winter tires AUDI A4 2018 Owners Manual

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engaged, for example when you notice that the next traffic light is red . This produces an engine
braking effect, which helps to protect the brakes
and tires and reduces the emissions and fuel con ­
sumpt ion to zero (fuel shut-off dur ing decelera­
tion) .
Shift efficiently
Upshifting earlier is an effective way to save fuel.
Staying in a gear too long uses fuel unnecessari­
ly.
Applies to: vehicles with manual transmission
Shift as soon as possible from first to second
gear. S hifting to the next highest gear at approxi­
mately 2,000 RPMs if poss ible is recommended.
Applies to: vehicles with automatic transmissions
Press down on the acce le rator peda l slowly and
avoid "kick -down".
Avoid full acceleration
You should rarely travel at the maximum vehicle
speed. High speeds cause a disproportionately
high increase in fuel consumption, emissions and
traffic noise. Driving more slowly saves fuel.
Reduce idling time
The Start/Stop system* he lps to reduce the idling
time automatically. In vehicles without the Start/
Stop system*, it is efficient to switch the engine
off when stopped at railroad cross ings and long
r ed lights. Stopping the engine for 30-40 sec­
onds already saves more fuel than the amount of
extra fuel needed to restart the eng ine.
It takes a very long time in idle to warm the en­
g ine up to operating temperature. Wear and
emissions are especially h igh in the wa rm-up
phase . Therefore, you should begi n driving im­
mediately a fter starting the engine . Avoid high
RPMs while do ing this .
Have maintenance performed regularly
By having maintenance performed regu larly on
your veh icle, yo u ca n he lp to reduce f uel con­
sumption before yo u even start to drive. The
maintenance condition of your vehicle not only
affects traffic safety and long-term value but a l-
Driving
so impacts fuel consumption . A poorly main ­
tained engine can lead to fuel consumption that is 10% higher than norma l.
Avoid short trips
The eng ine and exhaust cleaning system must
reach their optimal operat ing temperatu re to ef­
f ectively reduce consumption and emissions.
A cold engine uses a disproportionately high
amount of fue l. The engine reaches operating
temperat ure and consumption normalizes on ly
after approximate ly 2.5 miles (4 km).
Check the tire pressure
To save fuel, make sure the tires are always in­
flated to the correct press ure
~ page 344. The
fuel consumption can increase by 5% if the pres­
s u re is only 0.5 bar too low. Due to the increased
rolling resistance, low tire pressures wi ll also
l ead to greater tire wear and will affect driving
behavior.
Do not drive on winter tires year-round, as this
will consume up to 10% more fuel.
Eliminate unnecessary weight
S in ce eve ry po und of ext ra weight increases f uel
consumption , a quick inspection of the luggage
compartment may be worth it to avoid unneces ­
sary weight .
When not be ing used , a roof rack should be re­
moved to decrease the wind resistance of the ve­
hicle. This will save you approximately 12% fuel
at speeds from 62 -75 mph (100 - 120 km/h) .
Save energy
The eng ine drives the generator, which generates
electric ity; the fuel consumpt io n also incr eases
with the demand for electr icity. The refore, switch
electrical eq uipment off when you no longer
need it . Examples of equipment that uses a lo t of
energy are air blowers at a high setting, the rear
window defogger and seat heating* .
@ Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after
starting. If warning lights shou ld come on to
indicate improper operation, they would go
81

Ass is tance sy stems
Assistance systems
Electronic speed Limiter
Your vehicle may be factory equipped with tires
that are rated for a maximum speed of 130 mph (210 km/h). This is less than the maximum speed
of your vehicle. To reduce the risk of sudden tire
failure and loss of control if the vehicle is operat­
ed at excessive speeds, your vehicle also has an
electronic speed limiter. The electronic speed
lim iter prevents your vehicle from going faster
than the t ire speed rating. For mo re information
<=>page 334.
If the engine control unit receives faulty vehicle
road speed signals, the Malfunction Indicator
L amp (MIL)
¢..ffi will illumina te. If this occurs,
con tact the nearest au thorized A ud i dealer for
assistance.
_& WARNING
Always observe the posted speed limits and
adjust you r speed to suit prevailing road, traf­
fic and weather conditions. Never drive your
vehicle faster than the maximum speed rating
of the tires installed.
Speed warning system
Introduction
Applies to: vehicles with speed warning system
The speed warning system helps you to stay be­
low a specified maximum speed that can be set,
changed or deleted in the Infotainment system.
-
The speed warning system warns you if you are
exceeding the maximum speed that you have set .
A wa rning tone will sound as soon as you r speed
ex ceeds the s tored v alue s light ly. Th e indicato r
light also turns on in the instrument cluster dis­
p lay
ct] (USA models)/ [SJ (Canada models) and
a message . The indicator light
(CJ / [SJ and the
message turn off if the speed falls back be low
the stored maximum speed.
Se tting a threshold is recommended if you would
like to be reminded when yo u reach a certain
maximum speed. Situations where you may want
to do so include driving in a country with a gener-
102
al speed limit or if there is a spec ified maximum
speed for winter tires.
Setting the warning threshold
Se lect in the Infotainment system: I ME NU I but­
ton
> Vehicle > left co ntro l bu tton > Driver as sis­
tance
> Speed warning > Manu al.
(D Tips
Regard less of the speed warning sys tem, you
shou ld alw ays mo nitor your speed using the
speedometer a nd make sure yo u are fo llow ing
the lega l speed limit.
Cruise control system
Switching on
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
The cruise control system makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed starting at
15 mph
(20kmlh).
0
f
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Fig . 103 Operat ing lever: c ru ise control system
.,. To switch the system on, pu ll the lever into po -
sition@<=> fig. 103 .
.. Drive at the speed to be mai ntained.
.. To store the speed, press the button @.
The stored speed and the
ftji(l)~14 (USA models) I
l'I (Cana da models) indicator light appear in the
instrument cluster display. An additional indica­
tor appears in the head-up display *.
The speed is maintained by modifying engine
power or through an active brake intervention.
A WARNING
-Always pay attention to the traffic around
you when the cruise control system is in
-

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Also see¢ page 146, Electronic stabilization
control (ESC) .
The all-wheel drive system dist ributes the d riving
power var iably to the front and rear axle. It works
together with selective whee l torque cont rol,
which activates when driving through curves
c:> page 146. With the sport differentia l*, power
d istribution to the rear wheels is variable and can
be adjusted using the dr ive select
c:> page 134.
The all wheel drive concept is designed for high
engine power. Your ve hicle is exceptionally pow­
erful and has excellent driving characterist ics
both under norma l dr iving condit ions and on
snow and ice . Always read and fo llow safety pre ­
cautions
c:> .&. .
Winter t ires
By us ing all wheel drive, yo ur vehicle has good
forward motion with standard tires in w inte r con­
d itions. However, using winter or all season tires
on
all four wheels in the winter is recommended ,
because this will improve the
braking effec t.
Snow chains
If there are snow chain laws, snow chains must
also be used on vehicles with all wheel drive
c:> page 350, Snow chains .
Replacing tire s
For vehicles with all whee l drive, only whee ls with
the same ro lling circumference s hou ld be used.
Avoid using tires w ith different tread depths
c:> page 341, New tires or wheels.
Offroad vehicle?
The ground clearance is too low on some mode ls
to drive on rough terrain. Therefore, avoid off­ road trips.
A WARNING
-Also, in vehicles with a ll w heel d rive, adapt
your dr iv ing style to the current road and
t raff ic conditions . Do not let the increased
safety provided tempt you into tak ing risks,
because t his increases the r is k of an acci­
dent .
Intellig ent Technology
- The braking ab ility o f your vehicle is limited
to the traction of the wheels. In this way, it
is not different from a two wheel drive vehi­
cle . Do not be tempted to accelerate to a
h igh speed whe n the road is sli ppery, be­
cause this i ncreases the risk of an accident.
- No te that o n wet streets, the fron t wheels
can "hydrop la ne" if dr iv ing at speeds that
are too high. Unlik e front wheel d rive
veh icles, the engine does not rev h ig her sud­
denly when the vehicle begins hydrop laning.
F orthisre ason,ad aptyo urspeedto the
road conditions to re duce the risk of an acci­
dent .
Energy management
The starting ability is optimized
The energy management system manages the
electrical energy distribution and optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting the
engine .
When a vehicle with a conventional energy sys­
tem is not drive n for a long time, the ve hicle bat­
te ry is d rained by equipment (for example, t he
immob ilizer). In certa in circ ums tances , there
c ou ld m ay no t be eno ugh e nergy to start the en­
gine.
You r vehicle is equi pped with an in tell igent ener­
gy manageme nt system fo r dist ributing electrici­
ty. This sig nifican tly improves the start ing ability
and in cre ase s t he vehicle battery life.
The ene rgy ma nagement system Is made up of
battery diagnosi s, idling current management ,
and dynamic energy management .
Battery diagnosis
The battery diagnos is determines the vehicle bat­
te ry c harge level. The sensors determine the bat ­
te ry vo ltage, the batte ry cu rrent, and the batte ry
temperat ure. The current c ha rge level and t he
perfo rman ce of the vehicle battery a re de ter-
mine d base d on this.
..,.
151

Wheels
Wheels
Whee ls and Ti res
General information
.,. Check your tires regularly for
damage (punctures, cuts, cracks
and bulges). Remove foreign ob ­
jects from the tire tread.
.,. If driving over curbs or similar
obstacles, drive slowly and ap­ proach the curb at an angle.
.,.Have faulty tires or rims re­
placed immediately.
.,.Protect your tires from oil,
grease and fuel.
.,.Mark tires before removing
them so that the same running
direction can be maintained if
they are reinstalled .
.,. Lay tires flat when storing and
store them in a cool, dry location
with as little exposure to light as
possible.
(D N ote
-Please note that summer and
winter tires are designed for
the conditions that are typical in those seasons . Audi recom­
mends using winter tires dur­
ing the winter months . Low
temperatures significantly de­ crease the elasticity of summ­
er tires, which affects traction
33 4
and b raking ability. If summer
tires are used in very cold
temperatures, cracks can form
on the tread bars, resulting in
permanent tire damage that
can cause loud driving noise
and unbalanced tires.
-Burnished, polished or chromed rims must not be used in winter driving condi­
tions. The surface of the rims
does not have sufficient corro­
sion protection for this and
could be permanently dam­
aged by road salt or similar
substances.
Tire designations
F ig. 27 4 Tire des ignat ions on the side-
wall II>

0 C0 .-< N ..... N .-< 0
~ a:,
Rim
means a metal support for a tire
or a tire and tube assembly upon
which the tire beads are seated.
Rim diameter
means nominal diameter of the
bead seat. If you change your
wheel size, you will have to pur­
chase new tires to match the new
rim diameter.
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between
rim flanges .
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire be­
tween the tread and bead .
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a t ire is
designed to be driven for extend­
ed periods of time . The ratings
range f rom 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298 km/h)
¢ table
on page 335.
You may not find
this information on all tires be­
cause it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code ,
w here applicable, is molded o n
the tire sidewall and indicates the
Wheels
maximum permissible roa d
speeds
¢ A in Winter tires on
page 349.
Tire pressure monitoring
system
means a system that detects
when one or more of a vehicle's
ti res are underinflated and illumi­
na tes a low tire pressure warning
telltale.
Tread
means that po rtion of a ti re that
comes i nto contact with the road .
Tread separation
means pulling away of the tread
from the tire carcass.
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections withi n the
principa l grooves desig ned to g ive
a visua l indication of the degrees
of wear of the t read. See
¢ page 343, Treadwear indicator
for mo re in fo rmat ion on meas ur­
ing t ire wear .
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire information system devel­
oped by the United Sta tes Nation­
a l Highway Traffic Safety Admin­
istration ( NHTSA) tha t is designed
to help buyers make re lat ive
339
..

for the number of seating posi­
tions. Refer to the table ¢
table
on page 346
for the number of
people that correspond to the ve­
hicle normal load.
New tires or wheels
Audi recommends having all work on tires or wheels performed by
an author ized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility.
These facilities have the proper
knowledge and are equipped with
the required tools and replace­
ment parts.
.,.New tires do not yet have the
optimum gripping properties. Drive carefully and at moderate
speeds for the first 350 miles
(500 km) with new tires.
.,.Use tires of the same construc­
tion, size (rolling circumference)
and as close to the same tread
pattern as possible on all four
wheels.
.,.Do not replace tires individually .
At least replace both tires on the
same axle at the same time.
.,.Audi recommends that you use
Audi Original Tires. If you would
~ like to use different tires, please .-<
~ note that the tires may perform .-< 0
~ a:,
Wheels
differently even if they are the
same
size ¢.&,. .
.,. If you would like to equip your
vehicle with a tire/rim combina­
tion that is different from what
was installed at the factory, con­
sult with an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility before making a pur­
chase¢ .&,..
If the spare tire is different from
the regular tires installed on the
vehicle
-for example, if winter
tires or wide tires are installed
-
then only use the spare tire tem­
porarily in case of emergency and
drive carefully while it is in use . It
should be replaced with a regular
tire as soon as possible.
On
all wheel drive vehicles, all
four wheels must be equipped
with tires that are the same brand
and have the same construction
and tread pattern so that the
drive system is not damaged by different tire speeds. For this rea­
son, in case of emergency, only
use a spare tire that has the same
circumference as the regular
tires.
341

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be f ive 150 lb s. pa ssenge rs in
yo ur ve hicle, th e amo unt of
ava ila bl e c argo a nd lu ggag e
l oa d cap acity is 650 lb s.
(1400-750 (5 X 150) = 650
lb s.)
5 . Determin e th e co mbined
we ig ht of lu ggag e and cargo
bein g load ed on the ve hicle .
Th at w eight may not sa fely ex­
c e e d th e ava ilabl e ca rgo a nd
lugg age l oad ca paci ty ca lc ul at ­
e d in St ep 4 .
6 . If yo ur vehicle will b e to wing a
tr ailer, load from y our tr ailer
will b e tran sferr ed to y our v e­
hi cle . C on sul t thi s manual t o
dete rmin e how this re duces
th e av ailabl e c argo and lug­
ga ge load capac ity o f your vehi­
c le.
..,.Ch eck the tire side wall
(c:> page 334, fi g . 2 7 4) to d eter­
min e the de sign ated load r ating
for a sp ecifi c tire.
Wheel bolts and rims
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must be clean and loosen/t ighten
eas ily .
Rims
Rims with a bolted rim ring* or with bolted wheel
covers* consist of mu ltip le pieces. These compo­
nents were bolted together using special bolts
Wh eel s
and a special procedu re. Yo u must not repair or
disassemb le them
~ &. .
A WARNING
-Wheel bo lts that are tightened or repaired in-
correct ly can become loose and resu lt in loss
of vehicle contro l, wh ich increases the risk of
an accident. For the cor rect tighten ing specifi­
cation,
see¢ page 366, Finishing .
-Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hub clean and free of
g rease .
- Only use wheel bolts that fit the rim.
- Always have damaged rims repaired by an
author ized Audi dealer or author ized Audi
Serv ice Facility . Never repair or disassemb le
rims yourself, because th is increases the r isk
of an a cc ident.
Winter tires
Winter tires signific ant ly imp rove the vehicle 's
handling when dr iv ing in winter conditions . B e­
ca use of their construct ion (w idth, compound,
tread pattern), summer tires provide less t rac ­
tion on ice and snow .
.,. Use winter tires on all four wheels.
.,. Only use winter tires that are approved for your
vehicle.
.,. Please note that the maximum permitted
speed may be lower with winter
tires ¢,& . An
author ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Serv­
ice Facility can inform you about the maximum permitted speed for your tires .
.,. Check the tire pressure after installing wheels
~page 344 .
The effectiveness of winter tires is reduced great­
ly when the tread is wo rn down to a depth of
0.16 in (4 mm). The cha racteristics of w inte r
ti res a lso decrease g reatly as the ti re ages, re­
gardless of the rema in ing t read.
A WARNING
-
- Never drive fas ter than the max imum per­
mitted speed for your tires . This could cause
the tires to heat up too much. This increases
..,.
349

Wheels
the risk of a n acc ident beca use it can cause
the tire to burst.
- Always adapt your driving to the road and
traff ic conditions. Drive carefully and red uce
yo ur speed on icy or slippery roads. Even
winter tires can lose traction on b lack ice.
@ For the sake of the environment
Reinstall summe r tires at the approp riate
time, because they provide better hand ling
when roads are free of snow and ice. S ummer
tires cause less road noise, tire wear and fuel
consumption.
(D Tips
You can also use all season tires instead of
w inter t ires. Please note that in some coun­
tries w here w inte r ti res are req uired, only
w inter t ires with the
& symbol may be per ­
m itted.
Snow chains
Snow ch ains not only i mprove the d riving in win ­
t er ro ad cond itions, b ut also the brak ing.
... Only insta ll snow chains o n the front wheels .
T h is applies also to ve hicles w ith all wheel
drive* .
... Check an d cor rect the sea ting of the snow
c h ains a fte r dr iv ing a few feet, i f necessary. Fo l­
l ow the instructions from the manufacturer .
... Note the maximum permitted speed when d riv ­
ing with snow chains . Do not exceed 30 mp h
(SO km/h).
Use of snow chains is on ly pe rmitted with certain
rim/t ire combinations due to technical reasons.
Check with an authorized Audi dealer o r autho r­
ized Aud i Service Fac ility to see if yo u may use
snow chains.
Use
fine -mesh snow chains . They must not add
more t han 0.53 in (13.5 mm) in height, includ ing
the chain lock .
You must remove the snow c hains on roads wit h­
out snow. Othe rw ise, you could impa ir dr iv ing
ab ility and damage the tires.
350
A WARNING ~
Using incorrect snow chains or installing snow
cha ins i ncor rectly can result in loss of veh icle
con trol, which increases the risk of a n acci­
d ent.
(D Note
Snow chains can damage the rims/whee l cov­
e rs* if the chains come into direct contact
wi th them . Remove the whee l covers* first.
Us e coated snow chai ns.
(D Tips
When using snow chains, it may be useful to
swi tc h on spo rt mode/offroad mode
<:;> pag e 147.
Low-profile tires
Applies to: vehicles with low-profile tires
Your vehicle is equip ped wi th low -profi le t ires* at
t h e factory. Compa re d t o o ther tire/r im com bina ­
tions, low -profi le tires offer a w ider tread surface
and a larger rim diameter with shorter tire side­
walls . This results in an agile dr iv ing style. How­
ever, it may reduce the leve l of com fort and in­
crease road noise whe n driving on roads in poor
cond it ion.
Low-p rofile ti res can become damaged mo re
q uick ly than standard tires when dr iv ing ove r
l a rge bumps, potholes, manhole covers, speed
bumps and curbs . Therefore, it is particularly im­
po rtan t to maintain the correct tire pressure
<:;> page 344.
To reduce the risk of damage to the tires and
rims, drive very caref ully on poor roads.
Check your wheels regu larly eve ry 2,000 mi
(3,000 km) for damage. For example, check for
bulges/cracks on the tires or deformations/
cracks on the rims .
After a heavy impact o r damage, have the tires
and rims inspected or replaced immediately by
an authorized Audi dea ler or authorized Audi
Service Facility .

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Low -profile tires can wear out faster than stand­
ard tires.
Summer tires are not su itable for cold weather,
snow or b lack ice. If you are driving in these con­
ditions, use winter or all season tires
¢ page 349.
Uniform tire quality grading
-Tread wear
- Traction AA AB C
- T emperature ABC
Qual ity grades can be found where app licable on
the t ire side wa ll between tread shou lde r and
maximum sect ion w idth
¢page 334, fig. 274.
For e xample : Tread wear 200 , Traction AA, Tem­
pe rature
A .
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal
Safety Requirements in addition to these grades.
Tread w ear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified gov­
ernment test course.
F or example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one ha lf
(1 1/2) times as well on the govern­
ment course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon
the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significant ly from the norm due to
variations in driving hab its, service practices and
d ifferences i n road characteristics and climate.
Tracti on
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the tire's
ab ility to stop on wet pavement as measured un­
der controlled conditions on specified govern­
ment test surfaces of asphalt and concrete . A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance
¢ _& .
Temper ature
The temperature grades are A (the h ighest), B,
and C, representing the tire's resistance to the
Wh eel s
generat ion of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained h igh temperature can cause the mate­
ria l of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire
failure ¢.& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of per form ­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet un­
der the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades Band A represe nt higher levels
of performance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum requ ired by law.
A WARNING c,...._ -
The tract ion grade assigned to this t ire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, co r­
nering, hyd roplaning or pea k traction cha rac­
terist ics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is estab­
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded . Excessive speed, underinfla­
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or
i n comb inat ion, can cause heat bu ildup and
possib le tire fai lure.
A WARNING
-Temperature grades apply to tires that are
properly inflated and not over or under inflat­
ed.
Tire pressure monitoring system
ill General notes
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
.
should be checked monthly when cold and inflat-
ed to the i nflat io n pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the veh icle placard or
t ir e infla tion p ressure labe l. (If your ve hicle has
ti res of a different size t han t he si ze ind icated on
IIJi,-
351

Emergency assistance
"'Secure the collapsible spare tire with the hand -
whee l.
"'Fo ld the cargo floor cover back into p lace.
Snow chains
Using snow chains on the collapsible spare tire is
not permitted for technical reasons.
If you have to drive with snow chains and a front
tire fa ils, mount the collapsible spare tire in
p la ce of a rear tire. Insta ll the snow cha ins on the
rear tire that you removed, and install that in
p lace of the front tire that failed.
A WARNING
-
- Only use the collapsible spare tire in emer ­
gencies and drive very carefully, especially if
it is more than six years old .
- The compressor and the hose can become
very hot during operation which increases
the risk of burn injuries.
- After installing a collapsible spare tire, the
t ir e pressure must be checked as quickly as
poss ible to reduce the risk of an acc ident.
- Do not drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h)
with a collapsible spare tire. Driving faster
than that increases the risk of an accident .
- Avoid full-throttle acceleration, heavy brak­
ing, and fast cornering with the collapsible
spare tire, because this increases the risk of
an accident .
- Never drive using more than one collapsible
spare tire, because this increases the risk of
an accident.
- Normal tires or winter tires must not be
mounted on the collaps ible spare tire rim.
«J:) Note
The compressor must be switched off after 12
minutes at the most to reduce the risk of
overheating . Let the compressor cool down
for several minutes before using it again.
368