a,
a,
..... (',J r-(',J ..... 0 0
0:
co
@ Tips
-ABS and AS R on ly work correctly when a ll
fo ur whee ls are e quipped w ith identical
tires. Different tire sizes can lead to a reduc
tion in eng ine power.
Switching on/off
Intelligent Technology
- You may hear noises when the sy stems de
scribed a re worki ng .
- Whe n in st alling a factory -s up plied roo f ra ck
system o n the roof ra iling, the ESC wi ll
adapt itself to a different center of grav ity .
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine.
Fig . 184 Versio n A: Lower cente r console,~ OFF button
The follow ing s ituations ar e except ions where i t
may be usef ul to sw itch on offroad mode to allow
the w heels to sp in:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Driv ing i n deep snow or on loose ground
Offroad mode on
Fig. 185 Version B : Upper center console,~ OFF butto n
-Dr iv ing with snow chains
- Dr iv ing down hill while braking on loose g round
- Dr iving on rough terra in when much of t he car's
weight is lifted off the wheels (axle artic ula
t ion)
Offroad mode off
Behavior
The ESC and ASR stabilization functions The fu ll stabilization function of the ESC
are limited
¢ ,&. .
Operation Press the 1.$ OFF I button.
Indicator Ii) tu rns on.
lights
Driver mes- St abilization control (ESC ): Offroad.
sages Warning! Restricted stability
A WARNING
- Yo u should only sw itch offroad mode o n if
yo ur dr iv ing abilit ies a nd road cond it io ns
permit.
- The stabilization function is limited when
offroad mo de is switched on. The dr iving
w he els co uld s pin and the v eh icle cou ld
swe rve, es peci ally on s lick or slipp ery roa d
s ur fac es. and ASR
is ava ilable again.
P ress the
I!.! OFFI but ton again.
II turns off.
Stabilization control (ESC ): On
(D Tips
Offroad mode cannot be switched on whe n
adaptive c ruise contro l* is switched on.
187
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
cluding 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 "XL",
g; "xl", "E XTRA LOAD" , or "RF" on
-~ the sidewal l.
-0 0 0: 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
233
a,
a,
-N r-N
-0 0 0: a:,
Rim
means a metal support for a tire
or a tire and tube assembly upon
which the tire beads are seated.
Rim di amet er
means nominal diameter of the
bead seat. If you change your
wheel size, you will have to pur
chase new tires to match the new
rim diameter.
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between
rim flanges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire be
tween the tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code )
means the speed at wh ich a tire is
designed to be driven for extend
ed periods of time . The ratings
range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298 km/h)
¢ table
on page 231.
You may not find
this information on all tires be
cause it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code,
where applicable, is molded on
the tire sidewall and indicates the
Wheels
maximum permissible road
speeds
¢ A in Winter tires on
page 245.
T ire pressure mon itoring
system *
means a system that detects
when one or more of a vehicle's
tires are underinflated and illumi
nates a low tire pressure warning
telltale.
T read
means that portion of a tire that
comes into contact with the road .
Tread separation
means pulling away of the tread
from the tire carcass.
Treadwear indicators (TWI )
means the projections within the
principal grooves designed to give
a visual indication of the degrees
of wear of the tread. See
¢ page 239, Treadwear indicator
for more information on measur
ing tire wear .
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire information system devel
oped by the United States Nation
a l Highway Traffic Safety Admin
istration (NHTSA) that is designed
to help buyers make relative
235
..
a,
a,
-N r-N
-0 0 0: a:,
for the number of seating posi
tions. Refer to the table ¢
table
on page 242
for the number of
people that correspond to the ve
hicle normal load.
New tires or wheels
Audi recommends having all work on tires or wheels performed by
an author ized Audi dealer or au
thorized Audi Service Facility.
These facilities have the proper
knowledge and are equipped with
the required tools and replace
ment parts.
.,.New tires do not yet have the
optimum gripping properties. Drive carefully and at moderate
speeds for the first 350 miles
(500 km) with new tires.
.,.Use tires of the same construc
tion, size (rolling circumference)
and as close to the same tread
pattern as possible on all four
wheels.
.,.Do not replace tires individually .
At least replace both tires on the
same axle at the same time.
.,.Audi recommends that you use
Audi Original Tires. If you would
like to use different tires, please
note that the tires may perform
Wheels
differently even if they are the
same size¢.&,. .
.,. If you would like to equip your
vehicle with a tire/rim combina
tion that is different from what
was installed at the factory, con
sult with an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility before making a pur
chase¢ .&,..
The spare tire* is different from
the regular tires installed on the
vehicle -for example, if winter
tires or wide tires are installed -
so only use the spare tire* tempo
rarily in case of emergency and
drive carefully while it is in use . It
should be replaced with a regular
tire as soon as possible.
On
all wheel drive vehicles, all
four wheels must be equipped
with tires that are the same brand
and have the same construction
and tread pattern so that the
drive system is not damaged by 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. .,.
237
Wheels
&,. 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 tires 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.
-Only use tires that are more
than six years old when abso
lutely necessary and drive
carefully when doing so.
-Do not use run-flat tires on
your vehicle. Using them when
238
not permitted can lead to ve
hicle damage or accidents.
-If you install wheel covers on the vehicle, make sure they allow enough air circulation to
cool the brake system. If they do not, this could increase the
risk of an accident.
Tire wear/damage
Fig. 203 Tire profile: treadwear indica
tor
Tire wear
Check the tires regularly for wear.
-Inflation pressure that is too low
or high can increase tire wear
considerably.
-Dr iving quickly through curves,
rapid acceleration and heavy
braking increase tire wear.
-Have an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facili
ty chec k the wheel alignment if
there is unusual wear.
-Have the wheels rebalanced if an imbalance is causing noticeable
i.
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
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.
CD
CD
.... N ,-... N ..... 0 0 C<'. 00
Uniform tire quality grading
- T read wear
- Tractio n AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Q ua lity grades ca n be found where ap plicable on
the tire side wall between tread shoulder and
maximum sect ion w idth
c:> page 230, fig. 202.
For example: Tread wear 200 , Traction AA, Tem
perature
A .
All passenge r ca r tires m ust conform to Federal
Safety Requirements in add ition to these grades .
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparat ive rating
based on the wear rate of the t ire when tested
under cont ro lled conditions o n a specified gov
e rnment test course.
For example, a t ire graded
1 50 would wear one
and one ha lf
( 1 1/2) times as well on the gove rn
men t course as a tire g raded
100.
The relative performance of t ires depends upo n
the actual conditions of their use, howeve r, and
may depart significant ly from the norm due to
va ria tions in driving ha bits, serv ice practices and
d ifferences in road cha racteristics and climate .
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B and
C. T hose grades represent the t ire's
ab il ity to stop on wet pavement as meas ured un
de r contro lled condi tions on specified gove rn
ment tes t sur faces of asphalt and conc re te. A tire
mar ked C may have poor traction performance
c:> &. .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (t he hi ghest), B ,
a nd C, represent ing the tire's resis tan ce to t he
generation o f heat and its ability to diss ipate
h eat when tested unde r contro lled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory test whee l.
Sus ta ined hig h temper ature c an cause t he mate
r ial of the ti re to degenerate and red uce tire life,
and excessive temperatu re can lea d to sud den
tire fai lure
c:> &..
Wh eel s
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 Standa rd
No.
109 . Grades Band A represent higher levels
of pe rformance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum req uired by law .
A WARNING ,-
The tractio n grade assigned to this tire is
based on s traight-a head braking traction
t e st s, and does no t include acceler ation, co r
n eri ng, hy dropla ning or pe ak tra ction charac
terist ics.
A WARNING ,.,___
The tempera ture grade for t his tire is estab
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded . Excessive speed, underinfla
tion, or excessive loading, either separate ly or
i n comb inat ion, can cause heat bu ildup and
possib le tire fai lure.
A WARNING
-
Temperature g rades apply to tires that are
p roperly inflated a nd not over o r under inflat
ed.
Tire pressure monitoring system
ill General notes
App lies to : vehicles wi th tire pressure mo nito rin g syste m
-
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly whe n cold and inflat
ed to the inflat io n pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the veh icle placard or
t ir e infla tion p ressure la be l. (If your ve hicle has
t ir es of a different size than t he si ze ind ic a ted on
the vehi cle placar d or tire in flat ion press ure la
bel, you sho uld dete rmine the proper tire infla
t ion pr ess ure for those tires) .
As an ad ded s afety feat ure, yo ur vehicle has been
equipped with a tire press ure mon itor ing system
( T PMS) t hat illuminates a low tire pressure tell
ta le wh en one or mo re of your tires is signif icant -
ly under-inf lated. According ly, when the low t ire
pressure telltale i llum inates, you shou ld stop and.,.
247