uld be replaced
as soon as possible with the norma l wheel
and t ire.
- A fter mounting the compact spare tire, the
tire pressure must be checked as soon as possible . The tire pressure of the compact
238
spare tire must be 4.2 bar; otherwise, you
risk having an accident .
- Do not drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h).
You risk having an accident .
- Avoid full-throttle acce leration, heavy brak
ing, and fast cornering. You r isk having an
accident .
- Never drive using more than one spare
wheel and tire. You risk having an accident .
- Normal summer or winter tires must not be
mounted on the compact spare wheel rim .
- For technical reasons, the use of tire chains on the spare t ire is not permitted . If it is
necessary to drive with tire chains, the spare
wheel must be mounted on the front axle in
the event of a flat in a rear tire . The newly
available front wheel must then be installed
in place of the rear wheel w ith the flat tire .
Installing the tire chain befo re mounting
the wheel and tire is recommended.
- Loose items in the passenger compartment
can cause se rious pe rsonal injury during
hard bra kin g or in an accident. Never store
the spare tire or jack and tools i n the pas
senger compartment.
Inflatable spare tire
App lies to vehicles: with inflatable spare tire
The inflatable spare tire expands to its full diam
eter when it is inflated .
Fig. 196 Inflatable spare tire w ith comp resso r
Remo ving inflatab le spare tire
.. Lift up the cargo floor using the handle.
.. Turn the large screw¢
fig. 196 counter -clock
w ise.
.. Take out the inflatab le spare tire .
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36
by remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
with the central locking switch . . . . . . . . . . 35
with the convenience key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Use of jumper cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
V
Valet parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Vanity mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Vehicle
Care/cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
193
Out of service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Veh icle control modules......... .. .. .. . 176
Vehicle electrical system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Vehicle identification label . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Veh icle Identification Number (V IN) . . . . . . 255
Vehicle jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Vehicle key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Vehicle shut-down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Vehicle tool kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 7
Vent ilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
76
Warning/indicator lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
A irbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Anti-lock braking system (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . 19
Brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Electromechanical parking brake . . . . . . . . 16
Electronic power control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Electronic Stabilization Control ( ESC) . . . . . 18
Generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) . . . . . . . 20
Safety belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Safety systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Turn signa ls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Warning/Indicator lights
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
148
Warranty coverages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Washer reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Washing matte finish paint . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
We ights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
What happens if you wear your safety belt too
loose? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
134
What happens to unbelted occupants? . . . . 131
Index
What impairs driving safety? . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Wheels .... .. .. .. .. ............... .. 217
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Glossary of tire and loading terminology . 219
Replacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Tires and vehicle load limits . . . . . . . . . . . 229
When must a safety belt be replaced? . . . . 132
When must the a irbag system be inspected? .148
Window regulators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
41
Power locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Windows
Cleaning/removing ice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
195
defrosting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Windshield
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
54
defrosting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Windsh ield washer fluid
Low leve l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21
Windshield washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Windshield wipers
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
55
Folding up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Replacing windshield wiper blades . . . . . . . 56
Switching on/off ... ...... ....... .. .. . 54
216
Washer reservoir
Winter driving Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
233
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Winter operation
Coolant system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
208
Defrosting windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Seat heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Winter tires. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Winter use
Car washes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
193
Removing ice from windows 195
X
Xenon head lights .. ............. 48, 50, 249
273