flat tire AUDI A4 SEDAN 2013 Owners Manual

A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­dows, the sunroof and the rear lid are se ­
curely closed and locked to reduce the risk
of injury when the vehicle is not being
used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es­
pecially with the rear lid left open . A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out. Being trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious personal injury.
- Never let children play in or around the
vehicle .
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions.
(D Tips
- Air circulation helps to reduce window
fogging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure
to keep these slots free and open .
- The tire pressure must correspond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the
tire pressure label. The tire pressure la­
bel is located on the driver's side B-pillar.
The tire pressure label lists the recom­
mended cold tire inflation pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
For recommended tire pressures for nor­
mal load conditions, please see chapter
c>poge234.
Driving Safely
Tie-downs
The luggage comportment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop­
erly
c> page 132, Loading the luggage com ­
portment .
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess en­
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10-lb (4.5 kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item . This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be
about 200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the
injuries that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying
freely through the passenger compartment
could cause in a collision like this.
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur­
ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
- Always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help pre­
vent items from shifting or flying for­
ward as dangerous missiles.
- When the rear seat backrest is folded
down, always use suitable mounting
straps and properly secure items to the
tie-downs in the luggage compartment
to help prevent items from flying for­
ward as dangerous missiles into the pas­
senger compartment .
- Never attach a child safety seat tether
strap to a tie-down .
133
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dealer is familiar with these requi rements
and we recommend that you have your
dea ler perform this serv ice for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced A irbag Sys­
tem performs in a crash. For example, us ing
tire-r im combinations not app roved by Aud i,
l owering the vehicle, changing the stiffness o f
the suspension, incl uding the sp rings, s uspen­
sion struts, shock absorbers etc. can change
the forces that are measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the electronic control
un it. Some suspension changes can, for exam­
ple, increase the force levels measured by the
sensors and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in wh ic h it would not dep loy if the
changes had not been made. Other k inds of
changes may reduce the force levels meas ­
u red by the sensors and prevent the a irbag
from deploying when it shou ld .
The senso rs in the safety belt buckle fo r the
d river and front passenger sea t tell the elec ­
tronic control module if the safety belt is
l atched or not . If the safety belt is being used,
the front airbag will dep loy at a slightly high­
er rate of vehicle deceleration than if the safe­
ty belt is not being used. Therefore, in a par­
ticular co llision, it is poss ible that an airbag
will not deploy at a seating position where the
safety belt is being use d but will inflate at the
position whe re the safety belt is not being
used. It is important tha t nothing i nterfe re
w it h the safety belt buckles so t hat the sen ­
sors can send t he correct information abo ut
safety belt use to the electronic contro l unit.
.&_ WARNING
Changing the vehicle 's s uspension includ­
ing use of unapproved tire-rim c ombina­
tions can change Advanced Airbag pe r­
formance and increase the risk of ser ious
personal i njury in a crash.
- Never install suspens ion components
that do not have the same performance
A irba g sy stem 159
characteristics as the components o rigi­
na lly installed on your vehicle.
- Never use tire-rim com binations that
have not been approved by Audi.
.&_ WARNING
= -
Items stored between the safety be lt
b uckle and the center console can cause
the sens ors in t he buckle to send the
wrong information to the e lectronic con­
trol module and prevent the Advanced Air­ bag Syst em from wo rking properly.
- Always make s ure that nothing can in ter-
fe re with the safety b elt buckles and that
they are no t obstructed.
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants.
Fi g. 144 Side airbag location in t he drive r's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests¢
fig. 144 and the rea r
backrest faci ng the doors. They are ident ified
by the word "AIRBAG".
The side airbag system basically consists of :
-the electronic control modu le and external
side impact sensors
- the two a irbags located in the sides of the
front backrests and the two a irbags* located
in the rear backrest
- the airbag warn ing light in the instrument
cl uster .
T he airbag system is mo nitored e lec tronically
t o make ce rtain tha t it is f unction ing p ro perly
Ill-

Tire pressure
When towing a trai le r, inflate the t ires of your
vehicle to the co ld tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the label located on the driver's
side B-pillar (vis ible when the door is open).
Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufac­
turers' specifications.
Light s
The headlight settings should be checked with
the trailer attached before driving off. Check
to make sure both vehicle and trai ler lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be su re tra iler sa fety chains are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve­
hicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to per ­
mit turning corners . When you install safety
chains, make sure they w ill not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The chains shou ld cross under the trai ler
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separatio n from the hitch .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
core and consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling o f vehicle
and trai ler, p lease note the following:
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer whe n your car it­
self is not loaded .
.,. Be especia lly careful when passing other
vehicles .
.,. Observe speed limits .
.,. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed .
.,. Always apply brakes ea rly .
.,. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight di stribution
Towing a loaded trai ler with an empty car re­
sults in a highly unstable distribution of
weight . If this cannot be avo ided, drive at very
low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steer ing control.
Trailer towing 197
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and con­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and permissi­
ble, while keep ing the trailer as light as possi­
ble under the c ircumstances. Whenever poss i­
ble, transfer some cargo to the luggage com ­
partment of the tow vehicle while observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more d iff icult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable -pa rticularly
when going downhill.
Reduce veh icle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows the slightest s ign of sway ing .
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits . In some areas, speeds
for vehicles tow ing tra ilers are lower than for
regular vehicles .
Always apply brakes early. When driving downh ill, shift into a lower gear to use the en ­
gine braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of
the brakes alone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge ¢ page 10
must be observed carefully . If the need le
moves close to the upper end of the scale, re­
duce speed immediately and/or turn off the
air conditioner.
If the coolant temperature warning light •
in the instrument cluster starts flashing, pull
off the road, stop and let the engine
idle for
about two minutes to prevent heat build -up .
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov ­
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident . Never let anyone ride in yo ur car
who is not properly wearing the restraints
prov ided by Audi.
-
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•

-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have bee n dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the comb ined weight (in excess of
those standard items wh ich may be rep laced)
of automati c transmission, power steering,
power br akes, power wi ndows, power sea ts,
radio, and heater, to the ex tent that these
items are avai lab le as factory -installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not).
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to the w idt h of
the tire in percent. Numbers of 55 or lower in ­
d icate a low sidewall fo r improved s teer ing re­
sponse and better overall handling on dry
pavement.
Bead
means the pa rt of the t ire that is made of
s teel wires, wrapped or re inforced by ply cor ds
and that is shaped to fit the r im.
Bead separation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the
tire.
Cold t ir e infl ation pr essure
means the tire pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer for a t ire of a designated
size that has not been dr iven for more than a
couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire pressure i s measu red or adjusted.
Tire s an d wheel s 231
-If you notice un usua l vibration or if the
veh icle pulls to one side when driv ing, a l­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check the wheels and tires for dam­
age.
Curb weight
mea ns the weight of a motor ve hicle w ith
standard equipment includ ing t he maximum
capa city of fuel, o il, and coolant, ai r cond i­
tion ing a nd addi tional weig ht o f optiona l
equipment .
Extra load tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor­
respondi ng s tanda rd tire. Extra load tires may
be identified as "X L", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", o r
"R F" on the sidewall .
Gross Axle Weight Rating ( "GAWR ")
mea ns the load-carrying capacity of a single
axle system, measured at the tire-ground in­
te rfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ( "GVWR ")
means the maximum total loaded we ight of
t h e ve hicle.
Groo ve
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs.
Load rating (code )
means the maximum load tha t a t ire is rated
to carry for a given inflation pressure. Yo u
may not find this information on all tires be­
ca use it is not required by law.
Maximum load rating
me ans the load r ating for a tire at the maxi­
mum pe rm issi ble inflat ion pressure for that
ti re .
•
•
...

232 Tires and wheels
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressu re
to which a tire may be inflated. Also called
"maximum inflation p ressure."
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 overa ll diameter of an inf lated new
tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri­
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ­
ing e levations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the comb ined 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, r ide leve lers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and specia l trim .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tir e in which the p ly cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan­
tially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread . Recommended inflation pressure
see
~
page 231, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at h igher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standard tire. Reinforced tires
may be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD",
o r "R F" on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a t ire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Rim diameter
means nom inal d iameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you will have to
purchase new tires to match the new rim di­
ameter .
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
t read and bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire is designed to
be driven for extended periods of time. The
ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h)
~ page 242. You may
not find this information on all tires because
it is not requ ired by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applica­
ble , is molded on the tire sidewall and indi­
cates the max imum perm issible road speeds
~ A in Winter tires on page 246.
Tire pressure monitoring system*
means a system that detects when one or
more of a veh icle's tires are underinflated and
illuminates a low tire pressure warning tell­
tale.

234 Tires and wheels
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
Fig. 174 Tire pressure label: located on driver's side B·
pillar
Tire pressure genera lly refers to the amount
of air i n 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 kilopasca ls (kPa), the inte rna·
tional measuring unit and in pounds pe r
squa re inch ( PSI). Tire pressure is based in
pa rt o n the vehicle's desig n an d load limit­
the greatest amount of weight that the vehi ·
cle can car ry safe ly and the tir e size . The prop·
er tire pressure is freq uent ly referred to as the
"recommended cold tire inflation pressure."
A ir in the tires expands when the tire heats up
because of internal frict ion when it flexes in
use . The t ire p ress ure is higher when the tire
h as warmed up than when i t is "cold ." It is the
in flat io n pressu re i n a "cold" tire that coun ts.
Th erefore, you sho uld neve r let air ou t of a
warm tire to match " co ld tir e infla tion pres­
sure" recommendations . The ti res wo uld then
be un derinflated and could fail su ddenly.
M ain taining p roper t ire pr es su re is one o f the
most impo rtan t thi ngs you can do to he lp
avoid sudden tire failure. Underinfla ted ti res
a re a major ca use of s udden tire failure. Keep­
ing tires at the right pressure is also impor­
tant for safe and responsive vehicle handling,
traction, braking and load carrying .
Tire pres­
sures are particularly important when th e
vehicle is being driven at higher speeds , and
then especially when heavily loaded even
within the permissible load -carrying capaci ­
tie s approved for your vehicle .
------------------.. ,;
•(=~: I : I :,.. I)@ ~
The~-----~---w-o- ....... -e.....i -·· - ­u ........ -.-..,.0, ... -....,.,...tot~---....... ._.,. -..
....
-..... ...........
- KPA. a PSI
- KPA.
a PSI
-KPA. a PSI
Fig. 17 5 Tire pressure la bel
SU OWNER'S MANUAl FOR AD0"10NAL l10N VOl!ILEMANU£1. DU _,...,
POUR Pl.US DE
REHSEKi.\'IEME NTS
The recommended tire pressures for your Audi
depend on the kind of tires on your ve hicle
and the numbe r of passengers and/or amount
of luggage you w il l be transporting .
The tire pressure label is located on the driv­
er's si de B-pillar . T he tire pressure label lists
t h e recommended cold tir e inflat io n pressu res
for the vehicle at its maxim um capac ity
we ight and tires that were on your veh icle at
t h e time it was man ufa ctu red.
If you wish to improve comfort when operat­
ing the vehicle at normal load (up to 3 occu­
pants), you can adjust tire pre ssure s to tho se
specified for normal vehicle load. Before op­
erating the vehicle at maximum load, you
mu st increase the tire pres sures to those
specified for maximum vehicle load
c::> .&, .
Bear in mind that the tire pressure mon itor ing
system * can o nly mo nitor the t ire pres sures
yo u have s to red. The sys tem does n ot recog­
nize the load condition of your vehicle.
T he effectivene ss of the t ire p ress ure monito r­
ing system* w ill be impa ired if yo u st ore nor­
m al lo ad press ures but t hen opera t e the ve hi­
cl e a t its ma ximum load
c::> .&. .
See the ill ustration c::> fig. 17 4 for the lo cat ion
o f the label o n driver's side B-pill ar (col or o f
t h e actu al lab el and exac t lo cat ion on the ve­
hicle will vary sligh tly).
Note t hat the f ollowing ta ble is ac curate at
th e time of goi ng to press and i s sub ject to

Tires and wheels 235
change. In the event of discrepancies, the tire
pressure label is located on the driver's side B­
p ill ar a lways takes precedence.
The table below lists the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures for the Audi model
I Model II Tire designation
covered by your Owner 's Literature at the vehi­
cle's capacity weight and the tire sizes instal­
led on the respective models as orig inal
equipment, or as a factory option.
Tire pressure
Engine normal load condition full load condition
(up to 3 occupants)
front rear
front rear I
PSI Jl kPA PSI Jl kPA PSI Jl kPA
PSI ll kPA
A4 sedan: 225/55 R16 95H
2.0 liter All Season
4-cylinder
245/45 R17 95H
All Season
245/40 R18 93V
High Performance
225/50 Rl 7 94H
All Season
245/40 R18 93H
All Season
255 /35 R19 96V XL
I High Performance
S4 sedan: 245/40 R18 93H
3.0 liter All Season
6-cylinder
245/40 R18 93Y
High Performance
255/35 R19 96V XL
High Performance
32 220
32 220
32 220 33 230
33 230
32
220
36 250
39 270
--. -
39
270 29
200 33 230 35 240
'
29 200 33 230 35 240
J
29 200 33 230 35 240
'
30 210 35 2
40 36 250
32 220 36 250 38 260
30 210 35 240 35 240
I
32
220 41 280 41 280
35 240 41 280 41 280
. -. -
33 230 41 280 41 280
XL= reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xl, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire side·
wall.
The correct tire pressure for the spore wheel is
l ocated on a label on the driver's side 8-pillar.
Because technical changes may be made to
vehicle equipment during the model year, a l­
ways compare the tire size designation on the
tire p ressure 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 t ires on the vehicle .
This is especially important if the vehicle be­
longs to someone else or you bought the veh i­
cle with different rims/tires or you bought the
vehicle as a previously owned vehicle. Remember, your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on making sure that load limits are not exceeded . Veh icle load in­
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
vehicle . These load limits are technically refer­
red to as the veh icle 's Gross Vehicle Weight
Rat ing ("GVWR") . The Gross Axle We ight Rat­
ing (" GAWR") is the maximum load that can
be applied at each of the vehicle 's two axles.
T he Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance sticker label located on the
driver's side 8-pillar. The tire pressure label on
your Audi lists the maximum combined .,.
•
•

236 Tires and wheels
weight of all of the occupants and luggage or
other cargo that the vehicle can carry. For the
location of the tire pressure label¢
fig. 174.
_& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death .
- Carrying more weight than your vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of a loss of vehicle con­
tro l.
- The brakes on a veh icle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly causi ng loss of con­
tro l and a crash.
- Always make sure that the total load be­
ing transported -including the we ight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehi­
cle heavier than the vehicle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
A WARNING
-Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can lead to a serious or fatal acci­ dent.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation cause increased tire wear and can
affect the handling of the vehicle.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can also lead to sudden tire fa il­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
flation, causing loss of vehicle control.
Checking tire pressure
-
The correct tire pressure for the tires original­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressure label located on driver's side 8-pil­
lar .
The recommended tire pressures are on the
tire pressure label and in the table
¢ page 234, Cold tire inflation pressure .This
means that the pressure m ust 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 frict ion as it flexes in
use. The tire pressure is higher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "co ld ."
It is the inflation pressure in a "cold" tire that
counts. Therefore, you should never let a ir out
of a warm tire to match "Cold t ire inflat ion
pressure" recommendations ¢
page 234. The
tires would then be underinflated and could
fail suddenly .
The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the
recommended cold tire inflation pressures at
maximum capacity for the new, original
equipmen t tires that were on your vehicle at
the time it was manufactured. For the loca­
tion of the labe l
¢page 234, fig. 174.
Most tires lose air naturally over t ime. They
can also lose some air if yo u drive over a pot­
hole 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.
T here fore, be sure to check ti re pressures at
least once a month and a lways before going
on a long trip . Make sur e to take the number
of peop le and the amount of luggage into ac­
count when adjust ing tire pressure for a trip -
even one that you would not consider to be
"long ." See ¢
page 238, Tires and vehicle
load limits
for more important information .
Always use an accurate tire pressure gauge
when checking and adjusting inflat ion pres­
sures. Check all of the tires and be sure not to
forget the spare tire.
If the pressure in any tire
i s too h igh when the tire is "cold", let air out
of the tire 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 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 a ir
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 veh icle and in this manual and the kind
of dr iving you plan to do .
Never ex ceed the ma ximum infl ation pres­
su re list ed on the t ire s ide wall for an y rea­
son.
Remember that the vehicle manufacturer, not
the t ire manufacturer, determ ines the correct
tire pressure for the t ires on your vehicle.
It is important to check the tire pressure when
the tires are cold.
- Read the req uired ti re press ure from the tire
pressure label. The tire pressu re labe l is lo­
cated on the drive r's side 8 -p ill ar . The tire
pressure label lists the recommended cold
t ire inflation pressures for the vehicle at its
maximum capacity weight and the tires that
were on your vehicle at the time it was man­
ufactured . For recommended t ire pressures
for normal load condit ions, please see chap­
ter ¢
page 234.
- Turn the valve stem cap counter-clockwise
to remove it from the tire valve .
- Place the air pressure gauge on the valve.
- The tire pressures should only be checked
and adjusted when the tires are cold. The
slightly raised pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced.
- Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying.
- Re install the valve stem cap on the valve.
When should I ch eck th e tir e pre ssure?
The correct tire pressure is especially impor­
tant at high speeds . The pressure should
therefore be checked at least once a month
and always before start ing a journey. Do not
forget to check the tire pressure for the spare
wheel.
Wh en should I adjust th e tire p re ss ures ?
Ad just the tire pressure to the load you are
carry ing . After changing a wheel
or replacing
Tires an d wheel s 237
whee ls you have to adjust the ti re pressu res
on all whee ls. In addition, yo u m ust then initi­
a lize the new tire pressures in the t ire pres­
sure monitoring system*¢
page 248.
A WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinfla­
tion can lead sudden tire fa ilure, loss of
control, collision, serious personal injury
or even death.
- When the
ti] warning symbol appears in
the instrument cluster, stop and inspect
the t ires.
- Inco rrect tire pressure and/or underinfla­
tion can cause increased tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability.
- Inco rrect tire pressures and/or unde rin­
flation can a lso lead to sudden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowou t and sudden de­
f lation, caus ing loss of veh icle contro l.
- The drive r is responsib le for the correct
tire pressures for all tires on the veh icle.
The applicable pressure values are locat ­
ed on a sticke r on the driver's side 8-pil­
lar.
- On ly when all tires on the vehicle are fil ­
led to the correct pressure, the tire pres­
sure mon itor ing system* can work cor­
rectly.
- The use of incorrect tire pressu re va lues
can lead to acc idents or other damage.
Therefore it is essential that the driver
observe the spec ified t ire pressure values
for the t ires and the correct pressures for
the function of the t i re p ress ure monito r­
ing system*.
- Always inf late t ires to the recommended
and correct t ire p ressure before dr iv ing
off.
- Driving with unde rinflated tires bend
mo re, lett ing t hem get too hot resulting
in tre ad separation, sudden tire failure
and loss of cont rol.
- Excessive speed and/overloading can
cause heat b uild- up, sudden tire failure
and loss of cont rol.
•
•

238 Tires and wheels
-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 sta­
t ion to check the tire pressure and add
air as required.
(D Note
Driving without valve stem caps can cause
damage to the tire va lves. To prevent this,
always make sure that facto ry installed
valve stem caps on all wheels are securely mounted on the valve.
@ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will also increase the
fuel consumption .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or
weight that any vehicle and any tire can carry.
A vehicle that is overloaded w ill not handle
well and is more difficult to stop. Overloading
can not only lead to loss of vehicle control,
but can a lso damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden tire failure, in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the vehicle to crash .
Your safety and that of your passengers a lso
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 techn ically referred to as the
vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic
vehicle, all factory installed accessories , a full
tank of fuel , oi l, coolant and other fluids plus
maximum load. The maximum load includes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is
intended to carry ("seating capacity") with an
assumed weight of 150 lbs . (68 kg) for each
passenger at a designated seating position
and the tota l weight of any luggage in the ve- hide.
If you tow a trai ler, the weight of the
trailer hitch and the tongue weight of the loaded trailer must be included as part of the
vehicle load.
T he
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each
of the vehicle's two axles .
T he Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar.Your Audi has 5 seating
positions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rear for
total seating capacity of 5. Each seating posi­
tion has a seat belt <=>
page 136, Safety belts .
The fact that there is an upper limit to yo ur
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the to tal weight of wha tever is being car­
ried in the vehicle ( including the weight of a
tra iler hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded trailer) is lim ited. The more passen­
gers in the vehicle or passengers who are
heavier than the standard we ights assumed
mean that less we ight can be carried as lug­
gage.
T he tire pressure label on your Audi also 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
label <=>page234 , fig.174.
A WARNING
-Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve-
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more we ight than your vehicle
was des igned to carry will prevent the
veh icle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of the loss of vehicle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
veh icle with in a safe distance .
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly, incl uding a blowout
and sudden deflation, causing loss of
con trol and a crash .