ESP AUDI A4 AVANT 2008 Owners Manual

________________________________________________ T_ i
_ r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ fflll
The correct tire pressure for the spore wheel is located on a label
either on the driver's side B-pillar or inside the fuel filler flap.
Because technical changes may be made to vehicle equipment
during the model 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 label 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
vehicle with different rims/tires or you bought the vehicle as a previ­
ously owned vehicle .
Remember, your safety and 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 vehicle. These load
limits are technically referred to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle
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 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
=> page 297, fig. 217.
& 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 risk of a loss of vehicle control.
• 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 overloaded can fail suddenly
causing loss of control and a crash.
& WARNING (continued)
• 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 vehicle heavier than the
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
& WARNING
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can lead to a
serious or fatal accident.
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation cause increased
tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle.
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation,
causing loss of vehicle control. •
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 tire pressure label and
in the
table=> page 297, "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 higher when the tire has warmed up than
when it is "cold."
It is the inflation pressure in a "cold" tire that counts. Therefore, you
should never let air out of a warm tire to match "Cold tire inflation
pressure"
recommendations=> page 297. The tires would then be
underinflated and could fail suddenly. .,._
Vehicle care

___ T_ ir_e _ s_ a_ n
_ d_ w_ h_ e_ e_ls _________________________________________________ _
The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the recommended cold tire
inf lation pressures for the new, original equipmen t tires that were
on your vehic le at the time it was manufactured . For the location of
the
labe l=> page 297, fig. 217 .
Most tires lose a ir natural ly over time. They can a lso lose some air if
you drive over a potho le or hit a curb wh ile parking. It is usually not
possible to see whether the radial t ires used today are under inflated
just by looking at them.
Therefore, be su re 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 wou ld not cons ider to be
" long ."
See => page 301, "Tires and vehicle load limits" for more
important i nformation .
A lways use an accurat e tire pressure gaug e when checking and
adjusting inflat ion 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 t ire is "cold," let air o ut of the t ire slowly with the edge of the tire
gauge and keep check ing 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 .
I f the pressure in any tire is too low, note the difference between the
pressure in the co ld 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) fo r the t ires on your veh ic le as listed on
the on your vehicle and in this manual and the kind of driving you pl an to do .
Never exceed the m aximum inflation pressure li sted on the tire
s idewall for an y re ason .
Remem ber that the vehic le manufacturer, not t he tire manufacturer,
determines the correct tire pressure for the tires on your vehicle .
I t is important to check the tire pressure when the tires are cold.
• Read the required tire pressure from the t ire pressure label
located either on driver 's side B -pillar or inside the fuel fi ller flap . •
Turn the va lve stem cap counter -clockwise to remove it from the
t ire valve .
• Place the air pressure gauge on the valve.
• The tire pressures should only be checked and adjusted when
the tires are cold. 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 va lve stem cap on the valve .
When should I check the tire pressure?
The correct tire pressure is especially important at high spe eds . The
pressure should the refore be checked at least once a mo nth and
a lways before starting a journey. Do not forget to check the tire pres ­
sure for the spare whee l
=> page 317.
Wh en should I adjust th e tir e pre ssur es?
Adjust t he tire pressure to the load you are carry ing . After changing
a wheel
o r replacing whee ls you have to ad just the tire pressures on
a ll whee ls . In addition, on vehicles w ith tire pressure monito ring
system* you must then store the new tire pressures in the system
=> page 45.
& WARNING
Incorrect tire pre ssure s and /or underinflation can lead sudden tire
f ai lure , loss of control , collision , seri ous per sonal injury or even
death.
• When the w arning symbol
(l) appe ars in the in strument
clu ster , stop and inspect the tire s.
• Incorrect t ire pres sure and /or underinflat ion can cause
increa sed tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle and
s topping ability.
• Incorrect tire pres sures and /or underinflation can also lead to
s udden tire fa ilure , inc luding a blowout and sudden defl ation ,
cau sing los s of vehicle control .
~

________________________________________________ T_ i
_ r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ l'III
& W ARNING (continued )
• The driver is respon sible for the correct tire pre ssure s for all
tire s on the vehicle. The applicable pressure values are located on
a st icker on the driver 's side B-pillar or on the inside of the fuel
filler flap.
• Only when all tire s 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 values for the tires and the correct pres­
sures for the function of the tire pressure monitoring system*.
• Always inflate tires to the recommended 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 ,
sudden tire failure and loss of control .
• If the tire pressure is too low or too high, the tires will wear
prematurely and the vehicle will not handle well.
• If the tire is not flat and you do not have to change a wheel
immediately, drive at reduced speed to the nearest service station
to che ck the tire pressure and add air as required .
0 Note
Driving without valve stem caps can cause damage to the tire
valves. To preve nt th is, a lways make s ure th at f acto ry installed va lve
stem caps on al l whee ls are securely mounted on the va lve .
~ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will a lso increase the fuel consumpt io n. •
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or weight t hat any vehic le and
any tire can carry . A ve hicle that i s ove rloa ded will not handle well
and is more d iff icu lt to stop . Overload ing can not only lead to loss
o f vehi cle control, but can also damag e impor tan t p arts o f the
vehic le and can lead to sudden tire failure, including a blowout and
sudde n defla tion that ca n cause the veh ic le to c ra sh .
Your sa fety a nd t hat o f your passe ngers a lso depe nds o n maki ng
s u re that load li mits are not exceeded. Vehic le load incl udes every ­
b ody and everythi ng i n and on t he vehicle . T he se l oa d limi ts are
technical ly referred to as the ve hic le's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVW R"l.
T he "GVWR" includes the wei ght of the basic vehic le, all factory
in sta lled acces so ries, a full t an k of f uel, o il, c oolant a nd oth e r flu ids
p lus max imum load . T he maximum load inc ludes th e number o f
p asse ngers tha t th e ve hicle i s intended t o carry ("seat ing ca paci ty")
with an assu med weight o f 150 l bs (68 kg) fo r each passe nger at a
designated seating position and the total weight of any luggage in
th e v ehic le. I f you tow a trai ler, the we ig ht o f the tra iler hitch a nd th e
tongue weight of the loaded trailer must be inc luded as part of the
ve hicle lo ad .
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is t he maximum load that
ca n b e app lie d at eac h of th e veh icle's two axle s.
T he G ross Ve hicle We ight Rati ng a nd th e G ross A xle Wei ght R ati ng
are listed on the safety comp liance stic ker label located either on
t he driver 's si de B-pi lla r o r on the in sid e of t he fue l fille r fl ap. You r
Aud i has 5 seating posit ions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rear for total
sea ting ca paci ty of 5. Each sea ting p osit ion has a safe ty b elt
=> page 176, "Saf ety be lts" .
The fact that there is an upper limit to your vehicle's Gro ss Vehicle
W eight Rat ing m eans that th e total weight o f whatever is b ein g
carried in the vehic le (including the weight of a traile r hitc h and the
ton gue we ight of the loaded tr aile r) is lim it e d. Th e m or e passe ng ers
~
Vehicle care

___ T_ ir_e _ s_ a_ n
_ d_ w_ h_ e_ e_ls _________________________________________________ _
make, there w ill be six to eight of t hem evenly p laced around the
tir e. M arks o n the tire s idewall ( for example "TWI " or oth er sy mb ols)
indicate th e positions of the tread wear indicators. Worn tires must
b e re placed . Di fferen t fig ure s m ay apply i n other
c ountr ies=> & .
Tire pressure
Incorr ect tir e p ress ure c auses prematu re wear a nd can ca use
sudden tir e blow -out . For th is r eason, tir e pressur e must b e check ed
at leas t once a month
=> pa ge 299 .
Dri ving style
Drivi ng fa st aro und curv es, heavy acce le ra ti on and ha rd bra kin g
increase tire wear .
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehic le to have the same service life, we
r ecom mend t hat the front a nd rea r tires ar e rotate d accord ing to the
tire manufacturer 's suggested tire rotation interva ls. Please
r e m emb er t he fo llo wi ng :
• Ti re rotation interva ls m ay d iffer from th e vehic le servic e inter ­
vals outl ined in y our M aintenance and Warran ty Boo kle t.
• T he longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle, the
mor e it wea rs a t ce rtain points ; the re fo re, we rec omm end that yo u
fo llow t he ti re manufactu rer's su ggested tir e rotat ion int ervals .
• Vehi cle s with front -wh eel d rive e xper ience mo re trea d wea r on
the front wheels compared to al l-wheel drive (quattro®l .
• Ple as e ro tat e ti res as
sh ow n=> page 303, fig. 220.
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction -specific tires
=> pag e 32 4.
Wheel balancing
T he wheels on n ew vehic les are bala nced. However, various situa ­
tions during eve ryday driving can cause them to become unba l­
ance d, res ulting i n vi brat ions you ca n us ual ly f eel thro ugh t he
steering whee l. U
nba lanc ed wh eels must be rebalanced to avoid excessive wear on
s tee ring, s uspen sio n an d tir es. A w heel m ust also be reba la nced
when a new tire is install ed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect whee l alignment can cause excessive tire wear, impairing
t he sa fety o f the vehicl e. If ti res sh ow ex cessiv e w ear, h av e the
whee l al ignm ent check ed by an autho riz ed Aud i d eal er or qualifi ed
w ork shop.
All Wheel Drive
Ve hicl es wi th qu attr o® must alw ays h ave t ires of t he sa me siz e,
construction and tread type . For deta ils
see=> page 242 .
& 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 .
• Especially in wet and slick driving situations , a preferably large
profile depth of the tires is necessary , and an approximately
similar profile depth of the front and rear axle tires.
• The diminished driving safety , caused by too small of a tire
profile, is negatively perceivable especially in handling , in danger
of hydroplaning when driving through deep puddles and ponds,
when driving around curves , and in braking behavior.
• Worn tires are a safety hazard , they do not grip well on wet
roads and increase your risk of "hydroplaning" and loss of control.
• Always keep chem icals 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 .
~

___ T_ ir_e _ s_ a_ n
_ d_ w_ h_ e_ e_ls _________________________________________________ _
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and / or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can lead to loss of control , collision
and serious personal injury .
• Always u se tires , rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifica ­
tions of original factory -installed tires or other combinations that
have been specifically approved by the vehicle manufacturer.
• 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 emergen cy and then with special care and at
lower speed s.
• Never mount used tires on your vehi cle 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.
• All four wheels must be fitted with radial tires of the same type ,
size (rolling circumference ) and the same tread pattern. Driving
with different tires reduces vehi cle handling and can lead to a loss
of control.
• If the spare t ire is not the same as the tires that are mounted
on the vehicle -for example with winter tires -only use the spare
tire for a short period of time and drive with extra care . Refit the
normal road wheel as soon as safely possible.
• Never drive faster than the ma ximum speed for wh ich the tires
on your vehicle are rated because tires that are driven faster than
their rated speed can fail suddenly .
• Overloading tire s cause heat build -up , sudden tire failure ,
including a blowout and sudden deflation and loss of control.
• Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and
not over or underinflated .
• For technical reasons it is not always possible to use wheel s
from other vehicles - in some cases not even wheels from the
same vehicle model.
& WARNING (continued )
• If you install wheel trim discs on the vehicle wheels, make sure
that the air flow to the brakes is not blocked . Reduced airflow to
the brakes can them to overheat , increasing stopping distances
and causing a collision .
• Run flat tires may only be used on vehicles that were equipped
with them at the factory. The vehicle must have a chassis designed
for run flat tires and a factory-installed tire pressure monitoring
s ystem that indicate s a loss of tire pressure . Incorrect use of run
flat tires can lead to vehicle damage or ac cidents . Check with an
authorized Audi dealer or tire specialist to see if your vehicle can
be equ ipped with run flat tires . If run flat tires are used , they must
be installed on all four wheels . Mixing tire types is not permitted.
0 Note
• For tec hnical r eas ons, it is no t gene rally possible to use the
whee l rims from other vehicles . ihis can hold true for wheels of the
same ve hicle type.
• I f the spare tire is different from the tires that you have mounted
on y our ve hicle (f or exampl e wi nter t ires or wide p ro fi le tir es), then
use the spa re tire fo r a short per iod of time on ly and d rive with extra
c a re . Rep lace the flat t ire wi th the ti re m atc h ing t he oth ers o n you r
vehic le as soon as possib le .
• If yo u should put diff eren t w heels a nd tires on yo ur vehi cle (e. g.
winter wheels and tires), you must be certa in that the wheels and
t ires a re co mpatibl e w ith the tire press ur e m onit orin g sys te m.
Otherwise the system will regist er a ma lfunction and a fau lt
mes sage wil l be d isp layed . Fo r mo re info rmation, contact yo ur Audi
dea ler .
0 Note
• When i nsta lling new ti res, be care fu l n ot to damage t he va lves o r
tire press ure mon itoring system* sensors . .,_

__________________________________________________ T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e
_ e_l_s __ fflll
• Never drive without the valve stem cap. The valves could get
damaged.
• If the sensors must be replaced, then the valve must also be
replaced at the same time.
For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accordance with the local requirements.•
Uniform tire quality grading
• Tread wear
• Traction AA A B C
• Temperature A B C
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire side wall
between tread shoulder and maximum section width
=> page 305,
fig. 221.
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA, Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal Safety Require­
ments in addition to these grades .
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate
of the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course .
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and one half (1 1/2)
times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual condi­
tions of their use, however , and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differ ­
ences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, Band C.
Those grades represent the tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on specified government
test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have
poor traction performance
=> & .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing
the tire's resistance to the generation of heat and its ability to dissi­
pate heat when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the material 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 performance which all
passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law .
& WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead
braking traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning or peak traction characteristics.
& WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla­
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or in combination, can
cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
•
Vehicle care