Check AUDI A3 2012 Owner´s Manual

208 Check ing and filling
for questions about the battery -danger
of acid burns and explosion hazard!
- The battery must not be opened! Do not try to change the battery's liq uid level ,
otherwise detonating gas will escape
from the battery- explosion hazard!
- The AGM battery in the luggage com­
partment cannot leak, because the elec­
trolyte for th is battery is absorbed into a
spec ial glass mat . Th is leak-proof battery
must not be replace with a conventional
battery .
- Make sure the ventilat ion hose on the
s ide of the battery is connected, other ­
wise fumes or battery acid can leak out .
- Battery ho lder and terminals a lways
have to be secured correctly .
- Before all work on the battery follow the
warning s below c> &. in Working on the
battery on page 208 .
Working on the battery
All work on the battery requires technical
knowledge! Be especially careful when work ­
ing on or near the battery!
Be fo re you check any thing in the engine com­
partment, always
r e ad a nd heed all WARN­
INGS
~ .&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 194 .
Always heed the s afety warnings , when work­
i ng on the vehicle battery or the vehicle elec­
tr ica l system to preve nt injury .
The following WARNINGS are very
important when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM ·
BOLS and safety precautions when working on the battery.
Always wear eye protection.
Battery acid contains sulfuric
acid . Always wear glove s and
eye prote ction . No
• sparks
• flames
- smoking.
When a battery is charged , it
produces hydrogen gas which is
e x plosive and cou ld cause per­
sonal injury .
®
Always keep the battery well out
of reach of children.
A WARNING ,___
Whenever working on the battery or on
the electrical system, there is the risk of
i njury, accident and even fire . Read and
heed the following WARNINGS :
- Always wear eye protection . Do not let
battery ac id or any lead particles get on
your skin o r clothing . Shield you r eyes.
Exp losive gases can cause blindness or
o ther inju ry!
- Battery acid conta ins sulfuric acid. Sulfu­
ric acid can ca use blindness and severe
bu rns.
-Always wear g loves and eye protection.
Do not tilt the battery because acid
could leak out of the ventilat ion open­
ings .
- If you get battery ac id in your eyes or
on your skin, immediately rinse with
cold water for several minutes and get med ica l attent ion .
- If you shou ld ingest any battery acid,
seek medical attention immediately .
- Do not expose the batte ry to an open
flame, electr ic sparks or an open l ight.
- Do not smoke.
- Do not interchange the positive and neg-
ative cables.
- When working on the battery, be s ure
not to short-circu it the terminals w ith
too ls or othe r metal objects. Th is would
cause the battery to heat up very quickly,
which could lead to damage or explosion
-
and pe rsonal injury . ~

-When a battery is charged, it produces
hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal injury.
- Always keep the battery well out of the
reach of children.
- Before work is done on the electrical sys­
tem, disconnect the negative ground ca­
ble.
- Before performing any work on the elec­
trical system, switch off the engine and
ignition as well as any electrical equip­
ment. The negative cable on the battery
must be disconnected. If you are just go­
ing to replace a light bulb, then it is
enough to switch off the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switch
off the anti-theft alarm system! Other­
wise you will set off the alarm.
- When disconnecting the battery, first
disconnect the negative cable and then
the positive cable.
- Before reconnecting the battery, make
sure all electrical consumers are switch­
ed off. Reconnect the positive cable first
and then the negative cable. Never inter­
change the cables -this could start a fire!
- Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out
battery. It could explode! If a battery has
frozen, then it must be replaced. A dis­
charged battery can freeze over at
32 °F
(0 oc).
-Mak e sure the vent hose is always attach­
ed to the opening on the side of the bat­
tery.
- Never use batteries which are damaged.
There is the danger of an explosion! Al­
ways replace a damaged battery.
_& WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­ cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive problems. Wash hands after han­ dling.
Checking and filling 209
(D Note
- Do not disconnect the vehicle battery
when the ignition is switched on or when
the engine is running, otherwise, you will
damage electronic components in the
electrical system.
- When working on the engine, protect the
battery housing from ultraviolet (UV)
rays by not parking the vehicle in direct
sunlight .
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a
long period of time without being driven,
protect the battery from "freezing", oth­
erwise it will be damaged and will then
have to be replaced
~ page 209.
Charging of battery
All work on the battery requires technical knowledge!
Fig. 165 E ngine compart ment: conne ctors for a charg­
er and jump start cables
A charged battery ensures good starting per­
formance . A discharged battery can
freeze at
temperatures of only
O 0C. A frozen or thawed
battery must be replaced, as the battery
housing may be cracked due to freezing and
could therefore leak acid.
.,. Always read and heed all WARNINGS be­
low~ .&, and ~.&, in
Working on the bat­
tery on page 208.
... Switch off the ignition and all electrical con­
sumers .
.,. Make sure the area is well ventilated when
you charge the battery.
.,. Connect charger cables.
Charger cables
must always be connected POSITIVE
G to ..,.

210 Check ing and filling
POS IT IVE E] and NEGATI VE [:] to NEGATIVE
(j ump sta rt pins)[:].
.. Switch on the charger.
• Make sure the charging rate is not over
6 amps.
• Turn off the charger¢,&..
• Disconnect the charger cables.
• Connect both battery cables to the battery
i f necessary -
first plus, then minus.
The battery must not be opened!
¢ @ in Gen­
eral information on page 207 .
Chargi ng the b attery
Only use chargers with a m ax im um cha rg in g
v oltage o f
14.8 V. The battery connecting ca­
bles do not need to be disconnected. Do not
open the battery when charging.
Read all of the manufacturer's instructions for
the charger before charting the battery.
It is not necessary to remove the battery from
the engine compartment, and it is a lso not
necessary to disconnect the cables.
Normally, a battery should be charged at no
more than 10 percent of its rated capacity.
For example, a charging current of 4.5 amps
wo uld be used on a battery rated at 45 Ah.
Rated capacity of the battery in your veh icle is
listed on the battery housing .
The battery caps shou ld
not be opened when
cha rg ing a battery.
_& WARNING
Cha rging a battery can be dangerous.
- Never charge a frozen battery. It may ex­
plode because of gas trapped in the ice .
Allow a frozen battery to thaw o ut first .
- Do not reuse batteries which we re fro­
zen. They must be replaced. The battery
housing may have cracked and weakened
when the battery froze.
- Charge the battery in a we ll ventilated
area. Keep away from open f lame or elec­
trical spark. Do not smoke. Hydrogen gas generated by the battery is explosive. -
To reduce the danger of exp losion, never
connect or d isconnect charger cab les
while the charger is operating.
- Fast charging a battery is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a compe­
tent techn ic ian with the proper equip­
ment.
- Battery acid that may sp ill dur ing charg­
ing should be washed off with a solut ion
of warm water and baking soda to neu­
tralize the ac id.
{[) Note
-Make sure that the gas venting hose is
always connected to the or iginal opening
on the battery s ide. Otherwise gasses or
battery acid could leak out.
- Never use a fast charger as a booster to start the engine. This will seriously dam­
age sensitive electron ic components,
such as contro l units, re lays, radio, etc.,
as well as the batte ry charger.
- T he vehicle may be optionally equ ipped
w ith a gel battery, wh ich can only be
charged at a cons tant current-lim ited
voltage . To prevent damage to the bat ­
tery and the electronics system, a gel battery that is connected must under no
circumstances be charged with a quick
charger.
{!) Tips
- The vehicle battery must not be charged
with a standard small charger that pl ugs
into the outlet.
- Only charge the battery through the con­
nections in the engine compartment.
Battery replacement
The new battery must hove the some specifi­
cations as the old one.
Intelligent energy management in your vehi­
cle is responsible for distributing the electri­
ca l energy throughout your vehicle
¢
page 167. The intelligent energy manage-
ment system will keep the engine battery .,..

charged better then vehicles without this sys­
tem . To make sure the additional e lectrica l en ­
ergy is available once again after you have
changed the battery, we recommend that you install batteries of the same type and manu­
facture only (the same as those installed at
the t ime your vehicle was delivered). Specifi­
cations are listed on the battery hous ing . Your
authorized dealer must code the battery in
the energy management system to enable yo u
to use the energy management functions cor­
rectly after replacing the bat tery.
If it is not possible to use a battery of this
type, the new battery must have the same ca­
pacity, voltage (12 volts) , amperage, con ­
struction and plug sealing.
We re commend that you use ma intenance­
free or
cy cle -re sis tant /le ak-proof batteries
that conform to the standards TL
825 06
(from December 1997) and VW 7 SO 73 (from
Aug ust 2001).
When insta lling the bat tery , make sure the ig­
n ition and all e lectrica l consumers are turned
off .
CD Note
-Make sure tha t the gas venting hose is
always connected to the o riginal open ing
on the battery side . Otherwise gasses or
battery acid could leak out.
- Battery mounts and clamps m ust always
be secured correctly.
- Read and follow the warnings under
C? page 208, Working on the battery be ­
fore performing any work on the battery .
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper d isposa l
o f a battery, we recommend your author ­
ized Audi dealer change the batte ry for
you. Batteries contain su lfuric ac id and
lead and must always be disposed of prop­
erly in compliance w ith all environmental
regu lations . D isposing of vehicle batte ries
improperly is very dangerous to the envi­
ronment. Make sure that the removed bat-
Checkin g and fillin g 211
tery cannot overbalance, otherwise su lfu ­
ric acid might escape!
Windshield washer container
Using plain water is not adequate for filling
the $ windshield washer system .
Fig. 166 En gin e compart men t: w in ds hield washer flu­
i d co ntai ner
The windshield washer fluid container is locat­
ed on the right side of the engine compart­
ment ~
fig. 166. The washer fluid conta iner is
marked w ith the symbol $ is on its cap .
.,. Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always
read and heed all
W ARNINGS ~ _&. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 194.
.,. Lift the fil le r ca p tongue to add washer flu ­
id. You can fi ll the container to the top.
.,. Press the cap back onto the f iller neck after
f illing the container .
You can find the reservo ir
capacity in t he t able
in
C? page 257.
Clean water should be used when filling up . If
poss ible, use soft water to prevent scaling on
the washer jets. Always add a glass cleane r
solu tion (with frost protection in t he win ter).
CD Note
Do not mix engi ne coolant antifreeze o r
a ny o ther addi tives to fill up the wind­
sh ield washer rese rvoi r.

212 Tire s and wheel s
Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle .
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle . Tires are,
however, one of the most important parts of a
vehicle, particularly considering the compara­
tive ly small patch of rubber on each tire that
assures that a ll-impo rtant contact between
you, your vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, mak ing
sure that your vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry mo re weight than they can safe ly han­
d le, avoiding damage from road hazards and
reg ularly inspecting t ires for damage includ­
ing cuts, slashes irregu la r wear and ove rall
condition are the most important things that
you can do to he lp avoid sudden tire failure in­
cluding tread separation and blowouts.
Avoiding damage I f you have to drive over a curb or similar ob­
stacle, drive very s low ly and as close as possi ­
b le at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chem ica ls includ ing gre ase, o il,
gasoline and b rake fluid off the ti res .
Inspect the t ires regularly for damage (cuts,
cracks or b listers, etc.). Remove any fo reign
bod ies embedded in the treads.
Storing tires Mark tires when you remove them to indicate
the direction of rotation . Th is ensures you to
be ab le to mount them correctly when you re­
install t hem.
When removed, the whee ls or t ires should be
stored in a cool, d ry and preferably dark place .
Store tires in a vertical pos ition if they are not
mounted on rims, in a horizontal pos it ion if
they are mounted on rims. New tire
s
New t ires have to be broken in¢&,. .
T he tread depth of new t ires may vary, accord­
ing to the type a nd make of t ire and the tread
pa tte rn .
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and r ims is ofte n not readily
vis ible . If you notice unusual v ibrat ion or the
vehicle p ulls to one side, th is may ind icate
t h at one of the t ires has been damaged . Th e
t ir es m ust be checked immed iate ly by an au ­
tho rized Aud i dea le r or q uali fied wor ks hop.
Unidirectional t ires
A un idirectional tire can be identified by ar­
rows on the sid ewa ll, that po int in the direc­
t ion the t ire is desig ned to rotate. You mus t
f ol low the specified d irection of rotation . This
is necessary so that these tires can develop
their optimum characterist ics regarding grip,
road no ise, wear and hyd rop laning resistance.
For more information ¢
page 241.
A WARNING
-New tires or tires that are old, worn or
damaged cannot provide maximum con­
trol and braking ability .
-
-New tires tend to be slippery and must
be broken in . To reduce the risk of losing
control, a co llision and ser ious personal
in jur ies, d rive w ith special ca re fo r the
fi rst 350 m iles (560 km).
- Driving with worn or damaged tires can
le ad to loss of control, sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowou t and sudden de­
fl ation, c rashes and seriou s personal in­
juries . Have wo rn or damaged t ires re­
p laced immediate ly .
- T ires age even if they are not being used
an d can fai l sudden ly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith specia l care and at low
speed.

-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the comb ined weight (in excess of
those standard items wh ich may be rep laced)
of automa tic tra nsmission, power steering,
power br akes, power w indows, power sea ts,
radio, and heater, to the ex tent that these
items are avai lab le as factory -installed equip ­
ment (whether installed or not).
Aspect ratio
means the rat io of the height to the w idt h of
the tire in percent. Numbers of 55 or lower in ­
d icate a low sidewall fo r improved s teer ing re ­
sponse and better overall handling on dry
pavement.
Bead
means the pa rt of the t ire t hat is made o f
s teel wires, wrapped o r rein force d by ply cor ds
and that is shaped to fit the r im.
Bead separation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the
tire.
Cold tire infl ation pressure
means t he tire pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer for a t ire of a designated
size that has not been dr iven for more than a
couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire pressure
i s measu red or adjusted.
Tire s an d wheel s 213
-If you notice un usua l vibration or if the
veh icle pulls to one side when driv ing, a l­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check the wheels and tires for dam­
age.
Curb weight
mea ns the we ight of a motor ve hicle w it h
standard equipment in cl ud ing t he maximum
capa city of fuel, o il, and coolant, ai r cond i­
tion ing a nd addi tional weig ht o f optiona l
equipment .
Extra load tire
means a t ire designed to operate at higher
loads and at highe r inflat ion p ressu res tha n
th e co rresponding standard tire. Extra load
tir es my be i dent ified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA
L O AD", or "R F" on t he sidewall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
mea ns the load-carry ing capac ity of a s ingle
axle system, measured at the tire-ground in­
te rfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ( "GVWR ")
means the maximum total loaded we ight of
the ve hicle.
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs.
Load rating (code )
means the maximum load tha t a t ire is rated
to carry for a given inflation press ure. Yo u
may not find this information on all tires be­
ca use it is not required by law.
Maximum load rating
me ans the load r ating for a tire at the maxi­
mum pe rm issi ble inf lat ion pressure for that
ti re . •
•
...

218 Tires and wheels
This is especia lly important if the vehicle be­
longs to someone else or you bought the vehi­
cle with different rims/tires or you bought the
vehicle as a previously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on making sure that
load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
vehicle. These load limits are technically refer­
red to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (' 'GVWR"). The Gross Axle Weight Rat­
ing ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can
be applied at each of the vehicle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance sticker label located either
on the driver's side B-pillar or on the inside of
the fuel filler flap. The tire pressure label on
your Audi lists the maximum combined
weight of all of the occupants and luggage or
other cargo that the vehicle can carry. For the
location of the tire pressure label
o fig. 167.
_& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more weight than your vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of a loss of vehicle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly causing loss of con­
trol and a crash.
- Always make sure that the total load be­
ing transported -including the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehi­
cle heavier than the vehicle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
A WARNING
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can lead to a serious or fatal acci­
dent.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation cause increased tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can also lead to sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
flation, causing loss of vehicle control.
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires original­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressure label located either on driver's side 8-pillar or inside the fuel filler flap.
The recommended tire pressures are on the
tire pressure label and in the table
o page 216, Cold tire inflation pressure. This
means that the pressure must be checked and
adjusted when the tire has not been driven for
more than a couple of miles (kilometers) at
low speeds during the previous three hours.
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
as a result of internal friction as it flexes in
use. The tire pressure is highe r 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
o page 216. The
tires would then be underinflated and could
fail suddenly.
The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the
recommended cold tire inflation pressures for
the new, original equipment tires that were
on your vehicle at the time it was manufac­
tured. For the location of the label
opage 216, fig. 167.
Most tires lose air naturally over time . They
can also lose some air if you drive over a pot­
hole or hit a curb while parking. It is usually
not possible to see whether the radial tires ..,.

used today are underinflated just by looking
at them.
Therefore, be sure to check tire pressures at l eas t once a mon th and always before going
on a long trip. Make sure to take the number
of people and the amount of luggage into ac­
count when adjusting tire pressure for a trip -
even one that you would not consider to be
"long." See ¢
page 220, Tires and vehicle
load limits
for more important information .
A lways use an accurate tire pressure gauge
when check ing and adjusting inflation pres­
sures . Check all of the tires and be sure not to
forget the spare t ire . If the pressure in any tire
is too high when the tire is "cold," let air out
of the tire slowly with the edge of the t ire
gauge and keep checking the pressure until
you reach the p ress ure th at is cor rect for the
l oad (passengers and luggage) and kind of
driving you plan to do .
I f the p ressu re in any tire is too low , note the
d ifference between the pressure in the cold
tire and the pressure you need and add the air
that you need to reach the correct pressure for
the vehicle load (passengers and luggage) for
the tires on your vehicle as listed on the on
your veh icle and in this manual and the kind
of dr iving you p lan to do.
Never e xceed the m aximum inflation pre s­
su re li sted on th e tir e side wall for any rea ­
son.
Remember that the vehicle manufacturer, not
the tire manufacturer, determines the co rrect
tire p ressure for the tires on your vehicle .
It is important to check the tire pressure when
the tires are cold .
- Read the requ ired ti re p ressu re from the tire
pressure label. On USA veh icles, the t ire
pressure label is located on driver's side 8-
pillar . On Canada vehicles, the tire pressure
label is located either on the driver's side 8-
pillar or inside the fuel fi ller flap.
- Turn the valve stem cap counter-clockwise
to remove it from the tire valve.
- Place the air pressure ga uge on the valve.
Tire s an d wheel s 219
- The tire pressures should only be checked
and adj usted when the tires are co ld . The
slightly raised pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced.
- Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying.
- Reinstall the valve stem cap on the va lve.
When should I check the tir e pressu re?
T he co rrect tire pressu re is especially impor ­
tant a t high speeds. The pressure should
therefore be checked at least once a month
and always before starting a jo urney . Do not
forget to check the tire pressure for the spare
whee l
¢page 234.
When should I adjust the tire pres sur es?
Adjus t the t ire press ure to the load you a re
carrying . After changing a whee l
or rep lacing
whee ls you have to adjust the tire pressu res
on all whee ls. In addition, yo u m ust then initi­
ali ze the new t ire pressures in the tire pres­
sure monitoring system*¢
page 230.
A WARNING
...---
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinfla-
tion can lead sudden tire fa ilure, loss of
control, collision, serio us personal injury
or even death.
- When the warning symbol
ti] appears in
the instrument cluster, stop and inspect
the t ires.
- Inco rrect tire pressure and/or underinfla­
tion can cause increased tire wea r and
can affect the hand ling of the vehicle and
s topping abi lity.
- I nco rrect tire pressures and/or unde rin­
flation can a lso lead to sudden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowou t and sudden de­
flation, ca using loss of vehicle contro l.
- The driver is responsib le for the correc t
tire pressures for all tires on the veh icle.
The applicable pressure values are locat­
ed on a sticker on the dr iver's side 8-pil­
lar or on the ins ide of the fuel filler flap. •
•

220 Tire s and wheel s
-Only when all tires on the vehicle are fi l­
led to the correct pressure, the tire pres­
sure monitoring system* can work correctly .
- The use of incorrect tire pressure values
can lead to accidents or other damage.
Therefore it is essential that the driver observe the specified tire pressure va lues
for the tires and the co rrect p ressu res fo r
the f unct ion of the tire pressure mo nitor­
ing system*.
- Always inflate t ires to the recommended
and co rrec t tire pressu re before d rivi ng
off.
- Driv ing with under inflated ti res bend
more, lett ing them get too ho t res ulting
in tread separation, sudden t ire fail ure
and loss of control.
- E xcess ive speed and/overloading can
cause heat bui ld -up, sudden t ire fail ure
and loss of control.
- If the tire press ure is too low or too high,
the tires wi ll wear prematu rely and the
vehicle will not hand le we ll.
- If the t ire is no t flat and you do not have
to change a wheel immediate ly, drive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta­
t ion to check the tire pressure and add
air as required.
Driving without va lve stem caps can cause
damage to the tire va lves. To prevent this,
always make sure that facto ry installed
valve stem caps on all wheels are secure ly
mounted on the valve.
@) For the sake of the environment
Underinf lated tires will a lso increase t he
fue l consumption .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or
weight that any veh icle and any t ire ca n car ry .
A veh icle that is overloaded w ill not ha ndle
well a nd is more difficult to s top. Over load ing
c a n no t on ly lead to loss of veh icle con tro l, but can also damage important parts of the
vehicle and ca n lead to sudden tire fai lure, in ­
clud ing a b lowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the vehicle to crash.
Your safety an d that of your passengers also
depends on making sure that load limits are
not exceeded . Vehicle load includes everybody
and everything in and on the veh icle. These
load lim its are technically referred to as the
vehicle's
Gro ss Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic
vehicle, a ll factory installed accessories, a full
tank of fuel, o il, coolant and other fluids plus
maximum load. The max imum load incl udes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is
i ntended to car ry ("seat ing capac ity ") with an
a ss u med we igh t of 150 lbs (68 kg) for e ach
passenge r at a designated seating posi tion
and the total weight of any luggage in the ve ­
hicle . If you tow a trai ler, the weight of the
trai ler hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded tra iler must be included as part of the
vehicle load.
T he
G ros s Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each of the vehicle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the Gross Ax le Weight Rating are listed on the
safety comp liance sticker label located e ither
on the dr iver's s ide B-pillar or on t he ins ide of
the fuel filler flap . Your Audi has 5 sea ting po­
s itions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rear for to ­
tal seating capacity of 5 . Each seat ing pos ition
has a safety belt
q page 113, Safety belts.
The fac t that there is a n upper limit to your
vehicle's G ross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the total weight of whatever is bei ng car­
ried in the vehicle ( in cl ud ing the weight of a
t ra ile r hi tc h and the tongue we igh t of the
loaded trail er) is lim ite d. T he more p assen­
gers in the vehicle or passengers who are
heavier than the standard weights assumed
mean that less weight can be carried as lug-
gage.
~

222 Tires and wheels
and luggag e loa d cap acit y
c alcul ated in St ep 4.
6 . If your v ehi cle will b e towing
a trail er, load fro m your trail ­
er will b e tr ansferr ed to your
vehi cle. Con sult thi s manual
to determin e how thi s re­
d uces the available cargo
and luggage lo ad capacity of
y our vehicle.
..., Check the tire sidewall
(q page 223, fi g . 171) to de­
termine the d esignated lo ad
rating f or a specific tire.
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of
different things including proper installation
and balan cing, correct tire pressure and driv­
ing style.
Fig. 16 9 Tire tread: trea d wea r in di cators (TWI)
fr
Fig. 1 70 Rotat ing t ires for more even wear
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The or ig inal tires on you r vehicle have
1/ 16 inch ( 1.6 mm) hig h "wear indica tors"
c::> fig. 169 ru nning across the tread . Depend­
ing on the ma ke, there will be six to eight of
them even ly placed aro und the tire. Marks on
the tire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other
symbols) ind icate the positions of the tread
wear indica to rs. Wor n tires must be replaced .
Different figures may apply in other countr ies
c::> .&_ .
Tire pressure
Incor rect t ire pressure causes premature wea r
and can cause sudde n tire blow-out . For this
reason, tire pressu re must be checked at least
o nce a month
c::> page 218 .
Driving style
Driving fast around c urves , heavy accelerat ion
and hard braking increase tire wear .
Rotating tires for more even wear
F or all four tires on your ve hicle to have the
same service life, we recomme nd that the
front and rear tires are rotated accord ing to
the tire manufact urer's suggested tire rota­
tion intervals. Please remembe r th e follow­
i ng:
- T ire rotation intervals may differ from the
veh icle service intervals o utli ned in your
Warranty
& M ain tena nce Booklet .
- The longer one tire is used in one location
on t he vehicle, the more it wears at certain
points; the refore , we recommend that you
follow the tire man ufac turer's suggested
tir e rotat ion intervals.
- Vehi cles with front -wheel dr ive experience
more trea d wear on the fro nt wheels com­
pa red to all-wheel d rive (q uattro ®).
- Please rotate tires as shown
c::> fig . 170 .
-Extra care must be taken when rotating di-
rection -spec ific tires
c::> page 241 .
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new ve hicles are balanced .
However, various s ituations during everyday
driv ing ca n cause them to become
...