ABS AUDI A5 CABRIOLET 2017 User Guide

Airbag system
@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modu les and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Materi­
al -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­ rate . When the vehicle or parts of the re­
straint system including airbag modules safe­
ty belts with pretens ioners are scrapped, all
applicable laws and regulat ions must be ob­
served. Your authorized Audi dealer is familiar
with these requirements and we recommend
that you have your dealer perform this service
for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
cha nge the way that the Advanced Airbag System
pe rforms in a crash. For example, using tire-r im
comb inat ions not approved by Audi, lower ing the
veh icle, changing the stiffness of the suspens ion,
including the spr ings, suspension struts, shock
absorbers etc . can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
electronic control unit . Some suspens ion changes
can, for example, increase the force levels meas­
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in crashes in wh ich it would not deploy if
the changes had not been made. Other ki nds of
changes may reduce the force levels measured by
the sensors and preven t the airbag from deploy­
ing when it should .
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension including
use of unapproved tire-rim combinations can
change Advanced A irbag performance and in ­
crease the risk of serious personal injury in a
crash.
- Never install suspension components that
do not have the same performance charac­
teristics as the components originally insta l­
led on your veh icle .
- Never use tire-rim comb inations that have
not been approved by Audi.
144
A WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt buckle
and the center console can cause the sensors in the buckle to send the wrong information
to the electronic control module and prevent
the Advanced A irbag System from working
properly.
- Always make sure that nothing can inte rfe re
w ith the safety belt buckles and that they
are not obstructed.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
Applies to: vehicles with knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants.
Fig. 150 Driver's knee a irbag
The driver knee airbag is in the instrument panel
underneath the steering whee l~
fig. 150, the
knee airbag for the passenger is at about the
same height in the instrument panel underneath
the g love compartment.
The knee airbag offers additional protection to
the driver's and passenger's knees and uppe r and
l ower thigh areas and supp lements the protec­
tion provided by the safety belts .
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy in frontal collis ion s when the deployment
th reshold stored in the control unit is met
~ page 138, More important things to know
about front airbags.
In addition to their normal safety funct ion, safe-
ty belts help keep the driver or front passenger in
IJJ>

Child safety
Booster seats and safety belts
Properly used booster seats can help protect
children weighing between about 40 lbs . and 80
lbs. (18 kg and 36 kg) who are less than 4
ft. 9
in. (57 inches/1.45 meters) tall .
Fig. 158 Rear seat: ch ild proper ly restrained in a booster
seat
The vehicle's safety belts alone will not fit most
children until they are at least 4 ft. 9 in. (57 in­
ches/1.45 meters) tall and weigh about 80 lbs .
(36 kg). Booster seats raise these chi ld ren up so
that the safety belt will pass properly
over the
stronger parts of their bodies and the safety belt
can help protect them in a crash.
• Do not use the convertible locking retractor
when using the vehicle's safety belt to restrain
a chi ld on a booster seat.
• The shoulder be lt must lie as close to the cen­
ter of the child's collar bone as possible and
must lie flat and snug on the upper body. It
must
never lie across the throat or neck. The
lap belt must lie across the pelv is and
never
across the stomach or abdomen . Make sure the
belt lies flat and snug. Pull on the belt to tight­
en if necessary .
• Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
¢page 155.
Child ren up to about 40 lbs. (18 kg) are best pro­
tected in chi ld safety seats des igned for their age
and weight . Experts say that the skeletal str uc­
ture, part icu larly the pelvis, of these children is
not fully deve loped , and they must not use the
vehicle safety belts without a suitable child re­
stra int.
158
It is usually best to put these children in appro­
priate booster seats. Be sure the booster seat
meets all applicab le safety standards .
Booster seats raise the seating posi tion of the
child and reposition both the lap and shoulder
parts of the safety belt so that they pass across
the child 's body in the right places. The routing of
the belt over the ch ild's body is
very important
for the child's protection, whether or not a boos­
ter seat is used. Child ren age 12 and under must
always ride in the rear seat.
Children who are at least 4 ft. 9 in . (57 inches/
1.45 meters) tall can generally use the vehicle's
three point lap and shoulder belts. Never use the
l ap belt portion of the veh icle's safety belt a lone
to restrain any child, regard less of how big the
child is. Always remember that children do not
have the pronounced pelvic structure required for
the proper function of lap belt portion of the ve­
hicle's three point lap and shoulder belts. The
child's safety abso lutely requires that a lap belt
portion of the safety belt be fastened snugly and
as low as possible around the pe lvis. Never let
the lap belt portion of the safety belt pass over
the child 's stomach or abdomen .
In a crash, airbags must inflate with in a blink of
an eye and with considerab le force. In order to do
its job, the a irbag needs room to inflate so that it
will be there to protect the occupant as the occu ­
pant moves forward into the airbag.
A vehicle occupant who is out of position and too
close to the airbag gets in the way of an inf lating
airbag . When an occupant is too close, he or she
will be struck vio lent ly and w ill rece ive serio us or
possibly even fatal injury.
In order for the a irbag to offer protection, it is
important that all vehicle occupants, especially
any ch ildren, w ho must be in the front seat be­
cause of exceptional circumstances, be properly
restrained and as far away from the airbag as
possible. By keeping room between the child's
body and the front of the passenger compart­
ment, the airbag can inflate completely and pro­
vide supplementa l protection in certain frontal
collisions.

Intelligent Technology Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road ho lding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of skid­
ding and loss of vehicle control. It works only
when the engine is runn ing . ESC detects certain
d ifficult driving situat ions, including when the
vehicle is beginn ing to spin (yaw) out of control
and helps you to get the veh icle back under con­
tro l by selectively braking the wheels , and/or re­
ducing engine powe r and provid ing steering as­
sistance to help ho ld the veh icle on the driver 's
intended course. The indicator light
bJ in the in­
strument cluster blinks when ESC is taking action
to help you contro l th e vehicl e.
The follow ing systems a re integr ated in the ESC:
Anti -lock braking system (ABS )
ABS preve nts the wheels from lock ing up when
b raking . The ve hicle can still be stee red even dur­
in g ha rd brak ing . Apply steady pressure to the
b rake pedal. Do not p ump the pedal. A pu lsing in
the brake pedal indicates tha t the system is help ­
ing you to brake the vehicle .
Brake assist system
The brake assist sys tem can dec rease braking dis­
tance .
It increases brak ing power when the d rive r
pr esses the brake pedal q uickly in eme rge ncy sit ­
uations . You m ust press and hold the b rake pedal
unti l the situation is over . In vehicles with adap ­
tive cruise control* , the brake assist system is
mo re sensitive if the distance det ected to the ve­
h icle ahead is too small.
Anti -slip regulation (ASR)
ASR red uces eng ine power when the drive wheels
begin to spin and adapts the force to the road
conditions. This makes it easier to start, acceler­
ate and dr ive up h ills.
gi Electronic differential lock (EDL ) ...... N
~ The ED L br ak es w heels that a re spi nnin g and
8 trans fers the drive power to the othe r drive LL 00
Intellig ent Technology
whee l or wheels if the vehicle is equ ipped with
all-wheel drive*. This function is not avai lable at
highe r speeds.
In extreme cases , EDL automat ic all y swi tches off
to help keep t he b rake on the braked wheel from
overheating . EDL will switch on again automati­
ca lly when cond itions have returned to normal.
Steering recommendation
T he ES C helps to s tabilize the vehicle by changing
the s teering torque.
In veh icles with dynamic steer ing*, ESC a lso
helps to stab ilize the steer ing in crit ica l sit ua­
tions.
Electronic interaxle differenti al lock */
selective wheel torque control*
T he elect ronic inte raxle d iffere ntial lo ck (front
whee l dr ive) o r the sele ct ive whee l torque co ntro l
(a ll w heel d rive) operates when driving thro ugh
cu rves. The front wheel on the inside of the curve
o r both wheels on the inside of the curve are
braked selectively as needed. This allows more
precise driving in curves . The applicab le system
may not activate when driving in wet or snowy
condit ions .
A WARNING
--The ESC and i ts integrated systems ca nnot
overcome the laws of physics. This is espe­
cially importa nt on slippery or wet roads. If
the systems begin act ing to sta biliz e your
veh icle, you shou ld immedi ate ly change
your speed to match the road and traffic conditions. Do not let the increased safety
provided by these systems tempt yo u to
take risks. Doing so will increase the risk of
a loss of vehicle control, collision and seri­
ous personal injur ies .
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffic and
weather conditions . The risk of losing con ­
trol of the vehicle increases when driv ing
too fast, especially through curves and o n
slippe ry o r wet roads , and whe n driving too
close to ve hicl es up ahea d. The ESC and its
integ ra t ed systems cannot always preven t
collis ions -the re is s till a risk o f accidents!
167

Intelligent Technology
-Always acce le rate with special care on even,
smoot h surfaces such as those that are wet
o r covered with ice and s now. The dr ive
wheels can s pin even with these ass istance
systems that cannot always h elp to reduce
t h e risk of loss of v ehicle con trol. t
ir es. Diff eren t tire si zes c an lead to a red uc­
t ion in en gine power .
- Y ou may hear noises whe n the sys tem s de­
sc ribe d are working .
{D) Tips
-ABS and ASR on ly work co rrectly whe n all
fo ur whee ls are e quipped w ith ide ntica l
Switching on/off
£SC turns on automatically when you start the engine .
Fig . 163 Versio n A: lower cente r co nso le,~ OFF button Fig. 164 Version B : upper center co nso le, ~ OFF button
T he ESC is des igned to function in leve ls. Depe nd­
i ng on t he level th at i s sele cted, the s tabili zation
f unc tion of the E SC is limited or sw itched off. The
amo unt of stabi liza tio n con trol will d iffer de ­
pendi ng on the level. -
Roc king the ve hicle to free it w hen i t is stuck
- Dr iving in d eep snow or o n loose g ro und
- Dr iving with snow chains
Th e fo llo wing s itu ations are ex cep tion s where i t
may be usef ul to sw itch on s po rt mo de to allow
the wheels to spin:
Sport mode on ESC/ASR off
Behavior
T he ESC and ASR stabiliza -
The sta bilization funct ion is
tion f unct io ns are limite d not available
¢ &
. ES C and
¢ &. . ASR are switched off.
Operation Press the I.$ OFF I b utton P re ss and hol d the l.$ OF FI
briefly . button longer than 3 sec-
onds .
Indicator II turns on. Iii and lf111•)H turn on.
lights
Driver mes- Stabilization control (ESC ): Stabilization control (ESC ):
sages Sport. Warning! Restricted off . Warning! Restricted
stab ility stability
168
Sport mode off or
ESC /ASR on
T he f ull stabilization func -
tion of the ESC an d ASR is
avai lab le aga in.
Press the I.$ OFF I but ton
a g ai n.
II turns off or II and
lf11ft)H turn off .
Stabilization control
(ESC ): On
N N ><'. 00 <D

Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that
the additional load will affect durability, econo­
my and performance.
Trailer towing not only places more stress on the
vehicle, it also calls for more concentration from
the driver.
For this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suitable
for your vehicle and trailer and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a technically
sound
location . Use only a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ball mount . Always check with the trail­
er hitch manufacturer to make sure that you are
using the correct hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper system . No modifications should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
From time to time, check that all hitch mounting
bo lts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer,
remove the
tra iler hitch ball mount . This prevents the hitch
from causing damage shou ld your vehicle be
struck from beh ind ¢
,&. .
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
gi check to be sure that it conforms to all regula-......
~ tions . N ...... 0
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Trailer towing
The trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system ¢.&. .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle
and the trailer.
Trailer lights
T ra iler lights must meet all regulations . Be sure
to check w ith your author ized Audi dealer for cor­
rect wiring, switches, and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you us­
ing the regular outside mirrors, then you
must in­
stall extended mirrors. It is important that you
always have clear vision to the rear.
,8. WARNING
-If a tra iler has electr ical brakes please note
that these bra kes are not activated by the
factory-fitted control unit -risk of accident!
- After removing the trailer hitch, do not
store it in your vehicle. In case of sudden
braking, the hitch could fly forward and in­
jure you or your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held sec ure ly in
place to prevent it from shifting forward, back­
ward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer¢.&.
in Driving instructions on page 180.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder . It
is important that the cooling system's perform ­
ance is up to the additional load . Make sure that
the cool ing system has enough fluid. .,..
179

Backing up is difficult and requires practice.
Backing up with a trailer generally requires steer­
ing action oppos ite to that when backing up your
vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you. You wi ll need more
room to stop. To compensate for the tra iler, you
will need a larger than normal turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot accel­
erate as fast as you normally would because of
the added load. Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for
your trailer before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
@ Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri­
od of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require
more frequent maintenance due to the ex ­
tra load
~ page 246.
Parking on a slope
Do not pork on o slope with o trailer. If it cannot
be avoided, do so only ofter doing the following:
When parking:
" Apply the foot brake.
"Have someone place chocks under both the ve­
hicle and the trailer wheels.
" With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks absorb the load.
" Turn the wheels towards the curb.
" Apply the parking brake.
" Move the selector lever to P .
When restarting after parking:
" Apply the foot brake.
" Start the engine .
" Move the selector lever to D/S.
" Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the wheel chocks.
a:,
~ " Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel
~ chocks . N .... 0
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Trailer towing
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of the automat­
ic transmission to P before applying the park­
ing brake and before blocking the wheels, you
may have to use more force later to move the
lever out of the P posit ion .
181

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Care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
T ex til es
Deposits adhering to Vacuum cleaner
art ifici al leat her, the surface
A lcan tara Water-based deposits Absorbent
cloth and mild soap solutiona>
such as coffee, tea,
b lood, etc.
Oil -based deposits Apply a m ild soap solution
a), blot away the dissolved o il or
such as oil, make-up, dye, treat afterward with water, if necessary
etc.
Special deposits such Special stain
remover, blot with absorbent material, treat
as ink, nail polish, la- afterward with mild soap solution, if necessary
a)
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Natu ral le ath er Fresh stains Wool cloth with a mild soap solution a)
Water-based deposits Fresh stains: absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea, dried stains: stain
remover suitable for leather
b lood , etc.
Oi [-based deposits Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and stain
remover suitable
such as oil, make-up, for leather
etc. dried stains: oil cleaning spray
Special deposits such Spot remove r suitab le for leather
as ink, nail polish, la-
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Care Regularly apply condit ion ing c ream that protects from
lig ht and penet rates into the material. Use specia lly-co l-
ored conditioning cream, if necessary .
Carbon part s Deposits clean the same way as plast ic parts
a) Mi ld soap solution: maximum two tablespoons of neutral soap in 1 q uart (1 liter) of water
.8, WARNING
The windshield may not be trea ted with wa­
ter-repelling windshield coating agents. Un ­
favorable cond itions such as wetness, dark­
ness, or low sun can result in increased glare.
Wiper blade chatter is also possible.
@ Note
- Headlight s/tail li ght s
-Never clean headlights or tail lights with a
dry cloth or sponge.
- Do not use any cleaning product that con­
tains alcohol, because they could cause
cracks to form.
- Whe els
-
- Never use any pa int polish or other abra­
sive materials .
- Damage to the protect ive layer on the
rims such as stone chips or scratches must
be repaired immediately .
-Sen sor s/cam era l enses
- Neve r use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens . This
could cause the lens to crack .
- Neve r use ab rasive cleaning materials or
a lcohol to clean the camera lens. This
could cause scratches and cracks .
-Powe r top
- Remove bird droppings immediately .
185

Checking and Filling
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a quick
glance.
Fig. 175 Engine compartment: Cover on the brake fluid
r eservoir
Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
¢ A in Working in the engine compartment on
page 193.
., Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid
reservoir
<=> fig . 175, ¢page 195, fig . 171 . The
brake fluid level must be between the
" MIN"
and "MAX " markings.
The brake fluid reservoir is located at the rear
partition of the engine compartment on the left
side
¢ page 195.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time
due to the automatic adjustment of the brake
pads . This is not cause for alarm .
If the brake fluid level falls
considerably below
the ' 'MIN" mark, the brake warning/indicator
light (U .S. models:
1111 , Canadian models: 1111)
will come on¢ page 13 . Do not continue to oper­
ate the vehicle . The complete brake system
should be thoroughly checked by an authorized
Aud i dealer or qualified workshop and the cause
corrected . If the brake fluid level is too low, the
brake warning/indicator light w ill illuminate.
Contact an author ized Audi dealer
immediately.
(D} Tips
The brake fluid reservoir is located under­
neath the cover.
202
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experienced
technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If the
water content in the brake fluid is too high, cor­
rosion in the brake system may result after ape­
riod of time . The boiling po int of the brake fluid
will a lso decrease considerably and decrease
braking performance.
Therefore , the brake fluid must be changed
every
two years .
Always use new brake fluid which con­
forms to Feder-al Motor Vehicle Standard "FMVSS
116 DOT 4 ".
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficult to reach ,
therefore, we recommend that you have the
brake fluid changed by your author ized
Audi
dealer .
Your dealer has the correct tools, the
right brake fluid and the know-how to do this for
you.
A WARNING
- Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored
only in the closed original container out of
the reach of children!
- Brake fai lure can result from o ld or inappro­
priate brake fluid. Observe these precau­
tions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE speci­
fi cation
J 1703 and conforms to Federal
Motor Veh icle Standard 116. Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer to make
sure you are using the correct brake f luid .
The correct type of brake f luid is also indi­
cated on the brake fluid reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new . Heavy use of
the brakes can cause a vapor lock if the
brake fluid is left in the system too long .
This can seriously affect the efficiency of
the brakes as well as your safety. This
could result in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehi-
cle .
lilJJ,

a:,
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@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal of
brake fluid as we ll as the special toots re­
quired and the necessary expertise, we rec­
ommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by your authorized Audi dealer .
Battery
General information
Under normal operating conditions, the battery
in your Audi does not need any maintenance.
With
high outside temperatures or long daily
drives we recommend that you have the electro­
lyte level checked by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop. The electrolyte level should
also be checked each time the battery is charged
¢ page 205.
Have the battery checked when you take your ve­
hicle in for serv ice. You are well advised to re­
place a battery t hat is older than 5 years.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power window regula­
tors, for example) are lost if the battery termi­ nals are disconnected. These functions have to be
relearned after the battery terminals are con­
nected again. To prevent th is, the battery should
only be disco nnected from the vehicle e lectr ica l
system when abso lutely necessary for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period of
several days or weeks, electrical components are
gradually cut back or sw itched off. This reduces
energy consumption and maintains starting ca ­
pability over a longer period¢
page 173.
Some of the conven ience functions may not oper­
ate, such as the interior lights or the power seat
adjustment. The convenience functions will be
available again when you turn on the ignition and
start the engine.
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity tends
to decrease as temperatures drop . T his is be-
Checking and Filling
cause more power is also consumed while start­
ing, and the headlights, rear window defogger,
etc., are used more often.
Avo id unnecessary power consumption, particu­
larly in city traff ic or when traveling only short
distances . Let your authorized Audi dealer check
the capacity of the vehicle battery before winter
sets in ¢
page 205. A well charged battery will
not only prevent starting problems when the
weather is cold, but will also last longer .
(D Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the ve­
hicle battery should be removed and stored
where it w ill not freeze. This will prevent it
from be ing damaged and having to be re­
placed.
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The battery is located in the luggage compart­
ment under the floo r. Before you check anything
in the luggage compartment,
read and heed all
WARNINGS ¢
LD.·
Always heed the safety warnings, when working
on the vehicle battery or the veh icle electrical
system to prevent 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.
A
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Al·
ways wear gloves and eye protection .
@
No
- sparks
· flames
· smoking.
203

CX)
CX)
-N ,.... N
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CX)
Audi. Otherwise, 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 abso­lutely necessary and drive
carefully when doing so.
-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.
Wheels
Tire wear/damage
Fig. 179 Tire profi le: 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
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
215
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