Driving safety
A WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your vehi
cle handles . To help reduce the risk of a loss
of control leading to serious personal injury:
- Always keep in mind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the center of
gravity can also cause changes in vehicle
handling:
- Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in the
luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating
or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating specified
on the safety compliance sticker on th e driv
er's side B-pillar. Exceeding permissible
weight standards can cause the vehicle to
slide and handle differently .
- Please observe information on safe driving
<=) page 252.
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas from
being drawn into the vehicle, always keep the
rear lid closed while driving .
- Never transport objects larger than those
fitting completely into the luggage area be cause the rear lid cannot be fully closed .
- If you absolutely must drive with the rear lid
open, observe the following notes to reduce
the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the sunroof*,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument pan-
el,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest speed .
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win
dows, the sunroof* and the rear lid are se
curely 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.
258
-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.
@ Note
If you are transporting large items with the
backrest folded down*, you should remove
the Rear Seat Entertainment (RSE)* and its
holder* to avoid damage.
© 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 label lists the recom
mended 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 manufactured. For recommend ed tire pressures for normal load condi
tions, please see chapter
Q page 341 .
Tie-downs
The luggage compartmen t is equipped with four
t ie-downs to secure luggage and o ther i tems.
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo properly
Qpage 257, L oading 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 ene rgy which
vary with vehicle speed and the weight of the
item . Vehicle speed is the mos t significant fac tor . ..,.
Wheel s
0 US DOT number (TIN) and
manufacture date
T he manufacture date is listed on
the tire sidewall (it may only ap
pear on the inner side of the tire) :
DOT ... 2217 ...
means, for example, that the tire
was produced in the 22nd week of
the year 2017.
@ Audi Original Tires
Audi Original equipment tires
with the designation "AO" have
been specially matched to your
Audi. When used correctly, these
tires meet the highest standards
for safety and handling. An au
thorized Audi dealer or author
ized Audi Service Facility will be
able to provide you with more in
formation.
® Mud and snow capability
"M/5" or "M+S" indicates the tire
has properties ma king it suitable
to drive in mud or snow.
& indi
cates a winter t ire .
@) Compos ition of the tire cord
and materials
T he number of plies indicates the
number of rubberized fabric lay
ers in the tire . In general: the
more layers, the more weight a
332
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 max i
mum load in kilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry.
@ Uniform tire quality grade
standards for treadwear,
tr action and temper ature
resistance
Treadwear, traction and tempera
ture ranges ¢
page 346.
@ Running direction
The arrows indicate the running
direction of unidirectional tires.
You must always follow the speci
fied running direction
¢ page 362 .
@Maximum permitted
inflation pressure
This number indicates the maxi
mum pressure to which a tire can
be inflated under normal operat
ing condit ions .
0 a, .... N
" N .... 0
0
l: ..
Glossary of tire and loading
terminology
Accessory weight
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 a re available as factory- in
stalled equipment (whether i n
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 s idewall 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 rim .
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond
between components in the bead .
Wheel s
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 capacity of
fuel, oil , and coolant, air condi
tioning and additional weight of
optional eq uipment .
Extra load tire
means a tire designed to operate
at higher loads and at highe r in
flation pressures than the corre
sponding standard tire . Extra load
tires may be identified as "X L",
"xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on
the sidewall. .,.
333
Wheel s
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 maximum total loaded
weight of the vehicle .
Groove
means the space between two ad
jacent tread ribs .
Load rating (code )
means the maximum load that a
tire is rated to carry for a given in
flation pressure. You may not find
this information on all tires be
cause it is not required by law .
Max imum load rating
means the load rating for a tire at
the maximum permissible infla
tion pressure for that tire.
Ma ximum loaded vehicle
weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
33 4
Maximum (permissible)
inflation pressu re
means the maximum cold infla
tion pressure to which a t ire may
be inflated. A lso called "maxi
mum inflat ion pressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms)
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 diameter
means the overall diameter of an
inflated new tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance be
tween the exteriors o f the side
walls of an inflated tire , includ ing
elevations due to labeling, deco rations, or protective bands or
ribs .
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated
parallel cords .
0 a, .... N
" N .... 0
0
l: ..
Production options weight
means the combined weight of
those installed regular production
options weighing over 5 lbs .
(2.3 kg) in excess of those stand
ard items which they replace, not
previously considered in curb
weight or accessory we ight, in
c luding heavy duty brakes, ride
levelers, roof rack, heavy duty
battery, and special trim .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which
the ply cords that extend to the beads are laid at substantially
90 degrees to the centerline of
the tread .
Recommended inflation
pressure
see ¢ page 333, Cold tire infla
tion pressure .
Reinforced tire
means a tire designed to operate
at higher loads and at h igher in
flat ion pressures than the corre
sponding standard tire. Rein
forced t ires may be identified as
"XL " "xl" "EXT RA LOA D" or "RF" , , ,
on the sidewall.
Wheels
Rim
means a metal support for a tire
or a tire and tube assembly upon
which the tire beads are seated .
Rim diameter
means nominal diameter of the
bead seat. If you change your
whee l 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 ti re be
tween the tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire is
designed to be driven for extend
ed periods of time . The rat ings
range from
93 mph (150 km/h)
to
186 mph (298 km/h) ¢ table
on page 331.
You may no t find
this info rmat ion on all tires be
cause it is not required by law.
T he speed rating letter code,
where applicable, is molded on
the tire sidewall and indicates t he
11>
335
0
a:,
.... N
equipped with them at the
factory
r=> page 349.
-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. 270 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.
-Driving quickly through curves, rapid acceleration and heavy
braking increase tire wear.
-Have an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili-
"
8 l) Obey any applicable regulations in your
0 ~ country.
Wheels
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
vehicle components could wear more quickly.
Treadwear indicator
Original equipment tires contain
treadwear indicators in the tread
pattern, which are bars that are 1/16 in (1.6 mm) high and are
spaced evenly around the tire per pendicular to the running direc
tion ¢
fig. 2 70. The letters "TWI"
or triangles on the tire sidewall indicate the location of the tread
wear indicators.
The tires have reached the mini mum tread depth
l) when they
have worn down to the treadwear
indicators. Replace the tires with
new ones¢ &.-
Tire rotation
Rotating the tires regularly is rec
ommended to ensure the tires
wear evenly. To rotate the tires, install the tires from the rear axle ..,.
339
Wheels
are listed on the safety compli
ance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar.
A 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 i ncrease the risk of the loss of
vehicle control.
-The brakes on a veh icle 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 b lowout and
sudden deflation, causing loss
of contro l and a crash.
-Always make sure that the to tal load being transported -i nc luding the weight of a tra il
er hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer
does not make the vehicle
h eavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
3 44
Determining correct load
limit
Use the example below to calcu
late the tota l 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 over load
ed.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1 . Locate the statement " TH E
COMBIN ED WE IGH T OF OCC U
PANTS AND CARGO SHOU LD
NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
LBS" on your vehic le's placard
(tire inflation pressure label)
¢ page 340, fig . 272 .
2. Determine the combined
weight of the drive r 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"
pounds shown on the stick
er ¢
page 340, fig. 272 .
4. The resu lting figure equa ls the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity . For ex
ample, if the "XXX" amount
eq uals 1400 lbs. and there will~
Cl a:, ...... N
" N ...... 0
0
::r '
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 example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one ha lf (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 significant ly 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, B and
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
¢ &, .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C, representing the tire's resistance to the
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.
Wheels
A WARNING
--
The traction 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 this 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 buildup 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
ill
General notes
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 vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size ind icated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure la
bel, you should determine the proper tire infla
tion pressure for those tires).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure tell
tale when one or more of your tires is significant ly under -inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure. Driving on a signifi cantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to over
heat and can lead to tire failure . Under-inflation
also reduces fue l efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle 's handling and stop-
ping ability. .,.
347