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& WARNIN G
Please note the important safe
ty precautions regarding tire
pressure
c:::> page 340 and load
limits
c:::>poge 343.
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
and sudden deflation that can
cause the vehicle to crash .
Your safety and that of your pas sengers also depends on making
sure that load limits are not ex
ceeded . Veh icle 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
Wheels
plus maximum load . The maxi
mum load includes the number of
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 A xle Weight Rating
(" GAWR ") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of the
vehicle's two axles.
T he 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
trai ler) is lim ited. 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 .,.
34 3
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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~
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be five 150 lb s. pa ssenge rs in
y o ur vehi cle, th e am ount of
ava ilable cargo a nd lu ggage
l oa d cap acity is 650 lb s.
(1400-750 (5
X 150) = 650
lb s.)
5 . Determine th e combined
w eight of lu gga ge and cargo
bein g load ed on the vehicle .
Th at w eight m ay not sa fel y
ex
ceed th e av ail able car go and
lu ggage l oad capa city ca lc ul at
e d in St ep 4 .
6 . If your vehicle will b e to wing a
tr ail e r, load from your tr ailer
will b e tran sferr ed to your
v e
hi cle . C on sul t thi s manual t o
dete rmin e how this re du ces
th e av ailabl e c argo and lug
ga ge load cap acity o f your vehi
c le.
.,. Che ck th e tir e s idewall
(c:::> p ag e 33 1, fig. 269) to det er
min e the de signated load r ating
for a specific tire.
Wheel bolts and rims
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must be clean and loosen/t ighten
eas ily .
Rims
Rims w ith a bolted rim ring* o r with bolted wheel
cove rs* consis t of multip le pieces. These compo
nents were bolted together using specia l bolts
Wheels
and a spec ia l proced ure. Yo u must not repair or
disass emb le them <::>
.&..
A WARNING
--
Wheel bo lts that are tightened or repaired in
correct ly can become loose and resu lt in loss
of vehicle contro l, wh ich increases the risk of
an accident . For the cor rect tighten ing specifi
cation, see <::>
page 362, Finishing .
-Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel h ub clean and free of
g rease .
- Only use wheel bolts that fit the rim .
- Always have damaged rims repaired by an
author ized Audi dealer or author ized Audi
Serv ice Facility . Never repair or disassemb le
rims yo urself, because th is increases the r isk
of an acc ident.
Winter tires
Winter tires sign ifican tly imp rove the vehi cle's
handling when dr iv ing in winter conditions . B e
ca use of their const ruct ion (w idth, compou nd,
tread pattern), summer tires provide less trac
tion on ice and snow .
.,. Use winter tires on all four wheels.
.,. On ly use winter tires that a re app roved fo r yo ur
ve hicle.
.,. Please not e that th e maximum permitted
speed may be lower with winter ti res
c:> &. in
General information on page 330 .
An author
ized Aud i dealer or authori zed Aud i Serv ice Fa
cility can inform you about t he maximum per
m itted speed for your tires .
.,. Check the tire p ressure afte r insta lling wheels
<::> page 340 .
The effectiveness of w inter tires is reduced great
ly when t he tread is wo rn down to a depth of
0.16 in (4 mm). The cha racter istics of w inte r
t ir es also decrease g reatly as the t ire ages, re
gard less o f th e rem aining t read.
@ For the sake of the environment
Reinstall summer tires at the app ropr iate
time , beca use they prov ide bette r handling
when roa ds are free o f snow and ice. Summer ..,.
345
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Wheels
tires cause less road noise, tire wear and fuel
consumption.
(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, only
winter tires with the
& symbol may be per
mitted.
Snow chains
Snow chains not only improve the driving in win
ter road conditions, but also the braking .
~ Only install snow chains on the front wheels.
~ Check and correct the seating of the snow
chains after driving a few feet, if necessary . Fol
low the instructions from the manufacturer.
~ Note the maximum speed of 30 mph (SO km/
h). Note the local regulations.
Use of snow chains is only permitted with certain
rim/tire combinations due to technical reasons.
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 in (13.5 mm) in height, including
the chain lock.
You must remove the snow chains on roads with
out snow. Otherwise, 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 acci
dent.
(LlJ) Note
- Snow chains can damage the rims/wheel
covers* if the chains come into direct con
tact with them. Remove the wheel covers*
first. Use coated snow chains.
- Do not install and use snow chains if there is
a malfunction in the air suspension*, be
cause the vehicle height will be
very low. If
346
you drive with snow chains anyway, the
wheel housings and other vehicle compo nents can be severely damaged.
(D Tips
When using snow chains, it may be useful to
switch the offroad mode on
r=> page 143.
Low-profile tires
Applies to: vehicles with low-profile tires
Compared to other tire/rim combinations, low
profile tires offer a wider tread surface and a
larger rim diameter with shorter tire sidewalls.
This results in an agile driving style. However, it
may reduce the level of comfort and increase
road noise when driving on roads in poor condi
tion.
Low -profile tires can become damaged more
quickly than standard tires when driving
over
large bumps, potholes, manhole covers, and
curbs . Therefore, it is particularly important to
maintain the correct tire pressure
r=.> page 340.
To reduce the risk of damage to the tires and
rims, drive
very carefully on poor roads.
Check your wheels regularly every 2,000 mi
(3,000 km) for damage . For example, check for
bulges/cracks on the tires or deformations/
cracks on the rims.
After a heavy impact or damage, have the tires
and rims inspected or replaced immediately by
an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility.
Low-profile tires can wear out faster than stand
ard tires .
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Traction AA ABC
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire side wall between tread shoulder and maximum section width
r=.> page 331, fig. 269.
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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 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
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Wheels
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver's re
sponsibility to maintain correct tire pressure,
even if under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire pres
sure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS
malfunction indicator to indicate when the sys
tem is not operating properly. The TPMS mal
function indicator is combined with the low tire pressure telltale. When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for approxi
mately one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as the mal
function exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated,
the system may not be able to detect or signal
low tire pressure as intended. TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons, including the
installation of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly . Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or
more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure
that the replacement or alternate tires and
wheels allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
If the tire pressure monitoring indicator
appears
Applies to: vehicles with Tire Pressure Monitoring System in
dic ato r
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too low
or if there is a system malfunction.
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitor
ing system compares the tire tread circumfer
ence and vibration characteristics of the individu
al tires . If the pressure changes in one or more
tires, this is indicated in the instrument cluster
display with an indicator light
RI] and a message.
If only one tire is affected , the location of that
tire will be indicated.
The tire pressures must be stored in the Infotain
ment system again each time the pressures
348
change (switching between partial and full load
pressure) or after changing or replacing a tire on
your vehicle ~
page 349. The tire pressure moni
toring system only monitors the tire pressure you have stored. Refer to the tire pressure label for
the recommended tire pressure for your vehicle
~ page 340, fig . 272.
Tire tread circumference and vibration character
istics can change and cause a tire pressure warn
ing if:
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too low
- the tires have structural damage
- the tire was replaced or the tire pressure was
changed and it was not stored
~ page 349
- tires that are only partially used are replaced
with new tires
Indicator lights
RI] -loss of pressure in at least one tire~,& .
Check the tires and replace or repair if necessary.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires and
store the pressure again in the Infotainment sys
tem
~ page 349.
m (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
pressure: malfunction! See owner's manual.
If
m appears after switching the ignition on or
while driving and the
RI] indicator light in the in
strument cluster blinks for approximately one
minute and then stays on, there is system mal
function. Try to store the correct tire pressures
~ page 349. In some cases, you must drive for
several minutes after storing the pressures until
the indicator light turns off . If the indicator light
does turn off or turns on again after a short peri
od of time, drive to an authorized Audi dealer or
authorized Audi Service Facility immediately to
have the malfunction corrected.
& WARNING
- If the tire pressure indicator appears in the
display, reduce your speed immediately and
avoid any hard steering or braking maneu
vers. Stop as soon as possible and check the
tires and their pressure.
Page 351 of 398

-The driver is responsib le for maintaining the
correct tire pressure. You must c heck the
t ire pressure regu larly.
- Under certa in conditions (s uch as a sporty
dr iv ing style, winter cond itions o r unpaved
roads), the tire p ressure monitoring system
indicator may be de layed .
(D Tips
-The t ire press ure monitoring system can al
so stop work ing when there is an ESC mal
funct ion.
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The t ire press ure monitoring system in your
A udi was calib rated with "A udi Orig inal
Tires"
<=)page 337. Using these t ires is rec
omme nded .
Storing tire pressures
Applies to: vehicles with Tire Pressure Monitoring System in
dicator
If the tire pressure changes or a tire is replaced,
it must be confirmed in the Infotainment sys
tem.
~ Make s ure before storing that the tire pressures
of a ll fou r tires meet the specified values and
are adapted to the load
Q page 340 .
~ Switch the ign ition on.
~ Se lect in the Infotainment system: ! MENUI but
ton
> Vehicle > Service & checks > Tire pres
sure monitoring > Store tire pressur e> Yes,
store now .
(D Tips
Do not store the tire press ures if snow chains
are insta lled.
Run-flat ti res
Applies to: vehicles with run-flat tires
A run-flat tire helps to maintain vehicle mobility
when there is a loss of pressure .
Cl ~ Run-flat t ires have re inforced sidewalls that pro-
~ tect the t i re if there is a loss of press ure. N ,-1 0
0
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Wheels
If the t ire pressure monitoring system indicates a
l oss of pressure in one or severa l tires, yo u can
contin ue driving on run -flat tires fo r at least 20
miles (30 km). Drive to an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to
have the problem corrected .
Continuing to drive on run-flat tires is n o
longer possible if
- there is visible damage to the tires, such as
cracks in the sidewalls .
- strong vibrat ions are felt w hile driving, or the
tire beg ins to smoke due to a strong build-up of
heat .
- the t ire was heavi ly damaged, for example in an
accident There is a r isk that parts of the tire
tread will detach and damage important ve hi
cle components .
- the E lectron ic Stab ilizat ion Control (ESC) is not
work ing or is cont inuously r unning .
- the t ire pressure monitoring system is not
work ing .
If it is no longer poss ible to continue driving de
spite hav ing run-flat tires, see an author ized Audi
dealer or author ized Audi Service Fac ility for as
s istance.
A WARNING
-
R un-f lat t ires may only be used on vehicles
that we re equipped with them at the fa ctory.
- The vehicle must have suspens ion designed
for run-flat tires and a facto ry-installed tire
p ress ure mo nitor ing syste m.
- I nco rrect use of r un-f lat t ires can lead to ve
h icl e damage o r accidents. Contact an au
thor ized A udi dealer or au thori zed A udi
Serv ice Facili ty to lear n if r un-f la t tir es may
be used on you r vehicle an d if so, which
ones.
- If r un-fla t ti re s are used, they m ust be in
stalled on all fo ur whee ls. Mix ing ti re types
is not permitted.
- If yo u have to drive when the tire press ure is
too low or there is no tire press ure, note the
following : .,..
349
Page 352 of 398
Wheels
-Do not dr ive faste r than 50 mph (80 km/
h) because this increases the risk of an ac
cident. Observe any laws specific to the
country where yo u are driv ing.
- Avoid full-th rottle accele ration, heavy
braking, and fast cornering, because this
increases the r isk of an accident .
- The vehicle may become more difficult to
control.
- See an autho rized Aud i deale r or a uthor
ized Audi Service Fac ility for assistance if
the t ire is too heavily damaged.
- Have the faulty tires replaced and the rims
checked fo r damage by an author ized A udi
dealer or author ized Audi Service Facil ity.
- The driver is responsib le for the vehicle, fo r
correcting the t ire pressure and for rep lac
ing faulty parts. Therefore, always adjus t
yo ur driv ing to the g iven s ituation .
(D Tips
-Audi Orig inal run-flat tires can be identified
by the "AOE" labeling on the tire sidewall.
- You can use the tire mob ility k it*
c:> page 357 on run-flat ti res.
350