Wheels
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 1 SO 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 Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of the
vehicle's two axles.
The fact that there is an upper limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehi-
244
cle Weight Rating means that the
total weight of whatever is being carried in the vehicle (including
the weight of a trailer 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 Weight Rating
and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
are listed on the safety compli
ance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar
¢ page 241,
fig. 195.
&_ WARNING ~
Overloading a vehicle can cause
loss of vehicle control, a crash
or other accident, serious per
sonal injury, 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.
Wheels
th e av ail able cargo and lug
g age load capa cit y of your vehi
cl e.
.,.Ch eck th e tire s idewall
(¢
pa ge 231, fig. 193) to deter
mine the d esignated load r atin g
for a sp ecifi c tire .
Wheel bolts and rims
Wheel bolts
W heel bo lt s must be clean and loosen/t ighten
easi ly.
Rims
R ims with a bol ted rim ring * or w it h bolted wheel
covers * consist of m ultip le pieces . These compo
nents we re bolted together using specia l bolts
a nd a speci al procedu re. You must not repair o r
d is a ssemble them¢
A.
A WARNING
Whee l bolts that a re tightened or repaired in
co rrectly can become loose and result in loss
o f vehicle control, which increases the risk of
an acc ident. For the correct t ightening specifi
cat io n, refer to¢
page 254 , After changing a
wheel.
- Always keep t he wheel bolts and the
t h reads in the whee l hub clean and free of
grease.
- Only use wheel bolts that fit the rim.
-Always have damaged rims repaired by an authorized Aud i dealer or authorized repair
facility . Never repair or d isassemble rims
yo urself, because th is increases the r isk of
an accident .
Winter tires
Winte r ti re s s ignificantly improve the veh icle's
h a ndling when d riving in w inte r condi tions. Be
c a use of the ir cons tru ction (width, compound,
tread pattern), summe r tires provide less trac
tion o n ice and snow.
246
.,. Use win ter tires on a ll four wheels .
.. On ly use winter tires that are approved for yo ur
veh icle.
.,. Please note that the maximum permitted
speed may be lower with winter tires¢&_ .
Your authorized Audi dealer or authorized re
pa ir fac ility can inform you about the maxim um
permitted speed for your t ires .
.,. Check t he tire p ressure afte r insta lling wheels
~ page 241.
The effectiveness of wi nter tires is reduced g reat
l y when the tread is wo rn down to a depth of
0.157 inch ( 4 mm). The chara cte ris tic s of winter
ti res a lso decrease g rea tly as the t ire ages, re
gard less o f the remaining t read.
_&. WARNING
- Never drive faster than the maximum pe r
m itted speed for your tires . This could cause
the t ires to heat up too much. This increases
the risk of an accident because it can cause
the t ire 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 t ires can lose t ract io n on black ice .
@ For the sake of the environment
Reinstall summer tires at the appropr iate
time, because they prov ide better handling
when roads are free of snow and ice. Summer
tires cause less road no ise, tire wear and fuel
consumpt ion.
(i_) Tips
You can also use all season tires instead of
winter tires . Please note that in some coun
tries where wint er tires are required, o nly
winter tires w it h t he
& symbol may be per
mi tted.
Snow chains
Snow chains improve trac tion in the snow.
.,. On ly install snow chai ns on the fron t wheels .
T his applies a lso to vehicles with a ll wheel
dr ive*.
-
~ Check and correc t the seating of the snow
chains if necessary after driving a few feet. Fol
l ow the instructions from the manufacturer .
~ Note the maximum permitted speed when driv
ing with snow chains. Do not exceed 30 mph
(SO km/h) .
Snow chains not only improve the
driving in win
ter road cond itions, but also the
braking.
Use of snow chains is on ly permitted with certain
rim/tire combinations due to tec hnical reasons .
Check with an authorized Audi dealer or author ized repair facility to see if you may use snow
cha ins.
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 the chains w ill quickly be
destroyed .
A WARNING
Using incorrect snow chains o r installing snow
chains incorrect ly can result in loss of vehicle
c ont rol, w hic h in cr eases the risk of a n acci
de nt.
- Snow cha ins can damage the rims/wheel
covers* if the cha ins come into d irect con
tact wi th them . Remove the whee l cove rs*
first. Use coated snow cha ins.
- Usi ng snow chai ns tha t add more than 0.4
i nch (10.5 mm) of he igh t ca n severely dam
age the wheel ho usings and othe r vehicle
components .
- Do no t install and use s now chains if there is
a mal funct ion in the adaptive air suspen
sion*, because the vehicle height wi ll be
very low. If you d rive with snow chains any
way, the wheel ho usings and othe r vehicle
components can be severely damaged.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Aud i is factory -equipped with low aspect ra
tio tires . These t ires have been tho rough ly tested
and been se lected specifically for yo ur model fo r
Wheel s
their superb performance, road fee l and handling
u nder a variety of driving conditions . Ask your au
thorized Audi dea le r fo r more detai ls.
T he low aspect rat io o f th ese tires is indicated by
a n umeral of
55 or le ss in the tire's size des igna
tion . The numera l represents the ratio of the
t ir e's s idewall height in relation to its tread w idth
expressed in percentage. Conventiona l tires have
a he ight/width ratio of 60 or more.
The performance of low-aspect- ratio tires is par
ticularly sen sitive to imprope r inflat ion pres
s ure. It is the refore important that low aspect
rat io tires are inflated to the speci fied pre ssure
and that the inflation pressure i s regularly
checked and m aintain ed. Tir e pr essures should
be checked at least once a month and always
b efor e a long trip
~ page 241.
What you can do to avo id tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more eas i
ly by impact w ith po tholes, curbs, gullies or
ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is un
deri nflated.
In orde r to m in imize the occurrence of impact
damage to t he tires of yo ur vehicle , we recom
me nd that you observe the following pre ca u
t ions:
- Always ma intain recommended inflat ion pres
sures. Check yo ur tir e pressure every 2,000
m iles (3 ,00 0 k m) and add air if necessary.
- Dr ive ca refully on roads w it h potholes, deep
gullies o r ridges. T he impact from dr iving
t hrough or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impac t wi th a curb may a lso ca use
damage to your tires.
- Afte r any impac t, immed iate ly inspect yo ur
t ires or have them inspected by the nearest au
thorized A udi dealer. Rep lace 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 a lways
easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of air and
underinflation, wh ich could eventually cause
tire fa ilure. If you believe that a tire may have
been damaged, replace the tire as soon as pos -
sible . .,.
247
Wheels
- These tires may wear more q uickly than othe rs.
- Please also remembe r th at, w hile these tires
deliver responsive handling, they may r ide less
comfortably and make more noise than ot her
cho ices.
Reduced performance in wint er/ cold season
condit ion s
All tires are designed for certain purposes. The low aspect ratio, ultra high pe rformance tires
or iginally insta lled on yo ur vehicle are intended
for maximum d ry and wet road performance and
handling. They are not suitable for cold, snowy or
icy weathe r cond itions .
If you drive under those
circumstances, you should equ ip your ve hicle
with all-season or winter tires, wh ich offe r bette r
traction under those condit ions. We sugges t you
use the recommended snow or all-season tires
specified for yo ur vehicle, or their eq uivalen t.
Refer to¢
page 246 for more deta iled info rma·
tion reg arding w in ter ti res.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread we ar
- Tra ction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Qua lity grades can be found where app licab le on
the t ire side wall betwee n tread s hou lder and
maximum sect io n w idth ¢
page 231, fig . 193.
For e xample: Tread wear 200 , T raction AA, Tern·
pe rature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federa l
Safety Requirements in addition to these grades .
Tread wear
T he
tread wear grade is a compara tive ra ting
b a se d on the wea r rate of the t ire when tes ted
under contro lled conditions on a specified gov ·
ernment test co urse.
F or examp le, a tir e graded 150 would wear one
a nd one ha lf ( 11/2) times as well on t he gove rn·
men t course as a tire graded 100 .
T he rela tive perfo rmance of t ires depends upon
the a ct u a l c ondi tions of their use, howeve r, and
may depart s ignific ant ly from the norm d ue to
248
variations in driving habits, service p ract ices an d
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The
traction grades , from hig hest to lowest , a re
AA , A, B and
C. Those grades rep resent the tire's
a bility to stop o n wet p avement as measure d un
der controlled conditions on specified govern ·
ment test s urfaces of asphalt an d concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction perfo rmance
¢ ,& .
Temperature
The
temp eratur e grades are A ( the highest), B,
and C, representing the tire 's resistance to the
generatio n of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under contro lled 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 s udden
tire failure¢ ,&.
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 Standard
No . 109 . Grades Band A represent hig her levels
of performance on the laboratory test wheel than
t h e m inim um requ ired by law .
A WARNING
-
The tract io n grade assigned to this t ire is
based on st raig ht-a head braking tr action
tes ts, and do es not in clude acceler ation, cor·
n erin g, hy droplaning or pe ak traction ch arac
teristics.
A WARNING
T he tem pera ture grade fo r thi s tire is esta b·
lishe d for a tire that is properly inflated and
not ove rloaded . Excessive speed, underinfla ·
tion, o r excessive load ing, either separately or
in comb inat ion, can cause heat bu ildup and
-
possible tire failure . ..,
.... N
0 CJ '
_& WARNING
Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and not over or underinflat
ed .
Tire pressure monitoring
system
CD General notes
Each t ire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and inflat
ed to the inflation pressure recommended by the
veh icle manufac turer on the vehicle placard or
tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inf lation pressure la
be l, you should determine the proper tire infla
tion pressure for those tires).
As an added safety feature, your veh icle has been
equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire press ure te ll
tale when one or more of your tires is significant l y under-inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure tellta le illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure. Driving on a s ignifi
cantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to over
heat and can lead to t ire failure. Unde r-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 i t is the driver's re
sponsib ility to ma inta in correct tire pressure,
even if under -inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illum inat ion of the TPMS low tire pres
sure telltale.
Your veh icle has also bee n eq uipp ed w ith a TPMS
mal function indicator to indicate when the sys
tem is not operating properly. The TPMS mal
function indicator is combined w ith the low tire
pressure tellta le. When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for approxi
mately one minute and then remain cont inuously
illuminated . This sequence will continue upon
Wheels
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
i nsta llation of replacement or alternate tires or
whee ls on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS ma lfunction telltale after replac ing one or
more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure
that the replacement or a lternate tires and
whee ls allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
If the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
indicator appears
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too low
or if there is a system mo/function .
Fig. 197 Instrume nt cluste r: indicator light with message
Us ing the ABS sensors, the tir e pressure monitor
ing system compares the tire tread circumfer
ence and vibration characteristics of the individu
al tires. If the press ure changes in one or more
tires , this is indicated in the instrument cluster
display with an indicator light
ti] and a message.
If only one tire is affected, the location of that
tire will be indicated.
T he tire press ures 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¢
page 250. The tire pressure moni
toring system only monitors the tire pressure you have stored. Refer to the tire pressure label for ..,.
249
Wheels
the recommended tire pressure for your vehicle
¢ page 241, fig. 196.
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¢
page 250.
-the spare tire* is installed.
Indicator lights
IE Loss of pressure in at least one tire¢&. .
Check the tires and replace or repair if necessary.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires and
store the pressure again in the Infotainment sys
tem ¢
page 250 .
mm (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
pressure: System malfunction!.
Ifmm appears
after switching the ignition on or while driving
and the
IE indicator light in the instrument clus
ter blinks for approximately one minute and then
stays on , there is system malfunction . Try to
store the correct tire pressures¢
page 250. If
the indicator light does turn off or turns on again
after a short period of time, drive to your author
ized Audi dealer or qualified repair facility imme
diate ly to have the malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
- If the ti re pressure indicator appears in the
display, reduce your speed immediately and
avoid any hard steering or braking maneu
vers. Stop as soon as possible and check the
t ir es and their pressure .
- The driver is responsible for maintaining the
correct tire pressure. You must check the
t ir e pressure regularly.
- Under certain conditions (such as a sporty
dr iv ing style, winter cond itions or unpaved
roads), the tire pressure mon itoring system
indicator may be delayed.
- Do not use run-flat tires on your vehicle. Us
ing them when not permitted can lead to
vehicle damage or accidents.
250
(D Tips
-The tire pressure monitoring system can al
so stop working when there is an ESC mal
function.
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The tires with the identification "AO" or
"RO" ¢
page 2 38 have been matched with
your Audi tire pressure monitoring system.
We recommend that you use these tires.
Storing tire pressures
If the tire pressure changes or a tire is replaced,
it mus t be confirmed in the Infotainmen t sys
tem.
... Make sure before storing that the tire pressures
of all four tires meet the specified values and
are adapted to the load ¢
page 241.
... Switch the ignition on .
... Select: the
I CARI function button > (Car)* Sys
tems
contro l button > Servicing & checks >
Tire pressure monitoring > Store tire pressures
> Yes, store now.
(D Tips
Do not sto re the tire pressures if snow chains
a re installed.
.... N
0 CJ '
Emergency assistance
Trunk escape handle
In case of an emergency, the rear lid can be
opened from the inside using the trunk escape
handle.
Fig. 198 T runk escape handle: View from inside the closed
tru nk
T o o pen r ear lid
.,. Pull the handle down towards the bumper
<=> fig . 198.
The trunk escape handle inside the rear lid is
made of f luorescent material to glow in the dark.
&_ WARNING
The trunk escape handle is to be used only in
an emergency.
@ Tips
The emergency release lever should never be
used as a handle for closing the rear lid .
Warning triangle
Applies to vehicles: With warning triangle
Fig. 199 Luggage compartment lid: warn ing triangle
Em ergen cy a ssis tanc e
The warning triangle placed in the vehicle at the
factory is located in the luggage compartment.
" To remove the warn ing triangle, press the re -
tainer in the direction of the arrow and fold the
holder down.
T he luggage compartment lid is only designed to
hold the warning triangle offered by the original
accessories program.
Vehicle tool kit
Vehicle tool kit and jack
The vehicle tool kit is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover.
F ig. 200 Luggage compa rt m ent : cargo floor cover fo lded
upwa rd/ spa re t ire
Fig. 201 T runk lid : Ve hicle too l kit
.,. Lift the cargo floor by the plastic handle
<=>fig. 200.
a,
-N 9 (!) .. CD
" Hook the handle into the luggage compartment
weather strip.
" Turn the handwheel counter-clockwise
<=> fig. 200 and remove the spare tire to reach
the vehicle tool kit .
.,. Unhook the cargo floor before closing the rear
lid .
T he onboard tool kit includes:
25 1
Emergency assistance
-Hooks to remove the whee l covers*
- Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers*
- Whee l bolt wrench
- Al ignment pin for changing wheels
- Screwdriver with revers ible blade
- Towing eye
- Jack
Before storing the jack, make sure it is wound
back down as far as it wi ll go.
A WARNING
Improper use of the vehicle jack can cause se
rious persona l injuries.
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
tighten whee l bolts, since the bolts cannot
atta in the necessary tighten ing torque if you
use the hex head, potentially caus ing an ac
cident.
- The factory-supplied jack is intended on ly
for your vehicle model. Under no circum
stances should it be used to lift heavy
vehicles or other loads; you r isk injuring
yourself.
- Never start the eng ine when the vehicle is
raised, which could cause an accident.
- Support the veh icle securely with appropri
ate stands if work is to be performed under
neath the vehicle; otherwise, there is a po
tent ial r isk for injury .
- Never use the jack supplied with your Audi
on another vehicle, particularly on a heavier
one. The jack is only suitable for use on the
vehicle it came with.
(D Tips
- Some of the on board items listed above are
provided on certain models only or are op
tiona l extras.
- Before you can ra ise your veh icle using the
j ack, you must act ivate the jacking mode
c:::;,page255.
252
· Space-saving spare tire (compact spare
tire)
The spare tire/wheel is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover. It is
intended for short -term use only.
Taking out the spare tire
" Lift the cargo floor by the plastic handle
c:::;,page 251, fig. 200 .
" Hook the handle into the luggage compartment
weather strip.
"Tur n the large sc rew
c:::;, page 251, fig. 200
counter-clockwise .
" Take out the spare tire.
" Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack* and
the replaced tire in the luggage compartment
c:::;,page 131.
"Unhook the cargo floor before closing the rear
lid .
Using the spare tire (compact spare tire)
The compact spare tire is on ly intended for emer
gencies until you can reach a repair shop. Replace
it as quickly as poss ible with a standard wheel
and t ire.
There are some restrictions on the use of the compact spare tire. The compact spare tire has
been designed spec ifically for your type of vehi
cle . It must not be swapped with a compact
spare tire from another type of veh icle .
Snow chains
For technical reasons, the use of snow chains on
the compact spare tire is
not permitted .
If you do have to drive with snow chains and a
front tire fails, mount the spare whee l with tire
instead
of a rear tire. Install the snow chains on
the rear tire and use it to replace the defect ive
front tire .
A WARNING
-Never use the spare tire if it is damaged or if
it is worn down to the tread wear indicators .
- If the spare tire is more than 6 years old,
use it only in an emergency and with ex
treme caution and careful driving.