load capacity AUDI S6 2009 Owners Manual

Seats and storage
• After mounting a roof rack system, or when you transport
objects on the roof of your vehicle, the height of the vehicle is natu ­
rally increased . Be careful when driving under low bridges or in
parking garages for example. This could cause damage to the load
and even the vehicle itself. •
Mounting locations
Safe installation of a roof rack requires that the rack
supports are mounted between the small arrows marked
inside the door frames on all four doors.
Mounting
Fig. 91 Front and rear
markings
The roof rack system must be installed exactly according to the
instructions provided.
Mount the roof racks supports in the side roof moldings. Make sure
to position the supports on
all four doors between the points
marked by small arrows=> fig. 91. The markings can only be seen
when the doors are open.•
Loading the roof rack
Always distribute loads evenly. Make sure anything on the
roof rack is securely tied down.
Always distribute the loads on the roof rack evenly.
- Always attach items to the roof rack securely before you
drive off.
The maximum permissible roof weight is 220 lb 1100 kg). The roof
weight is made up of the weight of the roof rack system and the
weight of the object being transported .
When using a roof rack system which has a lower load carrying
capacity, you must not use up the total maximum permissible load
carrying capacity specified above. Instead, you should load the roof
rack system only to the maximum capacity specified by the manu­
facturer of the roof rack system .
& WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to secure items to the
roof rack can fail during hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
• Make sure the roof rack is installed exactly as specified above
=> page 94.
• Always use suitable mounting straps for securing items to the
roof rack to help prevent items from shifting or flying forward.
• Items on the roof rack must always be securely mounted.
• The use of a roof rack can negatively affect the way a vehicle
handles. Cargo that is large, heavy, bulky, long or flat will have a
greater negative influence on the vehicle's aerodynamics, center
of gravity and overall handling. Always drive slowly, avoid sudden
braking and maneuvers when transporting cargo on the roof of
your vehicle. .,_

___ ln_ t _e_ ll-'"ig ...,_ e_ n_t _t_ e_ c_ h _ n_o _ l_o _,.g= y,_ __________________________________________ _
Intelligent technology
Notice about data recorded by
vehicle control modu les
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Data Recorder (EDR),
installed by some manufacturers for the express purpose of
capturing data for retrieval after an accident or crash event . EDR's
are sometimes called "crash recorders" .
Some state laws restrict the retrieva l or downloading of data stored
by EDR's that were insta lled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash event without the owner's
consent.
Although your vehicle is not equipped with an EDR, it is equipped
with a number of electronic control modules for various vehicle systems such as, for example, engine function, emission control, as
well as for the airbags and safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record vehicle-related data during norma l vehicle operation for diagnost ic and repair purposes .
The recording capacity of the electronic control modules is limited
to data (no sound is recorded) and only a small amount of data is
actually recorded over a very limited period of time and stored when
a system fault or other condition is sensed by a control unit. Some
of the data then stored may relate to vehicle speed, direction, braking as well as restraint system use and performance in the
event of a crash or other condition . Stored data can only be read and
down loaded with special equipment .•
Electron ic Stabilizat ion Program (ESP)
General =nformation
The ESP improves the vehicle stability.
(
Fi g. 232 C ente r
co nso le w it h ES P
swi tch
ESP is designed to he lp you maintain vehic le control in situations
where the car approaches the limits of "grip", especia lly when
accelerating and cornering. ESP reduces the risk of skidding and
improves stabil ity under all road conditions .
T he system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system. If the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) malfunc­
tions, the ESP wil l also shut down .
How th e sys te m w ork s
The Anti -Lock Brake System (ABS) , Electronic Differential Lock (EDU
and the Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR) are integrated in the e lec­
tronic stabi lization program . In addition to the data provided by
these functions, the ESP control unit requires additional measure­ ment data provided by high performance sensors . The rotational
speed of the vehic le about its vertical axis, vehicle acce leration in
the fore-and-aft and lateral directions, the brake pressure and the steering angle are al l measured .

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
& WARNING (continued)
crashes and serious personal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately.
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
especially at high speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
low speed.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power seats, radio, and heater, to
the extent that these items are available as factory-installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not).
Aspect ratio means the ratio of the height to the width of the tire in percent.
Numb ers of 55 or lower indicate a low sidewall for improved
steering 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.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the tire.
& WARNING (continued)
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history." Old used tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
• If you notice unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one side
when driving, always stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the wheels and tires for damage . •
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer
for a tire of a designated size that has not been driven for more than
a couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in the three hour period
before the tire pressure is measured or adjusted .
Curb weight means the weight of a motor vehicle with standard equipment
including the maximum capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi­
tioning and additional weight of optional equipment.
Extra load tire
means a tire designed to operate at higher loads and at higher infla ­
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire . Extra load tires
my be identified as "XL",
"xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the side ­
wall.
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"l
means the maximum total loaded weight of the vehicle.

________________________________________________ T_ i _r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ lftlll
•
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread ribs.
L oad ra ting (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated to carry for a given
inflation pressure. You may not find this information on all tires
because it is not required by law.
M ax im um l oad ra tin g
means the load rating for a tire at the maximum permissib le infla­
tion pressure for that tire.
Ma ximum l oaded v ehi cle weigh t
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehic le capacity weight, and
(ct) Production options weight
M ax im um (p er mi ssibl e) infl ati on pr essur e
means the maximum cold inflation pressure to wh ich a tire may be
inflated. Also ca lled "maximum inflation pressure."
Normal occ upa nt wei ght
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the number of occupants
seated in the vehicle up to the to tal seating capacity of your vehicle.
O ccupant di stributi on
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle .
Outer di am eter
means the overall diameter of an inflated new tire.
O ve rall wi dth
means the linear distance between the exteriors of the sidewa lls of
an inflated tire, includ ing elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Pl y
means a layer of rubber -coated para lle l cords.
P rodu ction opt io ns wei ght
means the combined weight of those installed regular production
options weighing over 5 lbs . (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard
i t ems wh ich they replace, not previously considered in curb weigh t
or accessory weight, including heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof
rack, heavy duty battery, and specia l trim .
Radi al p ly 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 .
Reco mm ended infl ati on pr essu re
see => page 318, "Cold tire inflation pressure".
Rein force d tir e
means a tire designed to operate at higher loads and at higher infla ­
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Reinforced
t ires my be identified as "XL", "xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the
sidewall.
R im
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and tube assembly upon
wh ich the t ire beads are seated.
Rim di amet er
means nominal diameter of the bead seat. If you change your whee l
size, you wi ll have to purchase new tires to match the new rim diam ­
eter .
Rim siz e de sig nation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim wid th
means nominal distance between rim flanges.
Vehicle care I t •

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the tread and bead.
Speed rating means the speed at which a tire is designed to be driven for
extended periods of time. The ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298 km/h)=>
page 330. You may not find this informa ­
tion on a ll tires because it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applicable, is molded on the tire sidewa ll and indicates the maximum perm issible road speeds =>
&
in "Winter tires" on page 333.
Tire pressure monitoring system
means a system that detects when one or more of a vehicle 's tires
are under inflated and illuminates a low tire pressure warning te ll­
tale.
Tread
means that portion of a tire that comes into contact with the road.
Tread separation
means pu lling away of the tread from the tire carcass.
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the principa l grooves designed to give
a visual indication of the degrees of wear of the tread . See
=>
page 327, "Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)" for more information on
measuring tire wear .
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire information system developed by the United States National
Highway Traffic Safety Adm inistration (NHTSA) that is designed to
help buyers make relative comparisons among tires. The UTQG is
not a safety rati ng and not a guarantee that a tire will last for a
prescribed number of miles or perform in a certain way . It simply
gives tire buyers additiona l information to comb ine with other
considerations, such as price, brand loyalty and dealer recommen- dations
. Under UTQG, tires are graded by the tire manufacturers in
t hree areas : treadwear, traction and temperature resistance. The
UTQG information on the tires, molded into the sidewalls.
U .S . DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN )
This is the tire's "seria l number" It begins with the letters "DOT" and
indicates that the tire meets a ll federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it was manufactured,
and the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufac ­
ture. For example,
DOT ... 2208 ...
means that the tire was produced in the 22nd week of 2008. The
other numbers are marketing codes that may or may not be used by
the tire manufacturer. This information is used to contac t
consumers if a tire defect requires a reca ll.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus 150 lbs . (68 kilograms)
t imes the vehicle's tota l seating capacity as listed on the label
located on the driver's side 8-pillar.
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is determined by distrib ­
uting to each ax le its share of the maximum loaded vehicle weight
and dividing by two.
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is determined by distrib ­
uting to each axle its share of the curb weight, accessory we ight,
and normal occupant weight (distributed in accordance with table
below =>
page 327) and divid ing by two. ~

Tires and wheels -_______________ _____.
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seating capacities
Designated seating capacity, num­
ber of occupants Vehicle normal load
, number of
occupants Occupant distribution in a normally
loaded vehicle
5 3
2 in front,
1 in back seat
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
Fig. 247 Tire pressure
label: located on
driver's side B-pillar
Tire pressure generally refers to the amount of air in a tire that it
needs it to do its job and safely carry the combined load of the entire
vehicle and its contents. Tire pressure is measured in kilopascals
(kPa), the international measuring unit and in pounds per square
inch (PSI). Tire pressure is based in part on the vehicle's design and
load limit -the greatest amount of weight that the vehicle can carry
safely and the tire s ize . The proper tire pressure is frequently
referred to as the "recommended cold tire inflation pressure ." Air in
the t ires expands when the tire heats up because of internal friction
when it flexes in use. The tire pressure is higher when the tire has
warmed up than when it is "cold." It is the inflation pressure in a "cold" tire that counts. Therefore, you should never let air out of a
warm tire to match "cold tire inflation pressure " recommendations .
The tires would then be underinflated and could fail suddenly.
i
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• (SEATING CAPACITY :roTAL I :FRONT I :cENTER I : REAR I ) al
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TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION
TIRE SIZE COLO TIRE PRESSURE
FRONT -KPa, -PSI
REAR -KPa, - PSI
SPARE -KPa, - PSI
MANUAL FOR
INFORMATION SEE OWNER'S I
ADDITIONAL
Fig. 248 Tire pressure
label
Maintaining proper tire pressure is one of the most important
things you can do to help avoid sudden tire failure . Underinflated
tires are a major cause of sudden tire failure. Keeping tires at the
right pressure is also important for safe and responsive vehicle
handling, traction, braking and load carrying.
Tire pressures are
particularly important when the vehicle is being driven at higher
speeds, and then especially when heavily loaded even within the
permissible load-carrying capacities approved for your vehicle.
The recommended tire pressures for your Audi depend on the kind
of tires on your vehicle and the number of passengers and/or
amount of luggage you will be transporting.
The tire pressure label is located on the driver's side B -pillar. The tire
pressure label lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures
for the vehicle at its maximum capacity weight and tires that were
•
on your vehicle at the time it was manufactured. _,,,
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

-Tires and wheels
PW-------------------
If you wish to improve comfo rt when operating the vehicle at
normal load (up to 3 occupants) , you can adjust tire pressures to
those spec ified for normal vehi cle load . Before operating the vehi cle
at maximum load, you must in crease the tire pressures to those
specified for ma ximum vehi cle load =>
&.
Bear in mind that the tire pressure monitoring system can on ly
m onito r the t ire pressures you have stored. The syste m does not
recognize the load condition of your vehic le .
The effect iveness of the tir e pr essure moni toring syste m will be
impaired if you store normal load pressures but then operate the
veh ic le a t its ma ximum load=>& . See the
illustrat ion=>
page 321, fig. 247 for the location of the label
on driver's sid e 8-pi llar (c olor of the actual label and exac t loca tion
on the veh ic le wi ll vary slight ly) .
N ote that the fol lowing tab le is accurate at the time of going to
press and is subject to cha nge . In the eve nt of d iscrepa nc ies, t he tire
pressure label is located on the driver's side 8 -pi llar always takes
p recedence .
T he tab le below lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures
fo r th e A udi m odel co ve red by you r Owner 's Litera ture at the
vehic le's capacity weight and the tire sizes installed on the respec ­
t ive mode ls as o rigi nal equipment, o r as a fac to ry o ption.
Engine Tire designation Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
(displace- normal load normal load
ment in condition (up to full load
condition (up full load
liter ) condition
condition
3 occupants) to 3 occupants)
PSI kPA
PSI kPA
PSI kPA PSI
kPA
6-cylinder
245/45 R17 99H XL All Season 35 240 38 260 32 220 39 270
3 .0
245/40 R18 97H XL All Season 38 41 280 35 240 290
245 /40 R18 97V XL High Performance
35 240
35 260 32 220 38 2 60
255 /35 R19 96V XL High Performance 39 270 44 300 33 230 45 3 10
6 -cylinder 245 /45 R17 99H XL All Season 33 230 36 250 3 0 210 36 250
3 .2
245/40 R18 97H XL All Season
36 250 39 270 33 230 39 270
245 /40 R18 97V XL High Performance 33 230 36 250 3 0 21 0 36 250
255 /35 R19 96V XL High Performance 39 270 44 300 33 230 45 310
8 -cylinder 245 /45 R17 99H XL All Season
36 250 39 270
33 230 39 270
4 .2
245/40 R18 97H XL All Season 39 270 42 290 35 2 40 42 2 90
245 /40 R18 97V XL High Performance 36 250 39 270 33 230 39 270
255 /35 R19 96V XL High Performan ce
39 270
44 300 33 230 45 310
XL= reinforce d or ex tra load tire . It may als o ap pear as xi, EXTRA LOAD, or RF o n the tire s ide wall.

Tires and wheels -
----------------
•
& WARNING (continu ed )
• The driver is respon sible for the correct tire pres sures for all
tire s on the vehicle . The applicable pre ssure values are located on
a sticker on the driver 's side B-pillar .
• Only when all tires on the veh icle are filled to the correct pre s­
sure , the tire pressure monitoring system can work correctly .
• The use of incorre ct t ire pressure values can lead to a ccidents
or other damage. Therefore it is essential that the driver observe
the specified tire pressure values for the tires and the correct pre s­
sures for the function of the tire pressure monitor ing system.
• Always inflate tires to the recommended and corre ct tire pres ­
sure before driving off.
• Driving with underinflated tires bend more , letting them get
too hot resulting in tread separation, sudden tire failure and loss
of control.
• Excessive speed and /overloading can cause heat build-up ,
sudden tire failure and loss of control.
• If the tire pre ssure is too low or too high, the tires will wear
prematurely and the vehicle will not handle well .
• If the tire is not flat and you do not have to change a wheel
immed iately , drive at reduced speed to the nearest service stat ion
to check the tire pres sure and add air as required.
0 Note
Dr iving w ithout valve s tem caps can cause damage to the t ire
valves . To prevent this, a lways make sure that factory installed valve
stem caps on a ll whee ls are securely mounted o n the va lve.
For the sake of the environment
Unde rin fla ted tires will a lso increase the f uel c onsump tion .•
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or weight that any vehic le and
any t ir e can carry. A veh icle that is overloaded w il l not handle wel l
and is more difficu lt to stop. Overloading can not only lead to loss
o f veh ic le control, but ca n also damage impor ta nt parts of the
vehic le and can lead to sudden tire failure, inc luding a blowout and
sudde n defla tion that can cause the vehic le to crash .
Your sa fety and that o f your passen gers also depends on mak ing
sure that load limits are not e xceeded. Vehicle load includes every ­
body and everythi ng in and on the veh ic le. T hese load lim its a re
technica lly referred to as the vehicle's
Gross Vehi cle We ight Rating
(" GVWR") .
T he "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic vehic le, all factory
insta lled acces so ries, a ful l ta nk of fuel, oil, coolant an d othe r flui ds
p lus maximum load. The maximum load inc ludes the number o f
p asse ngers that the vehicle is inte nded t o carry ("sea ting capacity")
w ith an assu med we ight o f 150 l bs (68 kg) fo r each passe nger at a
designated seating position and the total weight of any luggage in
t he vehicle. If you tow a trailer, the we ig ht o f the tra iler h itch an d th e
tongue weight of the loaded trailer must be included as part of the
ve hicle l oad.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating !"GAWR") is t he maximum load that
can be applied a t each of the vehicle's two ax les.
The Gross Veh icle Weig ht Rating and t he G ross Axle Weig ht Rat ing
are listed on the safety comp liance sticker labe l located on the
d river 's s ide B -pi llar . Y o ur Au di h as 5 s eating positi ons, 2 i n the fro nt
and 3 in the rear for total seating capacity of 5 . Each seating position
has a safe ty bel t~
page 205, "Safe ty belts".
The fact that th ere is an upper limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating means that the total weight of whatever is being
carried in the vehic le (includ ing the we ight of a trai ler hitch and the
tong ue weight of the loaded trai ler) is limited. The more passengers
i n the v ehicle or pass engers wh o are heavie r than t he sta nd ard
we ights assumed mean that less weight can be ca rried as luggage . .,_
Vehicle care I t •