Driving safety
-Close the power top*,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument pan-
el,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest speed.
.&, WARNING
-
Always make sure that the doors, all win
dows, the power roof*, the power top* and
the rear lid are securely closed and locked to
reduce the risk of injury when the vehicle is
not being used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make sure
that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended espe cially with the rear lid left open. A child
could crawl into the vehicle through the lug
gage compartment and close the rear lid be
coming trapped and unable to get out. Be
ing trapped in a vehicle can lead to serious
personal injury.
- Never let children play in or around the vehi
cle.
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must al
ways be properly restrained in one of the ve
hicle's seating positions.
(D Tips
- Air circulation helps to reduce window fog
ging . Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure to
keep these slots free and open.
- The tire pressure must correspond to the load. The tire pressure is shown on the tire
pressure label. The tire pressure label is lo
cated on the driver's side B-pillar. The tire
pressure label lists the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures for the vehicle at its
maximum capacity weight and the tires that
were on your vehicle at the time it was man ufactured. For recommended tire pressures
for normal load conditions, please see chap ter
c:> page 336.
254
· Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with four
tie-downs to secure luggage and other items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo properly
c:> page 253, Loading the luggage compartment .
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that even
smaller items that are loose in the vehicle will
become heavy missiles that can cause serious in
jury . Items in the vehicle possess energy which
vary with vehicle speed and the weight of the
item . Vehicle speed is the most significant factor .
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed of
30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10-lb
(4 .5 kg) object are about 20 times the normal
weight of the item. This means that the weight
of the item would sudden ly be about
200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the injuries
that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying freely through
the passenger compartment could cause in a col
lision like this.
.&, WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to
secure items to tie-downs can fail during hard
braking or in a collision and cause serious per
sonal injury.
- Always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from shifting or flying forward as dan
gerous missiles.
- When the rear seat backrest is folded down, always use suitable mounting straps and properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from flying forward as dangerous
missiles into the passenger compartment.
- Never attach a child safety seat tether strap
to a tie-down.
-
Wheel s
® Mud and snow capability
"M/5" or "M+S" indicates the tire
is sui table for driving on mud and
snow.
& indicates a winter tire.
@ Composition of the tire cord
and materials
The number of plies indicates the
number of rubberized fabric lay
ers in the t ire. In general: the
more layers, the more weight a
tire can carry . Tire manufacturers
must also specify the materials
used in the tire. These include
steel, nylon, po lyester and other
materials.
@ Maximum permitted load
This number indicates the maxi
mum load in kilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry .
@Uniform tire quality grade
standards for treadwear,
traction and temperature resist ance
Treadwear, traction and tempera
ture
ranges ¢ page 344.
@ Running direction
The arrows indicate the running
direction of unidirectional t ires .
You must always follow the speci
fied running direction
¢page 361 .
330
@ Maximum permitted
inflation pressure
This number indicates the maxi
mum pressure to which a tire can
be inflated under normal operat
ing condit ions.
Glossary of tire and loading
terminology
Acces sory we ight
means the combined weight (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of auto matic transmission, power steer
ing, power brakes, power win
dows, power seats, radio, and
heater, to the extent that these
items are available as factory-in
stalled equipment (whether in
stalled or not) .
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to
the width of the tire in percent .
Numbers of 55 or lower indicate a
low sidewall for improved steer
ing response and better overall
handling on dry pavement.
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 r im .
...
Bead separa tion
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 vehicle manufac
turer for a tire of a designated 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 adjusted .
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor ve
hicle with standard equipment in
c luding the maximum capac ity of
fuel, oi l, and coolant, a ir condi
tioning and add itional weight of
optional equipment.
E xtra load tire
means a tire designed to operate
at higher loads and at h igher in
flation pressures than the corre sponding standard tire. Extra load
tires may be identified as
"X L",
:;:;: "xl", "E XTRA LOAD" , or "RF" on ...
~ the s idewal l. ... 0 N > a:,
Wheels
Gross Axle Weight Rating
( " GAWR")
means the load-carrying capacity
of a single axle system, measured
at the tire -ground 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 maxim um load that a
tire is rated to carry for a given in
flat ion pressure . You may not f ind
this informat ion on all tires be
cause it is not required by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire at
the maximum permissible infla
tion pressure for that tire .
Maximum loaded vehicle
weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity we ight , and
(d) Production options we ight
33 1
Wheel s
Maximum (permissible)
inflation pressure
means the max imum 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 k ilograms)
times the number of occupants seated in the vehicle up to the to
tal seating capacity of your vehi
cle .
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants
in a vehicle.
Outer d iameter
means the overall diamete r 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 .
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated
para llel cords.
332
Production options we ight
means the combined weight of
those installed regular product ion
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 ti re
means a pneumatic tire in which
the ply cords that extend to the beads are la id at substantially 90
degrees to the centerline of the
tread.
Recommended inflation
pressure
see ¢ page 331 , 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
"XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF"
on the sidewall. ...
Wheels
-Inflation pressure that is too low or high can in
crease tire wear considerab ly.
-Driving quickly through curves, rap id accelera
tion and heavy b raking increase tire wear .
-Have an authorized A udi dealer or au thorized
Audi Se rvice Facility check the wheel alignment
if there is unusual wear.
-Have the whee ls rebalanced i f an imbalance is
causing noticeab le vib ration in the steering
whee l. If you do not, the tires and other veh icle
components could wear more quickly.
Treadwear indicator
O rigina l equ ipment t ires conta in treadwe ar indi
cators in the tread pattern, which are b ars that
are 1/16 in. (1.6 mm) h igh and are spaced evenly
aro und the tire perpendic ular to the runn ing d i
rection¢ fig. 279. The letters "TWI" or triangles
on the tire sidewall indicate the locat ion of the
treadwear indicators.
The tires have reached the mi nimum tread
dept h
ll when they have worn down to the tread
wear ind icators. Replace the tires with new ones
¢ .&, .
Tire rotation
Rotating t he tires regular ly is recommended to
ensure the tires wear even ly. To rotate the tires,
install the tires from the rear ax le on the front
axle and v ice versa. This will allow the tires to
have approx imately the same length of service
life.
For unidirectional tires, make sure the tires are
installed according to the running direction indi
cated on the tire
sidewall¢ page 361 .
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and r ims can often occur i n loca
tions that are hidden . Unus ua l vibrations in the
veh icle or pulling to one s ide may indicate that
there is tire damage. Reduce your speed immedi
ately. Check the t ires for damage .
If no damage
is visible from the outside, drive s lowly and care
fully to the nearest authorized Aud i dealer or au-
l) Obey any applicable reg ulations in you r country.
336
thorized Audi Service Facility to have t he ve hicle
inspected.
A WARNING
Tread that has worn too low or different tread depths on the tires can reduce driving safety.
This can increase the risk of an accident be
cause it has a negative effect on handling,
d riving through curves, and b raking, and be
cause it increases the r isk of hydroplaning
when dr iving th rough dee p puddles.
Tire pressure
Fig. 280 Driver's side B-pi llar (e xamp le) :
t ire p ress ure label
;; ~ ~ ~-----------------,:,
• (=~ ~~I: I:. I)@ ::g
»-OOIMING...-ol~..SAflO.....,....,--.d . ... _k Le«-h,...a .. ~etdudw,.uWl>l!tdollil,.._~ 'eou lb.
tw: SIU COI.O TR PRESSURE PNE U lailEHSl0HS "'lSSION OU PNEUS AFRQID
-AVANT -KPA. • PS I
Fig. 281 Tire pressure label
SEE OWNER"S MANUAL FOR ADOrTlONAL INFORMATK>N
VOIR L£ MANUa DU PROPRIETAIRE POUR PLUS DE RENSEIGNEMENTS
The correct tire pr essure for tires
mounted in the fa ctory and for
th e s pare tire * is ind icated on a la
bel. The label i s located on th e B-
pillar
¢ f ig . 280, ¢ fig. 2 81 . ..,
CX> CX> ... N .... N ... 0 N > a:,
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.
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 pressure label)
¢ page 336, fig. 280.
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas
sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight
of the driver and passengers
from
"XXX" kilograms or "XXX"
Wheels
pounds shown on the sticker
¢ page 336, fig. 280.
4. The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For ex
ample, if the
"XXX" amount
equals
1400 lbs. and there will
be five
150 lbs . passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage
load capacity is
650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5 X 150) =
650 lbs.)
S. 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. Consult this manual to
determine how this reduces
the available cargo and lug
gage load capacity of your vehi
cle.
.,.Check the tire sidewall
(¢page 328, fig . 278) to deter
mine the designated load rating
for a specific tire.
341
CXl CXl .... N ,.__
N .... 0 N > 00
Check with an authorized Audi dealer or author
ized Audi Service Facility to see if you may use
snow chains .
Use
fine-mesh snow chains . They must not add
more than 0.53 inch (13 .5 mm) in height, includ
ing the chain lock.
You must remove the snow chains on roads with
out snow. Otherw ise, you could impair driving
ability and damage the tires.
~ WARNING
Using incorrect snow chains or installing snow
chains incorrectly can result in loss of vehicle
control, which increases the risk of an acc i
dent.
0 Note
Snow chains can damage the rims/wheel cov
ers * if the chains come into direct 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 on sport mode
¢page 152.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Aud i is factory-equipped with low aspect ra
tio tires. These t ires have been thoroughly tested
and been selected specifically for you r model for
their superb performance, road feel and handling
under a va riety of driving conditions. As k your au
thorized Audi dealer for mo re de tails.
The low aspect ratio of these tires is indicated by
a numera l of
55 or less in the tire's size designa
tion . The numeral represents the ratio of the
tire's sidewall height in relation to its tread width
expressed in percentage. Conventional tires have
a height/w idth rat io of 60 or more .
The performance of low-aspect-ratio tires is 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
Wheels
be checked at least once a month and always
before a long trip
¢ page 336 .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more easi
ly by impact w ith potholes, curbs, gullies or
ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is un
der inflated.
In order to minimize the occurrence o f impact
damage to the tires of your vehicle, we recom
mend that you observe the following precau
t ions:
-Always maintain recommended inflation pres
sures . Check your tire pressure every
2,000 miles (3,000 km) and add air if necessa
ry.
-Drive carefully on roads with potholes, deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from driving
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to your tires.
-After any impact, immediate ly inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest au
thorized Audi 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 a lways
easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of air and
unde rinflation, w hich could even tually cause
t ire fa ilure.
If yo u bel ieve that a tire may have
been damaged, replace the tire as soon as pos
sible.
-These tires may wear more quickly than others.
-Please also remember that, while these tires
deliver responsive handlin g, they may ride less
comfortably and make more noise than other
choices.
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
All tires are designed for certain purposes. The
low aspect ratio, ultra high performance tires
origina lly installed on your vehicle are intended
for maximum dry and wet road performance and
handling. They are not suitable for cold, snowy or
icy weather conditions. If you drive under those
c ir cumstances, you should equip your vehicle
..,.
343
Wheels
with all-season or winter tires, which offer better
traction under those cond itions. We suggest you
use the recommended snow or all-season tires
specified for your vehicle, or their equivalent.
Refer to
q page 342 for more detailed informa
tion regarding winter tires.
Uniform tire quality grading
-Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire side wall between tread shoulder and
maximum sect ion w idth
q page 328, fig. 278.
For example: Tread wear 200 , Traction AA, Tem
perature
A .
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal
Safety Requirements in addition to these grades.
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified gov
ernment test course .
For examp le, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one half
(1 1/2) times as well on the govern
ment course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon
the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the tire 's
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured un
der controlled conditions on specified govern
ment test surfaces of asphalt and concrete . A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance
q .,&..
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C, representing the tire's resistance to the
344
generation 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 required by law.
A WARNING
-
The tract ion grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor
nering, hydroplaning or peak traction charac
teristics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for th is tire is estab
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or
in combination, can cause heat bui ldup and
possible tire failure.
A WARNING
Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and not over or underinflat
ed .
Tire pressure monitoring
system
(1) General notes
App lies to : vehicles with tire pressure mo nitori ng syste m
.
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and inflat
ed to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or
tire inflation pressure label. (If your veh icle has
tires of a different size than the size ind icated on
the veh icle placard or tire inflat ion pressure
..,.