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Wheels
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 9page 259.
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
9 fig. 203. 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-
cility to have the vehicle inspect -
have worn down to the treadwear
indicators. Replace the tires with ed.
new ones
9 .1:,.. A WARNING
Tire rotation Tread that has worn too low or
Rotating the tires regularly is rec- different tread depths on the
tires can reduce driving safety.
ommended to ensure the tires
wear evenly. To rotate the tires, This can especially have a nega-
tive effect on handling, on the
install the tires from the rear axle
on the front axle and vice versa. risk aquaplaning when driving
This will allow the tires to have through water, when driving
...
approximately the same
length of
service life.
a,
a,
-N r-.. l) Obey any applicable regulations in your N
-0
0
country. 0: a:,
239
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Wheels
through curves and when braking, which increases the risk of
an accident.
Tire pressure
Fig . 204 Driver's side B-pillar: tire pres
sure label
,_,
AVANT -KPA. -PSI
.::.. -KPA. -
PSI j
l~ "'= =-== ===- = KPA.= ·= PSI== ~~~
Fig. 205 Tire pressure label
The correct tire pressure for tires
mounted in the factory and for
the collapsible spare tire* is indi
cated on a label. The label is lo
cated on the 8-pillar
¢ fig. 204,
¢ fig. 205.
When the vehicle is partially load
ed (up to 3 people), use the tire pressure specified for normal
loads ¢
table on page 242. If
driving the veh icle when fully
240
loaded, you must increase the tire
pressure to the maximum speci
fied pressure ¢
.&,.
Checking/correcting tire
pressure
.,.Check the tire pressure at least
once per month and also check it before every long drive .
.,.Always check the tire pressure
when the tires are
cold. Do not
reduce the pressure if it increas
es when the tires are warm.
... check the labe l¢
fig. 205 for
the correct tire pressure based
on vehicle load .
.,.Correct the tire pressure if nec
essary .
... vehicles with Tire Pressure Mon
itoring System*: store the modi
fied tire pressure in the Infotain ment system
¢ page 249 .
... Check the pressure in the spare
tire*. Always maintain the maxi mum temperature that is speci
fied for the tire.
A WARNING ~
Always adapt the t ire pressure
to your driving style and vehicle load.
-Overloading can lead to loss of vehicle control and increase
the risk of an accident. Read
Page 243 of 296

a,
a,
-N r-N
-0 0 0: a:,
and follow the important safe
ty precautions inc:::>
page 242,
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 negative effect on driving and
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
tion on the B-pillar label
c:::> page 240, fig. 204.
Wheels
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.
Tire pressure that is too low in creases fuel consumption.
Audi recommends using the
tire pressure specified for a
normal load
c:::> table on
page 242
or for a full load
when the vehicle is partially
loaded .
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
tires according to the load and
the size of the tires installed .
241
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Wheels
Model/ Tire designation Tire pressure
Engine Normal load
Maximum load
(up to
3 people)a)
front rear front rear
PSI
235/60 Rl8 103H
29 Q5:
All Season
2.0L 235/55 Rl9 101H
4 cylinders
All Season
30
and
Q5: 235/55 Rl9
101 W 29 High Performance
3.0L
6 cylinders 255/45 R20 101W
29 High Performance
255/45R20101W
39 SQ5:
High Performance
3.0L
6 cylinders 255/40
R21102Y
41 High Performance
a) 2 people in the front, 1 perso n in the r ear
A WARNING
Please note the important safe
ty precautions regarding tire pressure ¢
page 240 and load
limits ¢
page 242.
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
tire failure, including a blowout
242
kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI
200 29 2 00 32 220 32
210 30 210 33 230 33
200 29 200 33 230 33
2 00 29 2 00 3 3 230 33
270 39 270 41 280 41
2 80
36 2
50 41
28 0 42
and sudden deflation
that can
cause the vehicle to crash.
kPA
220
230
230
230
280
2 9 0
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
11-
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a,
a,
-N r-N
-0 0 0: a:,
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 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
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
Wheels
driver's side B-pillar q page 240,
fig. 204.
&,_ 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.
-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.
243
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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 240, fig. 204.
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 240 , fig. 204 .
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
244
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 230, fig. 202) 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
Rims 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 ..,.
Page 247 of 296

CD
CD
.... N ,-... N ..... 0 0 C<'. 00
and a special procedure. You must not repair or
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, see ¢
page 2 56, 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 240.
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 d rivi 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
broking.
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 .,.
245
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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 187.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi 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 240.
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
246
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 245 for more detailed informa
tion regard ing winter tires.