tires AUDI A4 AVANT 2008 Owner's Guide

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Winter tires
Winter tires can impr ove vehicle handling on snow and
ice. At temperatures below 45 °F (7 °C) we recommend
changing to winter tires.
I n some heavy snow areas, local governments may require true
winter or "snow" tires, those with very deeply cut tread . These tires
should only be used in pairs and be instal led on a ll four wheels .
Make sure you purchase snow tires that are the same s ize and
construction type as the other tires on your vehicle .
If your vehic le is equipped with al l-wheel drive*, this will improve
traction during winter driving, even with the standard tires.
H owever, we strongly recommend that you a lways equ ip al l four
whee ls on your vehic le with correct ly fitted winter tires or all-season
t ires, when winter road conditions are expec ted. This also improves
t he vehic le's braking performance and reduces stopping distances.
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and snow.
W inter tires (snow t ires) must a lways be fi tted on a ll four wheels .
If your vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system* ,
compatible tire pressu re monitoring sensors must be instal led on
a ll f our winter t ires for the system to function
properly=> page 307.
Ask your authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop for permitted
winter tire size s. Use only rad ial winter tires.
Winter tires lose their effect iveness when the tread is worn down to
a depth of 4 mm (0.157 inch).
Only drive with w inter tires under winter conditions. Summer tires
handle better when there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
t emperature is above 45 °F (7 °C).
If you have a flat tire, see notes on spare
wheel=> page 305 .
Please a lways remember that winter tires may have a lower speed
rating than the tires original ly instal led on your vehicle at the ti me
it was manufactured . Please see
=> page 306 , "Speed rating (letter code)" for a listing of the speed rating letter codes and the
maximum speed at which t he tires can be d riven .
The speed rating letter
code(=> page 2961 i s on the side wa ll of the
tire => page 305.
& WARNING
Winter tire s have maximum speed limits that may be lower than
your vehi cle's ma ximum speed . Al wa ys know the ma ximum speed
before driving off . Never drive fa ster th an the speed permitted for
y our s pecifi c w inter tire s. Thi s will cau se damage to the tire s
lead ing to an a ccident and seriou s per sonal injury to you and your
p ass engers.
& WARNING
Driving fa ster th an the m aximum speed for whi ch the winte r tire s
on your vehi cle were de signed c an cause tir e failure in cluding a
blowout and sudden deflat ion , lo ss of contr ol, c rashe s and seriou s
per sonal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires repl aced immedi­
ately .
• Winter tires have ma ximum speed rating that may be lower
than your vehicle' s m axi mum speed .
• Never drive faster than the speed for which the winter or other
ti re s in sta lled on you r vehi cle are r ated .
& WARNING
Always adju st your driving to the ro ad and traff ic condit ions .
Never let the good acceleration of th e win ter tire s and all-wheel
dr ive tempt you into taking extra ri sks. Al ways rem ember :
• When braking, an all -wheel driv e vehicle handle s in th e same
w ay as a front dr ive veh icle .
• Drive ca refully and redu ce your speed on i cy and slippery r oads,
e ven w inter tires cannot h elp under bl ack ice condit ions .
...,

Tires and wheels 1111
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W For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather conditions permit. They are
quieter, do not wear as quickly and reduce fuel consumption. •
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the front wheels, and only to
certain tire sizes. Ask your authorized Audi dealer on which tire
sizes snow chains can be used.
If you are going to use snow chains, then you must install them on
the front wheels at least.
The snow chains must have low-profile links and must not be thicker
than 0.53 inch (13.5 mm), including the lock.
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs before putting snow
chains on your
vehicle => 0. For safety reasons cover caps must
then be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are available from autho­
rized Audi dealers.
& WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehicle or installing them
incorrectly can increase the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
• Snow chains are available in different sizes. Always make sure
to follow the instructions provided by the snow chain manufac­
turer.
• When driving with snow chains never drive faster than the
speed permitted for your specific snow chains.
• Always observe local regulations .
0 Note
• Remove snow chains before driving on roads not covered with
snow to avoid damaging tires and wearing the snow chains down
u n necessarily.
• Snow chains, which come into direct contact with the wheel rim,
can scratch or damage it . Therefore, make sure that the snow chains
are suitably covered.
[ i] Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory on certain roads, this normally
also applies to vehicles with All Wheel Drive. •
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the correct
torque.
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the factory installed rims. If
different rims are fitted, the correct wheel bolts with the right length
and correctly shaped bolt heads must be used. This ensures that
wheels are fitted securely and that the brake system functions
correctly.
In certain circumstances, you may not use wheel bolts from a
different vehicle -even if it is the same
model => page 348.
& WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel bolts can become loose
causing loss of control, a collision and serious personal injury.
• Always keep the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel hubs
clean so the wheel bolts can turn easily and be properly tightened .
• Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel
hubs. They can become loose while driving if greased or oiled,
even if tightened to the specified torque.
.,_
Vehicle care

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Tires and wheels
----------------
&, WARNING (continued )
• Only u se wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed.
• Never use different wheels bolt s on your vehi cle .
• Alway s maintain the correct tightening torque for the wheel
bolts to reduce the risk of a wheel los s.
If the tightening torque of
the wheel bolts is too low , they can loosen and come out when the
vehi cle is moving. If the tightening torque is too high , the wheel
bolts and threads can be damaged and the wheel can become
loose .
0 Note
The specified torque for the wheel bolts is 90 ft lb (12 0 Nm) with a
tolerance of± 7,4 ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torque whee l bolts diagonally.
After changing a wheel, the torque must be c hecked as soon as
possible with a torque wrench -preferably by an authorized Audi
d ea ler or qua lifi ed works hop.•
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Aud i is factory -equipped with low aspect ratio tires . T hese tires
have been thorough ly tested and been selected specifical ly for your
mod el for t he ir superb perf or mance, r oad feel and ha ndling u nder
a variety of driving conditions . Ask your authorized Audi dealer for
mo re deta ils.
The low aspect ratio of these tires is indicated by a numeral of
55 or
less
i n the ti re's size designatio n. The numeral rep resents the ra tio
of the t ire's sidewa ll height in relation to its tread width expressed
in percentage . Conventiona l tires have a height/width ratio of 60 or
m ore.
The performan ce of low -aspe ct-ratio tires is part icularly sensitive to
improper inflation pressure . It is therefore important that low
aspe ct ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure and that the
inflation pressure i s regularly checked and maintained. Tire pres- sures should be checked at least once a month and always before a
long
trip => page 299, "C heck ing tire pre ssure" .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim damage
Low as pect r ati o ti res can be da maged more easi ly by impact w ith
potho les, curbs, gullies or ridges on the road, particularly if the tire
i s u nde rinfl ated.
I n order to min imize the occurrence of impact damage to the t ires
of your vehic le, we recommend that you observe the fo llowing
precautions :
• Always maintain recommended inflation pressures . Check your
t ire pr essu re every 2,000 miles (3,000 k m) a nd add air if necessary .
• Drive careful ly on roads with potholes, deep gu llies or ridges.
T he im pac t from driving t hroug h or ov er suc h ob stacl es ca n
damage your tires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to
yo ur tir es .
• After any impact, immediately inspect your tires or have them
inspec te d by the neares t au thori ze d Aud i dealer. Replac e a
damaged tire as soon as possible.
• I nspect you r ti res eve ry 2,0 00 m iles (3,000 km) for damage and
wear. Damage is not always easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of
a ir a nd und eri nfl ation, whic h cou ld eve ntual ly ca use tire fa ilur e. If
you be lieve that a tire may have been damaged, rep lace the tire as
s o on as p ossi ble.
• T hese tires may wear more quickly than others .
• P lease a lso remember that, whi le these tires de liver respons iv e
handling, they may ride less comfortably and make more noise t han
other choices.
Reduced performance in winter /cold season
c onditions
A ll tir es a re desig ned f or certai n purposes. The low a spect rati o,
u ltra hi gh pe rf ormance t ires or igin a lly ins tal led on your ve hicle are
intended for maximum dry and wet road performance and handling .
Th ey a re not su itab le fo r co ld, snowy or ic y weat her co nd it io ns. If
~

Tires and wh eels -
----------------
you drive under those circumstances, you should equip your vehicle
with al l- season or win ter t ires, wh ich offer be tter traction under
those conditions . We suggest you use the recommended snow or
a ll-season tires specified for your vehicle, or their equivalent .
Refer
to => page 310for more detai led information regarding winter
tires. •
Vehicle care

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• Pull the reversible b lade from the screwdriver before you use the
h exago nal soc ket i n the ha ndle to tur n the wheel bo lts.
• When mounting tires with
unidirectional tread design make sure
th e trea d pat tern is po inte d the rig ht
way => page 324.
• T he whee l bo lts should be clean and easy to turn. Check for dirt
and c orrosio n on the m ating su rfaces of bo th the whee l a nd th e
hub . Remove a ll dirt from these surfaces before remou nting the
w heel. •
Tires with unidirectional tread design
T ir es wit h unid irectio nal tr ea d d esign must b e moun ted
with th eir tread pattern po int ed the r ight direction .
Using a spare tire with a tread pattern intended for use
in a specific direction
Whe n usi ng a s pa re t ire wi th a tre ad patte rn inte nd ed for use in a
specific direct ion, please note the followin g:
• The di rec tio n of rot ation is marked by an arr ow on th e s ide o f the
tir e.
• If the s pare tir e ha s to be ins talle d in th e inco rrect directi on i n the
event of a flat tire, use th e spar e tire on ly temporarily since the tire
w ill n ot be a ble to achieve it s optimum pe rform ance cha rac te ri sti cs
wi th r egar d to a qua plani ng , noise an d w ear .
• W e rec om mend th at p arti cula r att ent ion be pai d to this fac t
dur in g wet weath er and that you adjust your sp eed to match road
c o nd it io ns.
• R eplace the flat ti re with a new one and have it instal led on your
v e hi cle as soo n as poss ib le to re st ore th e hand ling a dva ntages of a
p roper ly pointed direction -dependent t ire.•
Notes on wheel change
P lease read the information => page 305 , "N ew tire s and replacing
t ir es a nd whe els" if you are going to use a spa re tire w hich is
different from the t ires on you r ve h ic le.
Aft er you ch ange a tire:
• Check the tire pressure on the spare immediately after
mounting .
• Have the wheel bolt tightening torque checked with a torque
wrench as soon as possible by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified service station .
• On steel and alloy wheel rims , the wheel bolts are correctly tight­
ened with a torque of 90 ft lb (120 Nm ).
• If you notice while changing a tire that the wheel bolts are
corroded and difficult to turn while changing a tire , they should be
replaced before you check the tightening torque.
• Replace the flat tire with a new one and have it installed on your
vehicle as soon as possible . Remount the wheel cover.
Until then, drive with extra care and at reduced speeds .
& WARNING
• If you are going to equip your vehi cle with tires or rims which
differ from those which were factory installed , then be sure to read
the information
=> page 305 , "New tires and replacing tires and
wheels ".
• Always make sure the damaged wheel or even a flat tire and
the jack and tool kit are properly secured in the luggage compart­
ment and are not loose in the passenger compartment .
• In an accident or sudden maneuver they could fly forward ,
injuring anyone in the vehicle .
• Always store damaged wheel, jack and tools securely in
luggage compartment . Otherwise, in an accident or sudden

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&, W ARNING (continued )
• Always support your vehicle with safety stands if it i s neces­
sary to work underneath the vehicle. The jack supplied with the
vehicle is not adequate for this purpose and could collapse
causing serious personal injury .
• If you must work underneath the vehicle with the wheels on
the ground , always make sure the vehicle is on level ground , that
the wheels are always securely blocked and that the engine
cannot be started .
• Always make sure the transmission selector lever (automatic
transmission) is in
" P " (Park position) and the park brake is firmly
applied.
ffi For the sake of the environment
• Changing the engine settings wi ll adverse ly affect emission
l eve ls . T hi s is detri menta l to th e envi ro nm ent and increas es fu el
consumption .
• Always observ e env ironmenta l re gulations w hen disposing of
old e ngine oil, used brake f luid, dirty engine coo lant, spent batteries
or worn out tires .•
Additional accessories,
modifications and parts replacement
Additional accessories and parts
replacement
Alway s co nsult an autho rized Audi de aler before
pu rchasing acc essories .
Your vehicle incorporates t he latest safety d esig n f eatures ensuring
a high standa rd of active and pas sive safety . Th
is saf ety could be compromised by non -approved changes to the
v ehi cle . F or thi s re aso n, if par ts have to be re pla ced , pl ease obs erve
th e fo llow ing points when insta lling add itional acc essories :
A pproved Aud i accesso ries and gen uine Audi pa rts a re avai la bl e
fr om authori zed Aud i dea lers .
Th ese dealers also have the necessary faci lities, tools and tra ined
spec ia li sts to in sta ll th e parts an d acce ssor ies pr op erly .
& WARNING
Using the wrong spare parts or using non -approved accessories
can cause serious personal injury .
• Use only accessories expressly approved by Audi and genuine
Audi spare parts .
• These parts and accessories have been specially designed to
be used on your vehicle .
• Never install accessories such as telephone cradles or
beverage holders on airbag covers or within the airbag deploy­
ment zones . Doing so will increase the risk of injury if airbags are
triggered in an accident!
• Before you check anything in the engine compartment , always
read and heed all WARNINGS
=> page 265.
0 Note
• I f item s ot her than ge nuin e Audi s pa re pa rts, add- on eq uipment
and accessory items are us ed or if r epair wor k is not performed
according to s pecified methods, thi s can re sult in severe damage to
your v ehicle's eng ine and body (suc h as c orros io n) a nd advers ely
affect yo ur vehic le 's wa rranty.
• Th e manufacturer cannot be held liable for damage w hich occurs
d ue t o fa ilur e to comply w it h these stipu lation s.•

Alph ab eti ca l ind ex -
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AUTO
Climate controls ...... .... ...... .. 127
Switching on .................... 127
When should I use AUTO? ......... 127
Auto Safety Hotline ................. . 175
Auto-C heck Contro l ...... .... ... .... .. 28
Au toma tic transmission ...... .... .. 30
Manua l transmission .. ...... .... .. 29
Automa tic a ir recircu lation ........... 129
Automatic belt retractor .......... .... 181
Automat ic car was h
See Washing ...... .... ... .... .... 255
Automatic headlight control ........... 73
Automatic Sh ift Lock (ASU .. ..... 145, 152
Automatic transmission 6-speed automatic transmission 143, 144
Ign it ion key safety lock . ...... .... . 136
Shift but tons .. ...... .... .... 148, 155
Steering wheel wit h tiptronic® . 148,155
See also mu ltit ronic™ ... .. ...... .. 149
Automat ic trans mission (6 -speed)
Automat ic Shift Lock (ASU ... .. ... . 145
Driving .. .. .. .... .... ..... .. .... 1 43
Dynamic shift program ... .... .... . 146
Fa il- safe mode . ...... .... .... .... 149
Kic k-down ... .... .... .... ... .... . 146
Manual shift program (tiptronic®) .. 147
Average speed ....................... 41
Avoid damaging the vehicle .. ...... .. 245
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
B
Battery .....
.... .... .... .... ... 285, 288
Battery location ins ide the eng ine
compartment .. ...... .... .... ... 285
Charging . ............ ........... 289
Checking battery acid level . ........ 288
Connecting .... .. ..... .... .... ... 290
Disconnecting ............ .... ... 290
Important warnings when working on the
battery ... .. .... .... .... .... ... 286
Removing the battery ... .. .... .... 290
Replacing the battery ............. 29 1
Winter operation . ................ 285
Working on the battery ............ 286
Bat tery vo ltage .. ... ... .... .... .... .. 35
Before driving ...................... 167
Blended gasoline . .... ............... 267
Body cavity sealing ...... .... .... ... . 260
Booster seats .......... .... .... ..... 218
How do I properly instal l a booster seat in
my vehicle? ... .. .... .... .... ... 218
Safety inst ructions ... .. .... .... ... 218
Brake assista nt ..... .... .... .... .... 241
Brake booster .......... ...... .... ... 240
Brake f luid
Changing the brake flu id ...... .... 284
Check ing the brake fluid leve l ...... 284
Reservoi r .... .... .... ..... .. .... . 28 4
What is the correct brake f luid level? 284
What shou ld I do if
t he brake fluid warning
l igh t comes on? ... .. .... .... .... 284 Brake system
...... .... .... .... .. 31,284
Anti -lock Brake System (ABS) ........ 21
Brake fluid ....................... 284
Brake f lu id spec ificat ions for refi ll and
replacement ..... .... .... .... ... 28 4
Brake pads ...................... 244
Warning/indicator lights ...... ...... 23
Brakes ...... .... .... .... ... .... .... 239
Adverse cond itions affec ting bra ke
performance ...... .... .... ..... 239
Break -in period ....... ........ ...... 243
Brake pads ........... .... .... ... 244
Tires .. .... ....... .... ...... ..... 243
Bu lbs .. ...... .... .... ... .... .... ... 328
C
Ca lif o rnia Pr opo sit ion 65 War ning ... .. 274
Batte ry specific . ...... .... .... .... 287
Capacities .......................... 343
Car care . .... .... ........... .... .... 254
Interior .... ... .... .... .... .... ... 261
Plastic and vinyl .... ............. . 258
Weatherstrips .... ... .. ...... .... . 259
Ca re of exterior ..... .... .... .... .... 254
Care, service and disposal Safety belt tensioner .............. 186
Cargo area
See Loading the luggage compartment .
173
Cargo net .......................... 108
Catalytic converter ...... .... .... .... 24 4
Vehicle operation Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data