AUDI A4 CABRIOLET 2009 Owners Manual
Manufacturer: AUDI, Model Year: 2009, Model line: A4 CABRIOLET, Model: AUDI A4 CABRIOLET 2009Pages: 340, PDF Size: 77.32 MB
Page 271 of 340

__________________________________________________ T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s _  ...... lJII 
• 
Curb  weight 
means  the  weight  of  a motor  vehicle  with  standard  equipment 
including  the maximum  capacity  of  fue l,  oi l, and  coolant,  air  condi
tioning  and  additional  weight  of  optional  equipment. 
Extra  load  tire 
means  a tire  designed  to  operate  at higher  loads  and  at  higher  infla 
tion  pressures  then  the  corresponding  standard  tire . Extra  load tires 
my  be  identified  as "XL",  "xi",  "EXTRA  LOAD", or  "RF" on the  side 
wa ll. 
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 ") 
means  the  maximum  total  loaded weight  of the  vehicle. 
Groove 
means  the  space  between  two  adjacent  tread  ribs. 
Load  rating  (code) 
means  the maximum  load  that  a tire is rated  to  carry  for a given 
inflation  pressure.  You  may not  find this  information  on  al l tires 
because  it  is  not  required  by  law. 
Maximum  load  rating 
means  the  load  rating  for  a tire  at  the  maximum  permissible  infla
tion  pressure  for  that  tire. 
Maximum  loaded  vehicle  weight 
means the sum  of : 
(a)  Curb  weight 
(b)  Accessory  weight 
(c)  Vehicle  capacity  we ight,  and 
(d)  Product ion  options  weight 
Maximum  (permissible)  inflation  pressure 
means  the maximum  cold  inflat ion  pressure  to  which  a tire  may  be 
inflated.  Also  called  "maximum  inflation  pressure." 
Normal  occupant  weight 
means 150 lbs.  (68 kilograms)  times  the number  of  occupants 
seated  in the vehicle  up  to  the  total  seating  capacity  of your vehicle. 
Occupant  distribution 
means  distribution  of  occupants  in  a vehicle. 
Outer diameter 
means the  overall  diameter  of  an  inflated  new  tire. 
Overall  width 
means  the linear distance  between  the  exteriors  of  the  sidewalls  of 
an inflated  tire, including  elevations  due  to  labeling,  decorations,  or 
protective  bands  or  ribs. 
Ply 
means  a  layer  of  rubber -coated  para lle l cords . 
Production  options weight 
means  the  combined  weight  of  those installed  regular  production 
options  weighing  over  5 lbs.  (2 .3  kg)  in excess  of  those  standard 
items  which  they  replace,  not  previously  considered  in  curb  weight 
or  accessory  weight,  including  heavy duty brakes,  ride  levelers, 
heavy  duty  batter y,  and  special  trim. 
Radial  ply  tire 
means  a  pneumatic  tire  in  which  the  ply  cords  that  extend  to  the 
beads  are laid  at  substantially  90 degrees  to the  centerline  of  the 
tread. 
Recommended  inflation  pressure 
see::;, page 268, "Cold  tire  inflation  pressure". 
Ve hic le care  
Page 272 of 340

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s  _________________________________________________  _ 
Rei nf orced  tire 
means  a tire  designed  to  operate  at  higher  loads  and  at  higher  inf la 
tion  pressures  then  the  corresponding  standard  tire.  Reinforced 
tires  my  be  identified  as "XL", 
"xi", "EXTRA  LOAD",  or  "RF"  on  the 
sidewall. 
Rim 
means  a  metal  support  for  a tire  or  a tire  and  tube  assembly  upon 
which  the  t ire  beads  are  seated. 
R im  di am eter 
means  nomina l diameter  o f the  bead  seat.  If you  change  your  wheel 
size, you  wi ll  have  to purchase  new  tires to  match  the  new  rim  diam
eter. 
R im  size  des ig nati on 
means  rim  diameter  and  width. 
Rim  width 
means  nominal  distance  between  rim  flanges . 
Sidewall 
means  that  portion  of  a tire  between  the  tread  and  bead. 
Speed  rating  (le tter  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 281. You  may  not  find  this informa
tion  on  a ll tires  because  it  is  not  required  by  law . 
The speed  rating  letter  code,  where  appl icable,  is molded  on the  tire 
sidewal l and  indicates  the maximum  permissible  road  speeds~ 
& 
in  "Winter  tires"  on page 284 . 
Tire  pres su re  m onitoring  s yste m* 
means  a system  that  detects  when  one  or  more  of  a vehicle's  tires 
are  underinflated  and  i lluminates  a  low  tire  pressure  warning  te ll
tale . 
Trea d 
means  that  portion  of  a tire  that  comes  into  contact  with  the  road . 
Trea d se parati on 
means  pulling  away  of  the  tread  from  the  tire  carcass . 
Treadw ear  indi cato rs  (TWI) 
means  the  projections  within  the  princ ipal  grooves  designed  to  give 
a visual  indication  of  the  degrees  of  wear  of  the  tread.  See 
~ page 278, "Tread  Wear  Indicator  (TWI)"  for  more  informatio n on 
measuring  tire  wear. 
Uniform  Tire  Q uality  Gra ding 
is a tire  information  system  developed  by the  United  States  National 
Highway  Traffic  Safety  Administration  (N HTSA) that  is designed  to 
help  buyers  make  relative  comparisons  among  tires.  The  U TQG is 
not  a safety  rating  and  not  a guarantee  that  a tire  wil l last  for  a 
prescribed  number  of  miles  or  perform  in  a certain  way.  It  simply 
gives  tire  buyers  additiona l information  to  combine  wit h other 
considerations,  such  as price,  brand  loyalty  and  dea ler  recommen
dations.  Under  UTQG, tires  are  graded  by the  tire  manufacturers  in 
three  areas:  treadwear,  traction  and  temperature  resistance . The 
UTQG information  on  the  tires,  molded  into  the  sidewalls. 
U.S . D OT  T ir e  Ident ifi ca tion  Num ber (T IN ) 
This  is the  tire's  "serial  number"  It begins  with  the  le tters  "DOT"  and 
indicates  that  the  tire  meets  all  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, 
D OT  ... 2 209  ... 
means  that  the tire  was  produced  in  the  22th  week  of  2009 . The 
other  numbers  are  marketing  codes  that  may  o r may  not  be used  by 
the  tire  manufacturer . This  information  is  used  to  contact 
consumers  if  a tire  defect  requires  a reca ll. -.,  
Page 273 of 340

Tires  and  wh eels  -
--------------------' 
Vehicle  capac ity  wei ght 
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 -pil lar or on  the  inside  of  the  fuel 
filler  flap. 
V eh ic le  max imum  load  on  the  tire 
means  that load  on  an  individual  tire  that  is determined  by  distrib
uting  to  each  ax le its  sha re of  the  maximum  loaded  vehicle  weight 
and  dividing  by two. 
Vehi cle normal  load  on  th e  tire 
means  that  load  on  an  ind ividual  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 271) and  dividing  by two. 
O ccup ant  loading  and  di stribution  for  veh icle  normal  load  for various  designated  seating  capa citi es 
Designated  seating  capa city , num- Vehicle  normal  load , number  of  Oc cupant  distribution  in  a  normally 
loaded  vehicle 
ber  of  o
ccup ants  occupants 
-------------------4 2 2 in fr ont • 
Cold  tire  inflation  pressure 
Tire pressure  a ffects  the  overall  handling,  perform ance  and  safety  of  a  vehicle  . 
Fig. 207  Tire pr essure 
l a b el:  loca ted e ithe r o n 
driver 's side  B- pillar or 
in side  the  fuel fill er  flap 
Tire  pressure  generally  refers  to the  amount  of  air  in  a tire  that  it 
needs  it to  do  its job  and  safely  carry  the  combined  load  of the  entire 
vehicle  and  its  contents.  Tire  pressure  is  measured  in  kilopascals  (kPa), the  internationa l measuring  unit  and  in  pounds  per  square 
inch  (PSI!.  Tire  pressure  is  based  in  part  on  the  vehic le's  design  and 
TIRE AND LOADING  INFORMATION 
• (SEATING  CAPACITY :rorAI. I :FRONT I :CE NTER I :REAR I l 
Thea,mthd""'91"~000,-ond""90shoulcl,-u
FRONT  -KPa, -PSI 
REAR  -KPa, - PSI 
SPARE  -KPa, -PSI 
MANUAL FOR 
ADDITIONAL 
INFORMATION SEE  OWNER'S I 
Fig . 2 0 8  Tire  press ure 
l a b el 
load  limit  -the  greatest  amount  of weight  that the  vehicle  can  carry 
safe ly  and  the  t ire size. The  proper  t ire  pressure  is frequently 
referred  to  as  the "recommended  cold  tire  inflation  pressure."  Air  in 
the  tires  expands  when  the  tire  heats  up  because  of  interna l friction 
when  it  flexes  in  use. The  tire  pressure  is  higher  when  the  tire  has  ... 
Vehicle care  irechnical  data  
Page 274 of 340

-Tires  and  wheels 
P'U:1-------------------
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 . 
The  tires  would  then be underinflated  and  could  fail suddenly. 
Maintaining  proper  tire  pressure  is one  of  the  most  important 
things  you  can  do  to  help  avoid  sudden  tire  failure.  Underinflated 
tires  are  a  major  cause  of  sudden  tire  failure.  Keeping  tires  at  the 
right  pressure  is also  important  for  safe  and  responsive vehicle 
handling,  traction, braking and load  carrying. 
Tire  pressures are 
particularly  important  when  the  vehicle  is being  driven  at  higher 
speeds,  and  then  especially  when  heavily  loaded  even within  the 
permissible  load-carrying  capacities  approved  for  your  vehicle . 
The recommended  tire  pressures for  your  Audi  depend  on the  kind 
of  tires  on  your  vehicle  and  the  number  of  passengers  and/or 
amount  of  luggage  you  will  be transporting. 
On  USA  vehicles,  the  tire  pressure  label  is  located  on the driver's 
side  B-pillar . On Canada  vehicles,  the  tire  pressure  label  is  located 
either  on  the driver's  side B-pillar  or  inside  the  fuel  filler  flap. The tire 
pressure  label  lists  the  recommended  cold  tire  inflation  pressures 
for  the  vehicle  at  its  maximum  capacity  weight  and  tires  that were 
on  your  vehicle  at  the  time  it  was  manufactured. 
If you wish  to  improve  comfort  when  operating  the  vehicle  at 
normal  load (up to  2  occupants),  you  can  adjust  tire  pressures to 
-
those  specified  for normal  vehicle  load. Before operating  the  vehicle 
at  maximum  load,  you  must  increase the  tire  pressures to  those 
specified  for  maximum  vehicle  load 
=> & . 
If your  vehicle  is equipped  with  a tire  pressure  monitoring  system *, 
bear  in mind  that  the  system  can  only  monitor the tire  pressures  you 
have  stored.  The  system  does  not  recognize  the  load condition  of 
your  vehicle. 
The  effectiveness  of  the  tire  pressure  monitoring  system  will  be 
impaired  if you  store  normal  load  pressures  but then  operate  the 
vehicle  at  its  maximum  load=>&. 
See  the illustration => 
page 271, fig.  207 for  the  location of  the label 
either  on  driver's  side  B-pillar  or  inside the fuel  filler  flap  (color  of 
the  actual  label  and  exact  location on  the  vehicle  will  vary  slightly). 
Note  that  the  following table is accurate  at  the  time of  going  to 
press  and  is subject  to  change.  In the  event  of  discrepancies,  the  tire 
pressure  label  (either on  driver's  side B-pillar  or  inside  the  fuel  filler 
flap)  always  takes precedence . 
The  table  below  lists  the  recommended cold  tire  inflation  pressures 
for  the  Audi  model covered  by  your Owner's  Literature  at the 
vehicle's  capacity  weight  and  the  tire  sizes  installed  on  the  respec
tive  models  as  original equipment,  or as a  factory  option. 
Engine 
(displace
ment  in  liter)  Tire  designation 
Tire  pressure  front  Tire  pressure  rear 
4-cylinder 
2.0  215/55  R16 93H All  Season 
235/45  R17 94H  All Season 
235/45  R17 94Y High  Performance 
235/40  R18 95Y XL High  Performance 
normal  load 
condition  (up  to 
2 occupants) 
PSI 
33 
33 
30 
36 
kPA 
230 
230 
210 
250 
full  load 
condition 
PSI 
35 
35  33 
42 
II kPA 
240 
240 
230 
290 
normal  load 
condition  (up 
to 2 occupants) 
PSI 
30 
30 
30 
36 
JI kPA 
210 
210 
210 
250 
11 full  load 
condition 
PSI 
38 
38 
33 
42 
JI kPA 
260 
260 
230 
290 
I  
Page 275 of 340

Tires  and  wheels -
----------------
• 
Engine  Tire designation  Tire  pressure  front  Tire  pressure  rear 
(displace- normal  load normal  load 
ment  in  full  load 
full  load 
liter )  c
ondit ion  (up  to 
condition  c
ondition  (up 
condition 
2  occupants )  to  2  occupants) 
PSI  kPA  PSI  kPA  PSI  kPA  PSI  kPA 
6 -cylinder  215 /55  R16 93H  All Season 35  240 
38 260 
30 2
10 
38  260 
3.2 
235/45  R17 94H  All Season 35  2
4 0 
38  260  30  2
10 
38  260 
235/45  R17 94V  High  Performance 30  2 10  3 3 230  30  2 10  33  230 
235 /40  R18 95V  XL High  Performance 41 280 46 320 41 280 4 6 320 
XL= reinforced  or  extra  load  tire.  It  may  also  appear  as x i,  EXTRA LOAD , or RF on  the  tire  sidewa ll. 
The  correct  tire  pressure  for  the 
spare  wheel is  located  on  a  label 
either  on  the  dr iver's  side  B-pilla r or  i nside  the  fuel  filler  flap. 
Because  technical  changes  may  be  made  to  vehicle  equipment 
dur ing  the  mode l year,  a lways  co mpare  the  tire  size  designatio n on 
the  tire  pressure  label  on  your  vehicle  with  the  tires  on your  vehicle . 
Make  sure  t hat  the  tire  s ize  informa tion  o n the vehi cle labe l is the 
same  as the  size  of  the  tires on  the  vehicle . This  is especially  impor 
t a nt  if th e ve hicle  belo ngs  to  someone  else  or you  bough t  the 
vehic le with  different  rims/tires  or  you  bought  the  vehicle  as a previ 
ously  owned  vehicle. 
Re member,  your  safety  and  that  of  your  passeng ers a ls o  depends 
on  making  sure  that  load  limits  are  not  exceeded.  Vehicle  load 
inc lude s every body  and  everyt hin g i n and  o n the  vehic le . These  load 
limits  are  techn ically  referred  to  as the  vehicle's  Gross  Vehic le 
Weight  Ra tin g ("GVWR") . The Gross  Axle  Weig ht  Ra ting  ("GAWR")  is 
the  maximum  load  that  can  be  applied  at  each  of  the  veh icle's  two 
ax les . The  Gross  Vehic le  W eight  Rating  and  the  Gross  Ax le Weight 
Rating  are  listed  on  the  safety  compliance  sticker  label  located 
either  on  the  driver's  s ide  8 -pillar  or  on  the  inside  of  the  fuel  fi ller 
fl ap.  T he ti re pressure  labe l on  your  Aud i  lists  the  max imum 
combined  weight  of  a ll of the  occupants  and  luggage  or other  cargo  that  the  vehicle  can  car
ry. Fo r the  l ocat io n  of  the tire  pressure  la bel 
=> page  271, fig.  207. 
LJ}. WARNING 
Overload ing a vehicle  can cause  loss of vehi cle  cont rol , a crash or 
other  ac cident , serious  per sonal  injury , and  even  death . 
•  Carrying  more  weight  than  your vehicle  wa s 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  vehi cle within  a  safe  dist ance. 
•  Tires  on  a vehicle  that  has been  overloaded  can fail  suddenly 
cau sing  lo ss of  control  and  a crash . 
•  Always  make  sure that  the  total  load  being  transported  -
including  the  weight  of  a trailer  h itch  and the  tongue  weight  of  a 
loaded  trailer  -does  not  make  the  vehicle  heavier  than  the 
vehi cle 's Gross Vehicle Weight  Rating . .,,_ 
Vehic le  care  
Page 276 of 340

lffll,.___T_ ir_e_ s _ a_ n_d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s  _________________________________________________  _ 
& 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  8-pillar or  inside  the  fuel  filler  flap. 
The  recommended  tire pressures  are  on  the  tire pressure  label  and 
in  the  table=> 
page 271, "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  271. The  tires  would  then  be 
underinflated  and  could  fail  suddenly. 
The  tire pressure  label  on your  Audi  lists  the  recommended  cold  tire 
inflation  pressures  for  the  new,  original  equipm ent  tires  that  were 
on  your  vehicle  at  the  time  it was  manufactured.  For the  location of 
the  label => 
page  271, fig. 207. 
Most  tires  lose  air  naturally  over  time.  They can  also  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  tires  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  275, "Tires  and  vehicle  load  limits"  for  more 
impor tant  information . 
Always  use an  accurate  tire pressure  gauge  when  checking  and 
adjusting  inflation  pressures . Check  all  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  slowly  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  plan  to  do. 
If  the  pressure  in any  tire  is too  low,  note the  difference  between  the 
pressure  in the  cold  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)  for  the  tires  on  your  vehicle  as listed  on 
the  on  your  vehicle  and  in  this  manual and  the  kind  of  driving you 
plan  to do. 
Never  exceed  the  maximum  inflation  pressure  listed  on the  tire 
sidewall  for  any  reason. 
Remember  that  the  vehicle  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 
B-pillar . On Canada  vehicles,  the  tire  pressure  label  is  located either 
on  the  driver's  side  8 -pillar  or  inside  the  fuel  filler  flap. 
•  Turn  the  valve  stem  cap  counter-clockwise  to  remove  it from  the 
tire  valve. 
•  Place  the  air  pressure  gauge  on  the  valve.  .,_  
Page 277 of 340

Tires  and  wheels -
----------------
• 
•  The tire  pressures  should  only  be  checked  and  adjusted  when 
t he t ires  are  co ld . The  s lightly  raised  press ures  of warm  tires  must 
not  be  reduced . 
•  Adjust  t he tire  p re ssure  to  the  load you  are  carrying. 
•  Reinstall  the  va lve  stem  cap  on  the  valve. 
When  should I check  the  tire  pressure? 
The correc t tire  p re ssur e is espec ially  i mportant  at  high  speeds.  The 
pressure  should  there fore  be c hecked  at  least  once  a  month  and 
a lways  before  starting  a journey.  Do not  forget  to  check  the  tire  pres 
su re  for  t he spare  whee l::::> 
page  291. 
When  should I adjust  the  tire  pressures? 
Adjust  the  ti re pressur e to  the  load you  are carrying.  A fter  chang in g 
a wheel 
or replacing  whee ls you  have to  adj ust t he t ire  pressure s on 
a ll whee ls. In addition,  o n ve hicles  w ith  t ire  pressure  monito ring 
system * you  must  then  store  the  new  tire  pressures  in  the  system 
=> page  41. 
& WARNING 
Incorrect tire  pres sures and /or underinflation  can lead  sudden tire 
failure,  loss of control , collision,  serious  personal  injury  or  even 
death . 
•  When  the  warning  symbol  ( appears  in the  instrument 
cluster , stop  and  inspect  the  tires . 
•  Incorrect  tire  pressure and /or  underinflation  can  cause 
increased  tire  wear  and  can affe ct  the  handling  of the  vehicle  and 
stopping  ability . 
•  Incorre ct  tire  pressures and /or  underinflat ion can  also  lead  to 
sudden  tire  failure,  including  a  blowout  and  sudden  deflation, 
causing  loss of vehi cle control. 
•  The  driver  is responsible  for  the  correct  tire  pressures for  all 
tires  on the  vehicle . The appli cable  pre ssure values are  located  on 
a sticker  on the  driver 's side  8-pillar  or  on the  inside  of  the  fuel 
filler  flap . 
& WARNING  (continued ) 
• Only when  all tires  on the  veh icle are  filled  to  the  correct  pres
s ure, 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*. 
•  Alway s inflate  tires  to  the  recommended  and  corre ct  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. 
•  Excessive speed  and /overloading  can  cause  he at  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 p revent  this,  a lways  make  sure  tha t factory  installe d va lve 
stem  caps  on  al l wheels  are  securely  mounted  on  the  va lve . 
<£> For the  sake  of  the  environment 
Underinflated  tires  wi ll a lso  increase  the  fue l consumption. • 
Tires  and  vehicle  load  limits 
There are  limits  to  the  amount  of  load  or weight  that  any vehic le and 
any  tire can  carry.  A vehicle  that  is  overloa ded wil l n o t  handle  well  _,. 
Vehic le care  
Page 278 of 340

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s  _________________________________________________  _ 
and  is  more  difficult  to  stop. Overloading  can  not  only  lead  to  loss 
of  vehic le contro l,  but  can  also  damage  important  parts  of  the 
vehic le and  can  lead  to  sudden  tire  failure,  including  a blowout  and 
sudden  deflation  that  can  cause  the  vehicle  to  crash . 
Your  safety  and  that  of  your  passengers  also  depends  on  making  sure  that  load  limits  are  not  exceeded . Vehicle  load  includes  every 
body  and  everything  in  and  on  the  veh icle . These  load  lim its  are 
technically  referred  to  as the  vehicle's 
G ross  Vehicle  Weight  R ating 
("GVWR"). 
The  "GVWR"  includes  the  weight  of  the  basic  vehic le, all  factory 
installed  accessories,  a ful l tank  of  fuel,  oil,  coolant  and  other  fluids 
p lus  maximum  load.  The  maximum  load  includes  the  number  of 
passengers  that  the  vehicle  is intended  to  carry  ("seating  capacity") 
with  an  assumed  we ight  of  150  lbs  (68  kg) for  each  passenger  at  a 
designated  seating  position  and  the  total  weight  of  any  luggage  in 
t he vehicle.  If you  tow  a trai ler, the  weight  of the  trailer  hitch  and  the 
tongue  weight  of  the  loaded  trai ler  must  be  included  as part  of  the 
vehic le  load . 
T he 
G ros s Axle Weight  Rating ("GAWR")  is the  maximum  load  that 
can  be  applied  at  each  of  the  vehicle's  two  axles . 
The  Gross  Vehicle  Weight  Rat ing  and  the  Gross  Axle  Weight  Rating 
are  listed  on  the  safety  compliance  sticker  labe l located  either  on 
the  d river's  side  B -pillar  o r on t he  inside  of  the  f ue l fi ller flap.  Yo ur 
Audi  has 4 seating  positions,  2 in  the  front  and  2 in  the  rear  for  total 
seating  capaci ty  of  4. Each seating  posi tion  has  a safety  belt 
=> 
page 159, "Safety  be lts" . 
T he fact  that  there  is an  upper  limit  to  your  vehicle's  Gross  Vehicle 
Weight  Rating  means  that  the  total  weight  of  whatever  is  being  carried  in the  vehicle  (including  the  weight  of  a trailer  hitch  and  the 
tongue  weigh t of  the  loaded  trailer)  is  lim ite d.  The  more  passengers 
in  the  vehicle  or  passengers  who  are  heavier  than  the  standard 
weights  assumed  mean  that  less  weight  can  be  carried  as luggage. 
The  tire  pressure  labe l on  your  Audi  also  lists  the  maximum 
combined  weight  of  a ll of the  occupants  and  luggage  or  othe r cargo  that  the  vehicle  can  carry
.  For  the  location  of  the  label=> 
page 271, 
f ig.  207 . 
& WARNING 
Overloading  a vehicle  can  cau se lo ss of vehicle  control , a  cra sh or 
other  a ccident , seriou s personal  injury , and  even  de ath . 
•  Carrying  more  weight  th an your  vehi cle w as designed to  ca rry 
will  prevent  the  vehi cle from  handling  properly  and  in cre ase the 
ri sk  of the  lo ss of vehicle  control. 
•  The  brakes  on  a veh icle th at  ha s been  overloaded  ma y not  be 
able  to  stop  the  vehicle within  a  safe  distance . 
•  Tire s on  a vehicle that  has  been  overloaded  can  fail  suddenly, 
i ncluding  a blowout  and  sudden  defla tion , cau sin g los s of control 
and  a  crash . 
•  Alwa ys  make  sure that  the  tot al  l oad  be ing tran sported  -
including  the  weight  of  a trai ler hit ch and  the  tongue  weight  of  a 
loaded trailer  -does not m ake the vehicle heavie r than the 
v ehicle 's Gro ss Vehicle  Weight  Rat ing .• 
Determining  correct  load  limit 
U se th e  exa mple below  to  calculat e the 
total  weight  of  the  passengers  and  luggage  or  other  things  that  you  plan  to 
tran sport  so  that  you  can  make  sure  that 
your  vehi cle  will  n ot  be  ov erlo ad ed. 
~  
Page 279 of 340

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 placard  (tire  infla
tion  pressure  label)=> 
page  271, fig. 207. 
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  271, fig. 207. 
4. The  resulting  figure  equals  the  available 
amount  of  cargo  and  luggage  load 
capacity.  For  example,  if  the 
"XXX" 
amount  equals 1400 lbs.  and  there  will 
be  five 
150 lbs.  passengers  in  your 
vehicle,  the  amount  of  available  cargo 
and  luggage  load  capacity  is 
650 lbs. 
(  1400- 750  (5 x  150) = 650  I bs.) 
Tires  and  wheels 1111111 
5.  Determine  the  combined  weight  of 
luggage  and  cargo being  loaded  on  the 
vehicle.  That  weight  may  not  safely  exceed  the  available  cargo  and  luggage 
load  capacity  calculated  in  Step 
4. 
6. If  your  vehicle  will  be  towing  a trailer, 
load  from  your  trailer  will  be  transferred 
to  your  vehicle.  Consult  this  manual  to 
determine  how  this  reduces  the  avail
able  cargo  and  luggage  load  capacity  of 
your  vehicle. 
- Check  the  tire  sidewall  (=> 
page  279, 
fig. 211) to  determine  the  designated 
load  rating  for  a specific  tire. • 
Vehic le care  
Page 280 of 340

___ T_ i_ r_e _s_ a_ n_ d_ vv_ h_ e_ e _ ls _________________________________________________  _ 
Tire  service  life 
The service  life  of  tires  depends  on  a lot  of  different  things 
including  proper  installation  and  balancing,  correct  tire 
pressure  and  driving  style . 
(r------,') 
l "------J) 
Tread  Wear Indicator  ( TWll 
ij 
:c ., m 
Fig. 209  Tire tre ad: 
t read  wear  ind ica to rs 
(TW IJ 
Fig . 2 10  Rot ati ng  tire s 
for  mo re even w ear 
The orig inal tires  on your  vehic le have  1 /16 inch  (1.6  mm)  high  "wear 
indicators "~  fig.  209  running  across  the  tread . Depending  on  the 
make , there  will  be  six to  eight  of  them  evenly  p laced  around  the 
tire . Marks  on the  tire  sidewall  (for  example  "TWI"  or other  symbo ls) 
indicate  the  positions  of  the  tread  wear  indicators . Worn  tires  must 
be  replaced.  Dif ferent  figures  may  apply  in  other  countries~&. 
Tire  pre ssure 
Incorrect  tire  pressure  causes  premature  wear  and  can  cause 
sudden  tire  blow-out . For this  reason , tire  pressure  mus t be checked 
at  least  once  a  month~ 
page 274. 
Driving  style 
Driving  fast  around  curves,  heavy  acce leration  and  hard  braking 
increase  tire  wear . 
Rotating  t ires  for  more  even  wear 
For all  four  tires  on  your  vehicle  to  have  the  same  service  life,  we 
recommend  that  the  front  and  rear tires  are  rota ted according  to  the 
tire  manufacturer's  suggested  tire  rotation  interva ls .  Please 
remember  the  following: 
•  Tire  rotation  interva ls  may  differ  from  the vehicle  service  inter
vals  out lined  in  your  Warran ty 
& M aintenance  Booklet . 
•  The  longer  one  tire  is  used  in  one  locat ion  on  the  vehicle,  the 
more  it  wears  at  certain  po ints;  therefore,  we  recommend  that  you 
follow  the  tire  manufacturer 's suggested  t ire  rotation  intervals  . 
•  Vehicles  with  front -wheel  drive  experience  more  tread  wear  on 
the  front  wheels  compared  to  al l-wheel  drive  (quattro®) . 
•  Please  rotate  tires  as  shown ~ 
page 278, fig.  210 . 
•  Extra  care  must  b e taken  wh en  rotat ing  dir ection -specific  tires 
~ page 298. 
Wheel  balan cing 
The  wheels  on  new  vehicles  are  balanced.  However,  various  situa
tions  during  everyday  dr iving  can  cause  them  to  b ecome  unbal 
anced,  resulti ng  in vibra tions  you  can  usually  feel  through  the 
ste ering  whee l. 
Unbalanced  wheels  must  be  rebalanced  to  avoid  excessive  wear  on 
steering , suspension  and  tires . A wheel  must  also  be  reba lanced 
when  a new  tire  is  installed. 
~