&_ WARNING
"
-Do not use steel rims that are
17 inches or larger. Other
wise, 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
not permitted can lead to ve
hicle damage or accidents.
Wheels
-If you install wheel covers on
the vehicle, make sure they al
low enough air circulation to
cool the brake system. If they
do not, this could increase the
risk of an accident.
Tire wear/damage
Fig. 283 T ire profile: treadwear indica
tor
Tire wear
Check the tires regularly for wear.
-Inflat ion pressure that is too low
or high can increase tire wear
considerably.
-Driving quickly through curves,
rapid acceleration and heavy
braking increase tire wear.
-Have an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facili
ty check the wheel alignment if
there is unusual wear.
-Have the wheels rebalanced if an
imbalance is causing noticeable
vibration in the steering wheel. If you do not, the tires and other
..
349
Wheels
-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
braking behavior, which in
creases the risk of an accident.
(D Note
Replace lost valve caps to re
duce the risk of damage to the
tire valves.
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 8-
pillar, always follow the specifica
tion on the 8-pillar label
¢ page 351, fig. 284.
352
(i} For the sake of the environment
-Tire pressure that is too low
increases fuel consumption.
-Fuel consumption may also in
crease when driving with the
comfort tire pressure is se
lected .
(D Tips
Audi recommends using the
tire pressure specified for a
normal load
¢ table on
page 353
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.
<( a, .... N ,....
N .... 0 \0
3 a,
Uniform tire quality grading
- T read wear
- Tractio n AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Q ua lity grades ca n be foun d where ap plicable on
the tire side wall between tread shoulder and
maximum sect ion w idth
c:> page 341, fig. 282.
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 ility 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 specifie d 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
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
shou ld 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 pressure labe l. (If your ve hicle has
t ir es of a different size t han t he size ind ic a ted on
the vehicle p lacard or tire inflat ion press ure la
bel, you sho uld dete rm ine the proper tire infla
tion pr ess ure for those tires) .
As an ad ded s afe ty featu re, yo ur vehicle has bee n
equipped with a tire p ressure mon itor ing system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure tell
ta le when one or mo re of your tires is significant-
l y under -inf lated. According ly, when the low t ire
pressure telltale i llum inates, you shou ld stop
and .,..
359
