warning AUDI A5 COUPE 2010 Owners Manual

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Fast charging the battery {charging rate above 14 .8
Volts )
For technical reasons do not use a battery charger that uses vo ltage
greater than 1 4.8 Vo lts to charge y our ve hic le 's battery.
& WARNING
Charging a battery can be dangerous .
• Always follow the operating instruct ions provided by the
battery charger manufacturer when charging your battery.
• Never charge a frozen battery. It may explode because of gas
trapped in the ice . Allow a frozen battery to thaw out first.
• Do not reuse batteries which were frozen. The battery housing
may have cracked and weakened when the battery froze .
• Charge the battery in a well ventilated area. Keep away from
open flame or electrical spark . Do not smoke . Hydrogen gas gener ­
ated by the battery is explosive.
• To redu ce the danger of e xplos ion , never connect or disconnect
charger cables while the charger i s operating.
• Fast charging a battery is dangerous and should only be
attempted by a competent technician with the proper equipment.
• Battery acid that may spill during charging should be washed
off with a solution of warm water and baking soda to neutralize
the acid .
0 Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to start the engine . T his wil l
se rious ly da mage sen sit ive elec tronic componen ts, such a s control
un its, re lays, radio, etc., as well as the battery charger. •
Battery replacement
Th e ne w batt ery must hav e the sam e speci ficat ions and
d im en sions as t he o rigin al equi pmen t b att ery.
Intel ligent energy management in your vehicle is respons ib le for
d istr ibut ing t he e lectr ica l energy t hro ugh out your ve hicl e
~ page 241. The intelligent energy management syste m wil l keep
t h e eng ine ba ttery charge d better then veh icles without t his system .
T o make sure the additional electrical energy is available once again
af te r you hav e cha nged the battery, w e re co mmend tha t you in sta ll
batteries of the same type and manufacture on ly (the same as those
i nsta lled at t he time your vehic le was delive re d ). S pecifi cations a re
listed on the battery housing . Your authorized Audi dea ler wi ll then
code the batter y ma nageme nt control u nit.
If it is not poss ible to use a batt ery o f this ty pe, the new ba ttery must
have the same capacity, voltage (12 vo lts) , amperage, constr uction
and p lug sea lin g.
W hen installing the batter y, ma ke sure the ignition and all electrical
c o nsumers are tur ned off .
0 Note
Make sure the ven tilat io n hose on t he side o f the ba ttery is
conn ected, otherwise fumes or b att ery ac id can leak out .
<£' For the sake of the environment
Because of the proble m of proper d isposal o f a ba ttery, we recom ­
mend your authorized Audi dealer change the battery for you.
B at teri es co nt ain sulf uric acid a nd lead an d mu st alwa ys be
disposed of proper ly in comp liance with a ll environmental regula ­
t ions. Dispos ing o f v ehicle bat ter ie s i mproper ly is very danger ous to
the environment .•
Vehicle care I t •

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Windshield/headlight * washer
container
F ig . 228 Engi ne
co mpa rtm ent: Wi nd­
s hiel d and hea dlight*
w ash er flui d cont ain er
The washer fluid containe r is marked with the symbol¢ on
its cap .
- Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always r ead and heed all WARNINGS ~
& in "Working
in the engi ne compartment" on
page 271.
- Lift the filler cap tongue to add washer fluid. You can fill
the container to the top.
- Press the cap back onto the filler neck after filling the
container.
You can find the reservoir ca pacity in the table in=> page 337.
To prevent lime residue from building up on the spray jets, use
distilled water when refil ling . Always add a glass cleaner solution
(with frost protection in the winter).
(D N ote
Do not mix engine coolant antifreeze or any other additives to fill up
the windshield washer reservoir. •

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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 comparative ly sma ll patch
of rubber on each tire that assures that all- important contact
between you, your vehicle and the road .
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, making sure that your vehicle
and its tires do not have to carry more weight than they can safely
handle, avoiding damage from road hazards and regu lar ly
inspecting tires for damage inc luding cuts , slashes irregular wear
and overa ll condition are the most important things that you can do
to help avoid sudden tire failure including tread separation and
b lowouts .
Avoiding dama ge
If you have to drive over a curb or similar obstacle, drive very slow ly
and as close as possible at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chemica ls includ ing grease, oil, gasoline and brake
f luid off the tires.
I nspec t the tires regularly for damage (cuts, cracks or blis ters, etc.l.
Remove any foreign bodies embedded in the treads.
Storing tires
Mark tires when you remove them to indicate the direction of rota ­
tion . This ensu res you to be ab le to mount them correctly when you
reinstal l them. When removed, the wheels or tires shou
ld be stored in a coo l, dry
and preferably dark place.
St ore t ires in a vertical posit ion if they a re not mounted on rims, in
a horizontal position if they are mounted on rims.
New tire s
New tires have to be broken in~&.
The tread dep th of new tires may va ry, according to the type and
make of tire and the tread pattern.
Hidden d ama ge
Damage to tires and rims is often not readily visible. If you notice
unusua l vibration or the vehicle pul ls to one side, this may indicate
that one of the tires has been damaged . The tires must be checked
immed iately by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
Unidire ction al tir es
A unidirectio nal tire can be iden tif ied by arrows on the s idewa ll, that
point in the direction the tire is designed to rotate. You must follow
the specified direction of ro tation . This is necessary so that these
tires can deve lop their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road
noise, wear and hydroplaning resistance . For more information
~ page 318.
in. WARNING
Ne w tire s or tire s that are old , worn or damaged cann ot pro vide
m aximum cont rol and braking ability.
• New tires tend to b e slippery and mu st also be broken-in . To
redu ce the ri sk of lo sin g control , a colli sion and seriou s per sonal
inj uries , dri ve wi th spe cia l c are for t he first 350 m iles ( 560 km l.
• Driving with worn or damaged t ire s can lead to lo ss of co ntrol ,
s udd en tire failure , in clu ding a blowout a nd sudden deflation , .,,_
Vehicle care
I t •

-~_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 design to operate at higher loads and at higher infla ­
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Extra load tires
may 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.

_L_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 <letter code)
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 300. 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 304.
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 297, "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 (kilometers) or perform in a certain way.
It simply gives tire buyers additional informat ion to combine with
other considerations, such as price, brand loyalty and dealer recom-mendations. Under UTQG, tires are graded by the tire manufac­
t urers in three areas: treadwear, traction, and temperature resis­
tance . 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 al l federa l 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 ... 2209 ...
means that the tire was produced in the 22nd week of 2009 . The
other numbers are marketing codes that may or may not be used by
the tire manufacturer . This information is used to contact
consumers if a tire defect requires a reca ll.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus 150 lbs. (68 kilograms)
times the vehicle's tota l seating capacity as listed on the label
located either on the driver's side 8-pillar or on the inside of the fuel
filler flap.
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is determined by distrib­
uting to each axle 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 weight,
and normal occupant weight (distributed in accordance with table
below =>
page 291) and dividing by two. _..

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T he correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is located on a label
either on the driver's side B -pi llar or inside the fuel filler flap.
Because technical changes may be made to vehicle equipment
during the mode l year, always compare the tire size designation on
the tire pressure label on your vehicle with the tires on your vehicle. Make sure that the tire size information on the vehicle labe l is the
same as the size of the tires on the vehicle. This is especially impor­
tant if the vehicle belongs to someone else or you bought the
vehic le with different rims/tires or you bought the vehicle as a previ ­
ously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your passengers a lso depends
on making sure that load l imits are not exceeded. Vehicle load
includes everybody and everything in and on the vehicle . These load
limits are techn ically referred to as the vehicle's Gross Veh icle
Weight Rating ("GVWR"l. The Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR"l 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 l is ted on t he safety compliance sticker labe l located
either on the driver's side B-pillar or on the inside of the fuel fi ller
flap. The ti re pressure labe l on your Audi lists the maximum
combined weight of a ll of the occupants and luggage or other cargo
t hat the vehic le can carry. For the location of the tire pressure label
=>
page 291, fig. 229.
& WARNING
O verl oad ing a vehi cle can c ause lo ss of vehi cle co ntrol , a cras h or
other ac cident , seriou s per sonal injur y, and even death .
• Carry ing m ore w eight t han yo ur vehic le was designed t o carry
will p revent the vehicle from ha ndling properl y and increa se the
ri sk o f a loss of vehi cle co ntrol.
• The br ake s on a ve hicle tha t has been o verloaded may not be
a bl e to st op the veh icle with in a sa fe di stan ce .
• Tires o n a veh icle th at ha s been ov erlo aded ca n fail sudd enl y
ca usin g l oss of co ntrol an d a c rash.
& WARN ING (c ontinued )
• Always m ake sure that the total load being tr ansported -
in cluding the weight of a trailer hitch and the t ongue we ight of a
loaded trailer -do es not m ake the vehicle he avier tha n th e
v ehi cle's Gr oss Vehi cle Weight R ating .
& WARNING
• In corre ct t ire pre ssure s an d/o r underi nfl atio n can lead to a
s eriou s or fatal a ccident.
• In corre ct tire pr essures and/or u nde rin fla tion cau se in cre as ed
tire wear and can affect th e handlin g of the vehicl e.
• Inc orre ct t ir e pre ssu res and /or underinfl ation can a ls o l ead to
s udden tire failure , including a blowout and sudden d eflation ,
ca usi ng loss of vehi cle contr ol. •
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires originally installed
on your vehicle is listed on the tire pressure label located
either on driver's side B-pillar or inside the fuel filler flap .
The recommended tire pressures are on the ti re pressure label and
in the table=>
page 291, "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 mi les (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 i t 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 "Co ld tire inf lation
pressure" recommendations=>
page 291. The tires wou ld then be
underinflated and could fail suddenly. .,_
Vehicle care I t •

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the recommended cold tire
in flation pressures at maximum capacity for the new, origina l equip ­
ment tires that were on your vehicle at the time it was manufac­
tured. For the location of the label
~ page 291, fig. 229 .
Most tires lose air natural ly over time. They can a lso lose some air if
you drive over a pothole or hit a curb while parking. It is usually not
possible to see whether the radial t ires used today are underinflated
just by looking at them.
Therefore, be sure to check tire pressures at least once a month and always before going on a long trip. Make sure to take the number of
people and the amount of luggage into account when adjusting tire
pressure for a trip - even one that you would not consider to be
"long ." See ~
page 295, "Tires and vehicle load limits" for more
important information .
Always use an accurate tire pressure gauge when checking and adjusting inflation pressures. Check a ll of the tires and be sure not
to forget the spare tire . If the pressure in any tire is too high when
the tire is "cold," let air out of the tire s lowly with the edge of the tire
gauge and keep checking the pressure until you reach the pressure
that is correct for the load (passengers and luggage) and kind of
driving you p lan to do.
If the pressure in any tire is too low, note the difference between the
press ure in the cold t ire 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 vehicle and in this manual and the kind of driving you p lan to do .
Nev er e xce ed the m aximum i nflation pr essure listed on the tir e
s ide wall for any re aso n .
Reme mber that the veh ic le manufacturer, not the tire manufacturer,
determines the correct tire pressure for the tires on your vehicle .
It is important to check the tire pressure when the tires are cold.
• Read the required tire pressure from the tire pressure label. On
USA vehicles, the tire pressure label is located on the driver's side 8-pillar
. On Canada vehicles , the tire pressure label is located either
on the driver's side B -pi llar or inside the fuel fi ller flap . The ti re pres ­
sure labe l lists the recommended co ld tire inflation pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity weight and the tires that were
on your vehicle at the time it was manufactured . For recommended
tire p ressu res for normal load conditions, please see chapter
=> page 291.
• Turn the va lve stem cap counte r-clockwise to remove it from the
tire valve.
• Place the air pressure gauge on the valve.
• T he tire pressures should only be checked and adjusted when
the tires are co ld . The s lightly raised pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced .
• Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are carrying.
• Reinstal l the valve stem cap on the valve.
Wh en should I ch ec k th e tir e pr ess ure?
The correct tire pressure is especially important at high speeds. The
pressure should therefore be checked at least once a month and
a lways before starting a journey . Do not forget to check the tire pres ­
sure for the spare wheel.
When should I adjust the tire p res sure s?
Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are carrying . After changing
a wheel
or replacing whee ls you have to adjust the tire pressu res on
a ll wheels . In addition, you must then initialize the new t ire pres­
sures in the tire pressure monitoring system*~
page 307.
& WARNING
Incorrect tire pre ssur es a nd/or und erinflat ion can lead sudden t ire
fa ilure , loss of cont rol , co llision , seri ous person al inj ury or e ven
death.
• When the w arning symbol
f) a ppe ars in the in strument
cluste r, stop and inspe ct th e tires .

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& WARNING (continu ed )
• Incorrect tire pressure and /or under inflation can cause
in creased tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability .
• Incorrect t ire pressures and /o r underinflat ion can also lead to
sudden tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation,
causing lo ss of vehicle control .
• The driver is respon sible for the correct tire pressures for all
tires on the vehicle. The applicable pre ssure values are located on
a sticker on the driver 's side 8-pillar or on the inside of the fuel
filler flap .
• Only when all tires on the vehicle are filled to the correct pres ­
sure , the tire pressure 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 value s for the tires and the correct pres ­
sures for the function of the tire pressure monitoring system *.
• Always inflate tires to the re commended and correct 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.
• Ex cessive speed and /overloading can cause heat build-up ,
s udden tire failure and lo ss of control .
• If the tire pres sure is too low or too high , the t ires 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
immediately , drive at reduced speed to the nearest service station
to check the t ire pressure and add air as required.
0 Note
Dr iving wi thout valve stem caps ca n cause damage to t he tire
valves. To prevent this, always make sure that factory instal led va lve
stem caps o n all wheels are sec urely mou nted on the va lve .
c£> For the sake of the environment
Underi nflate d tir es w ill a lso inc rease the fue l consu mptio n.•
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are li m its to the a mou nt o f load or weig ht th at any ve hic le and
any tire can carry . A vehicle that is overloaded wil l not handle wel l
and is more diff icu lt to stop . Overload ing ca n no t only lead to loss
of vehic le control, but can also damage important parts of the
ve hicle a nd can lead to sud den tire failu re, i nclu di ng a bl owou t and
sudden deflat ion that can cause the vehic le to crash.
Your safety an d that of your passengers also depends on ma kin g
su re tha t load l imits are not exceeded . Vehicle load includes eve ry ­
body and everything in and on the vehic le. These load limits are
t echnica lly re ferred to as the ve hicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR"l.
The "GVWR" in clu de s th e we ig ht of t he basi c veh ic le, all fac tory
insta lled accessories, a ful l tank of fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids
plus m aximu m load. The maxi mum l oad inc lude s the n umber of
passen gers that the vehicle is intended to carry !"seating capacity")
with an assumed weight of 150 lbs . (68 kg) for each passenger at a
designated seating position and the total weight of any lugga ge in
the vehicle. If you tow a trailer, the weight of the trailer hitch and the
to ngue we ig ht of th e loaded tra iler must b e included as par t of th e
vehic le load.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is the m aximum loa d th at
can be applied at each of the vehicle's two ax les. _,,,
Vehicle care I t •

-~_T_ i_ r _e _s _ a _ n_d _ w_ h_e_ e_ l _s _____________________________________________ _
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
are listed on the safe ty comp liance st icker labe l located either on
the driver's s ide B -p illa r or on the inside of the fue l fi ller f lap. Aud i
has 4 seating positi ons, 2 in the front and 2 i n the rear f or total
seating capacity of 4. Each seat ing position has a seat belt
=> page 179, "Safety belts".
T he fact t hat there is a n up per l im it to your ve hicle's Gross Vehic le
Weight Rating means that the total we ight of whatever is being
carried in the vehic le (i nclu ding the we igh t of a traile r hitch and th e
tongue weight of the loaded trailer) is limited. The more passengers
in the ve hic le o r passen gers w ho are heavier tha n the standa rd
weights assumed mean that less weight can be carried as lug gage .
The ti re p ressu re labe l o n yo ur A udi a lso list s the maxi mum
comb ined we ight of a ll o f th e occupa nts a nd luggage o r ot her cargo
that the vehicle can carry. For the location of the la bel=>
page 291,
fig . 229.
& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control , a crash or
other accident, serious personal injury , and even death.
• Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry
will prevent the vehicle from handling properly and increase the
ri sk of the loss of vehicle control.
• The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehicle with in a safe distance .
• Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly ,
in cluding a blowout and sudden deflation , causing loss of control
and a crash .
• Always make sure that the total load being 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 Vehicle Weight Rating. •
Determining correct load limit
Use the example below to calculate the
total weight of the passengers and luggage or other things that you plan to
transport so that you can make sure that
your vehicle will not be overloaded.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE COMBINED
WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
LBS "on your vehicle's pla card (tire infla ­
tion pressure label)=> page 291, fig. 229.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from
"XXX" kilo­
grams or
"XXX" pounds shown on the
sticker =>
page 291, fig. 229. ~

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Tire pr essure
Inco rrect tire pressure causes prematu re wear and can cau se
sudden tire blow-out. For this reason, tire pressure must be checked
at least once a month
~ page 293 .
Driving style
Dr iv ing fa st around curves, heavy acceleration and hard brak ing
increase tire wear.
Rotating tire s for more even wear
For all four t ires on your vehic le to have the same service life, we
recommend that the front and rea r tires are rotat ed acc ord ing to the
tire manufacturer 's suggested tire rotation intervals. Please
remembe r the f ollo wi ng :
• Tire rotat ion i nterva ls m ay d iffer from the vehic le serv ice inte r­
vals outl ined in your Maintenance and Warranty Book let.
• The longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle, t he
more it wears at certain points; the refo re, we recommend that you
f ollow the tire manu facturer's sug ges ted t ire rotat ion i nte rvals.
• Vehicles with fro nt-w hee l dr ive e xper ience more tread wear on
the front wheels compared to all -wheel drive (quattro®l .
• Please rotate tires as sh ow n~
page 297, fig. 232 .
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction -specific tires
~ pag e 318 .
Wheel balancing
T he w heels o n new v ehic les are balanced. However, various s itua ­
tions during everyday driving can cause them to become unba l­
anc ed, resu lti ng in vib rati ons yo u ca n usually feel thro ugh t he
steer ing whee l.
U nba la nce d w heels must be re ba lance d to avoid excessive wea r on
steering, suspension and tires. A whee l must a lso be reba lanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect w hee l al ig nm ent ca n cause e xcess ive ti re wea r, impa iring
t h e s afety of th e veh ic le. If t ires show excessive wear, have the
w hee l a lig nme nt checke d by a n autho rize d Aud i deale r or qualifie d
wo rkshop.
All wheel drive
Vehic les with quattro® must always have tires of the same size,
co nstruct ion an d tread ty pe. For deta ils see ~
page 240.
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of control , a crash and serious
personal injury !
• Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire is worn down
to the wear indicators.
• Worn tires are a safety hazard , they do not grip well on wet
roads and in crease your risk of "hydroplaning " and loss of control.
• Always keep chemicals that can cause tire damage , such as
grease, oil, gasoline and brake fluid away from tires .
• 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
lower speeds .
• 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 . •