tires AUDI A5 CABRIOLET 2010 Owner's Manual

-~_T_ i_ re _ s_ a_n _ d_ w_ h _e_ e_ ls _________________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nu ed )
• If the tire i s not flat and you do not ha ve to change a wheel
immediately, drive at reduced speed to the nearest service station
to check the tire pressure and add air as required.
0 Note
Driv ing without valve stem caps can cause damage to the tire valves.
T o preven t this, a lways make sure that fac tory ins talle d valve stem
caps on all wheels are securely mo unted on the valve.
<£> For the sake of the environment
Under inflated t ires will also increase the fuel consumption .•
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amo unt of load or weig ht that any vehicle and
any t ire ca n carry. A veh icle th at is overlo ade d w ill n ot handle well and
is more difficult to stop . Overload ing can not on ly lead to loss of
vehicle co ntro l, bu t can also d amage important pa rts of the vehi cle
and can lead to sudden t ire failure, including a b lowo ut and sudden
deflation that can ca use the vehicle to c rash.
Yo ur safety and t hat of your passengers also depends o n mak ing s ure
that load limits are not e xceeded. Vehicle load incl udes eve rybody
and everyth ing in and on the ve hicle. These load limits are tech nically
refer red to as the veh icle's
Gross Vehicle We ight Rating ("GVWR").
T he "GVWR" includes t he weight of the basic vehi cle, all factory
installed accessories, a fu ll tank of fue l, o il, coo la nt and other fluids
plus maxim um load . The maxim um load includes the number of
passenge rs that the vehi cle is intended to car ry ("seating capacity ")
w ith an ass umed we ight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each pa ssenger at a
designat ed seating position and the tota l w eight of any l uggage in
the vehicle. If you tow a trai le r, the weight o f the t railer hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded tra ile r must be included as part of the
veh icle lo ad .
T he
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR ") is the max imum load t hat
can be a pplied at each of the ve hicle's two axles .
Th e Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing and the Gro ss Axle Weight Ra ting
are listed on the safety compliance s ticker label located on the
dr iver 's s ide B-pillar. Audi h as 4 seat ing pos it ions, 2 in t he fro nt and
2 in the rear for total seating capacity of 4 . Each seating pos it io n has
a seat belt =>
page 19 0, "Safety belts" .
Th e fa ct t hat there is an upper lim it to your veh icle 's Gross Vehicle
We ight Rating means that the total weight of whatever is being
c arrie d in t he ve hicle (incl uding t he weight o f a trail er hi tch and the
tongue weig ht of the loaded tra iler) is limited . The more passengers
in the veh icle or p assenge rs who are he avier than the st anda rd
we ights assumed mean that less we ight can be carried as luggage.
Th e tire pressure labe l o n yo ur Audi a lso lists the max imum combine d
we ight of alt of the o ccupants and l uggage or o ther cargo that the
vehicle ca n carry . For t he locat ion of the label=>
page 300, fig. 22 7.
& 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 de signed to carry
will prevent the vehicle from handling properly and increase the
risk of the loss of vehicle control.
• The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehicle within a safe di stan ce.
• Tires on a vehicle that has been o verloaded can fail suddenly ,
including a blowout and sudden deflation, causing loss of control
and a crash .
• Always make sure that the total load being transported -
i ncluding the weight of a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a .,_

& WARNING (continued)
loaded trailer -does not make the vehicle heavier than the
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. •
Determining correct load limit
Use the example below to calculate the
total weight of the passengers and luggage
or other things that you plan to transport so
that you can make sure that your vehicle
will not be overloaded.
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 300,
fig. 227.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.
Safety first
Tires and wheels -
3. Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from
"XXX" kilo­
grams or "XXX" pounds shown on the
sticker =>
page 300, fig. 22 7.
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- 7
SO (5 x 1 SO) = 650 lbs.)
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 available
cargo and luggage load capacity of your
vehicle. .,_
Vehicle care Technical data

___ T_ i_ r _e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e_ l_ s _______________________________________________ _
Check the tire sidewall( => page 307~
fig. 231) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific ti re. •
Tire service Life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of differ ent
things including proper installation and balancing,
corr ect tire pressure and driving style .
(,,-------
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
Fig . 22 9 T ir e t re ad:
t read wea r indi cators
(TW I)
Fig. 2 30 Rota tin g
tire s fo r mo re ev en
w ear
T he original t ires o n your veh icle have 1/ 1 6 inch ( 1.6 mm) h igh "wea r
indicators" => fig . 229 r unning across the tread . Depending on the make, there will be six to eight of them eve
nly placed around the t ire .
Ma rks o n the t ire sidewall (for examp le " TWI" or o ther symbols) indi­
cate the positions of the tread wear indicators . Worn t ires must be
replaced . Different figures may apply in other countries =>& .
Tire pressure
Incorrec t tire pressure causes premature wea r a nd c an cause sudde n
tire blow -o ut. Fo r th is reason, tire press ure must be checked at least
once a mont h =>
page 302.
Driv ing style
Dr iv ing fast aro und curves, he avy ac cele ration and hard braking
increase tire wear.
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four t ires on your veh icle to have the same se rvice life, we
recommend that the fron t and rear ti re s are rotated according to the
tire ma nufactu rer's suggested tire rotat ion intervals. Please
remember the fo llow ing :
• Tire ro tat ion intervals may d iffe r from the vehicle serv ice intervals
out lined in your Maintenance and War ranty Booklet .
• The longer one tire is used in one locat ion on the vehicle, the more
it wears a t certain points; therefore, we recommend that you follow
the tire manufacture r's suggested tire rotation interva ls .
• Vehicles with front -whee l drive experien ce more tread wear on the
front wheels compa red to all-whee l dr ive (quattro
® ).
• Please ro ta te tires as shown=> fig . 2 30.
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction-specific tires
=>page 326 .
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced . Howeve r, various sit uat io ns
dur ing everyday driving can cause them to become unbalanced,
res ulting in vibr ations yo u can us ua lly fee l throug h the s tee rin g
whee l. •

________________________________________________ T_ i_ re _ s_ a_ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l _s _ ....... JIII
Unbalanced wh eels must be rebalanced to avoid e xcessive w ear o n
st eeri ng, sus pens ion and tires. A w heel must a lso be re balan ced
w hen a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect whee l alignm ent can ca use excessive ti re wea r, impairing
th e safe ty o f the vehicle. If tir es show excessive we ar, ha ve the w heel
alignment checked by a n authorized A udi dealer or qualif ied wo rk ­
s hop .
All wheel drive
Vehicle s wi th qu att ro ® mus t alw ay s ha ve tires of the sa m e siz e,
construct ion a nd tread type. For details see~
page 246.
& 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.
• 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 chemicals 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.
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle 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. •
Vehicle OP-eration
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and w heel s hav e to b e brok en in .
Fig. 231 Tire specificat ion codes on the sidewall of a tire
No.
©
®
®
©
©
©
Description
Passenger car tire (where app licable)
Nom inal width of ti re in mil lim eters
Ratio of hei9ht to width (aspect ratio)
Radial
jj Rim diameter code
L oa d index and speed rating
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

-~_T_ i_ re _ s_ a_n _ d_ w_ h _e_ e_ ls _________________________________________________ _
(j)
®
®
@
@
U.S . DOT tire identification number
Audi Original tire
Sever snow conditions
Tire ply composition and materials used Ma ximum load rating
Treadwear, traction and temperature grades M axi mum pe rmissib le inflation pressure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the vehicle's design . The tires
and rims approved by Audi are specially matched to the characteris­
tics of the vehicle and can make a major contribution to good road holding and safe handling when in good condition and properly
inflated
~ & .
We recommend that all work on tires and wheels be performed by an
authorized Audi dealer . They are familiar with recommended proce­
dures and have the necessary special tools and spare parts as well as
the proper facilities for disposing of the old tires.
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary information about tech­
nical requirements for installing or changing tires and rims.
Replacing tires and wheels
Tires should be replaced at least in pairs and not individually (for
example both front tires or both rear tires together) .
Be sure to read and heed the information to the tire pressure moni­
toring system*.
Always buy replacement radial tires that have the same specifications
as the tires approved for your vehicle by Audi. Replacement tires must
always have the same load rating specification as the original equip ­
ment or approved optional tires listed in the table~
page 300.
Audi-approved specification tires are specially matched to your
vehicle and its load limits, and can contribute to the important road- holding, driving characteristics, and safety of the vehicle
. The table
(~ page 300) lists specifications of the tires approved for the Audi
models covered by your Owner's Literature.
The tire pressure label located on driver's side B-pillar (~
page 300,
fig. 228) lists the specifications of the original equipment tires
installed on your vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to place standardized infor­
mation on the sidewall of all tires~
page 307, fig. 231. This infor­
mation identifies and describes the fundamental characteristics, the
quality grade of the tire and also provides a tire identification number
for safety standard certification and in case of a recall.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it easier to choose the correct
tires . Radial tires have the tire specifications marked on the sidewall,
for example:
P255 / 35 R19 96Y XL
This contains the following information:
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars (where applicable)
255 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire from sidewall edge to side-
wall edge. In general, the larger the number, the wider the tire
35 Height/width ratio in percent (aspect ratio)
R Tire construction : Radial
19 Rim diameter code (in inches)
96 Load rating code
Y Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" Indicates that the tire is a"Rein­
forced" or an "Extra Load" tire
M+S (or "M/S") Indicates that the tire has some mud and snow capa­
bility
The tires could also have the information of direction of rotation
~page 296.

________________________________________________ T_i_re _ s_ a _ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ _
Tire manufacturing date
The manufacturing date is also indicated on the tire sidewall
(possibly on ly on the
inner s ide of the wheel):
"DOT ... 2210 ... " means, for example, that the tire was produced in
the 22nd week of 2010.
Speed rating (letter code)
The speed rat ing letter code on the wheels ind icates the maximum
permissible road speeds =>
& in "Winter tires" on page 311.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
S up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 1 18 mp h (190 km/h)
U up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)3>
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)3>
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)3>
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)3>
Your vehicle is normally factory equipped with t ires, which possess
excellent driving characterist ics and give you r A udi optimum driv ing
comfort. An electronic speed limiter=>
page 22 will normally prevent
your vehicle from going faster than the tire speed rating =>
&-
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN) and tire
manufacture date
This is the tire's "serial number". It begins with the letters "DOT" and
indicates that the tire mee ts all federal standa rds. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it was manufactured, and
the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufacture .
For example, the numbers 2210 mean that the tire was produced in
3
l For tires w ith a maxim um speed capabi lity ove r 149 mph (240 km/h), tire
manufacture rs sometimes use the letters "ZR."
Safety first
the 22nd week of 2010 . The other numbers are marketing codes that
may or may not be used by the tire manufacturer . This i nformation is
used to contact consumers if a tire defect requires a recall.
Audi Original tire
Tires with the identification "AO" or "RO" have been specially
matched w ith your Audi. We recommend using only these tires
because they meet the highest standards regard ing safety and
driving characteristics when used correct ly. Your authorized Audi
dealer will gladly provide you with more information .
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of plies indicates the number of layers of rubber-coated
fabric in the tire. In general, the greater the number of plies, the
more weight a tire can support . Tire manufacturers also must indi­
cate the materials in the tire, which include steel, nylon, polyester,
and others .
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the maximum load in kilograms and pounds
that can be carried by the tire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and temperature grades=> page 311.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
Th is number is the greatest amount of air pressure that should ever
be put in the tire under normal driving conditions.
& 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. _,.
Vehicle care Technical data

-~_T_ i_ re _ s_ a_n _ d_ w_ h _e_ e_ ls _________________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nu ed )
• Alway s use tire s, rim s and wheel bolts that meet the specifica­
tions of original factory-installed tires or other combinat ions 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 speed s. Tires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
lower speeds.
• Never mount used tir es on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history. " Old used t ires m ay 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 tire s reduces vehicle handling and can lead
to a loss of control.
• If the spare tire is not the same as the tires that are mounted
on the vehicle - for example w ith 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 fa ster than the maximum speed for which the tires
on your vehicle are rated because ti re s 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 properl y inflated
and not over or underinflated.
• For technical reasons it is not always possible to u se wheels
from other veh icles- in some cases not even wheels from the same
vehicle model.
• If you install wheel tr im discs on the vehicle wheels , make sure
that the air flow to the brakes i s not blocked . Reduced airflow to
the brakes can them to overheat, increasing stopping distances
and cau sing a collision.
& W ARNING (continued )
• Run flat ti res may only be used on vehicles that were equipped
with them at the factory. The vehicle must have a chassi s designed
fo r run flat tires and a factory-installed tire pressure monitoring
system* that indicates a loss of tire pressure. Incorrect use of run
flat tires can lead to vehicle damage o r accidents. Check with an
authorized Audi dealer or tire speciali st to see if your vehicle can
be equipped w ith run flat tires . If run flat t ires are used , they must
be installed on all four wheels. Mixing tire types is not permitted.
0 Note
• F or tech nical reasons, it is no t gene rally poss ible to use the wheel
r ims from other vehicles . This ca n hold t rue for w heels of the same
veh icle type .
• If the spare tire is different from the tires th at you have mou nted
on yo ur vehi cle (fo r ex am ple w inte r tir es o r wide profile tires), then
use the spa re t ire for a short period of time on ly and d rive with extra
care . Replace t he f lat tire w ith the tire matching the others on your
veh icle as soon as possible.
• N ever dr ive witho ut the valve s te m c ap. The valves coul d get
damaged .
'£> For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old t ires in accordance with the loca l req uirements.
(]] Tips
Tires with t he ident ification "AO" have been specially matched with
your Audi. We recommend us ing only these ti res beca use they meet
t he highest standa rds rega rding saf ety and dr iv ing c ha racteristics
when used correct ly. You r autho rized Audi dealer w ill gladly provide
you with more info rmation. •

Tires and wheels Ill
----------------
Uniform tire quality grading
• Tread wea r
• Tr act io n AA A B C
• T empera ture A B C
Quali ty g rades c an be fou nd where ap plica ble on t he tire side wa ll
between tread shou lde r and max imum section widt h=>
page 307,
fig. 231.
For example: Tread wear 200 , Tract ion AA , Temp era ture A .
All passenger car tires must conform to Federa l Safety Requirements
in addi tion to these g ra d es.
Tread wear
The tr ead wear grade is a comp arati ve ra ting based o n the wear rat e
o f the tire when teste d un der co ntro ll ed conditions on a specifie d
governme nt test co urse.
For examp le, a tire graded
1 50 would wear one and one half (1 1/2)
ti mes a s well on t he governmen t course as a tire graded 10 0 .
Th e relat ive performa nce of tires d epends u pon t he ac tual cond it io ns
o f their use, however, an d m ay de pa rt sig nifi cantly from the norm
due to var iat io ns in d riv in g ha bits, se rvice prac tices and differences in
road characterist ics and climate .
Traction
The trac tion gra des, from highes t to lowest, are AA, A, Band C. Those
grades represent the t ire's ab ility to s top o n wet pav ement as
measu red under contro lled condit ions on s pecified government test
surfaces of asphal t and conc re te . A tire marked C may have poo r trac­
tion performance =>& .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (t he hi ghest), B, a nd C, rep resenting
t he t ire's resistanc e to the generat io n of he at and its ab ility to dissi­
pate heat when teste d un der contro lled conditions o n a s pecifie d
indoor laboratory t est wh eel.
Safety first
S ustai ned high temperat ure ca n cause the material of the tire to
degener ate a nd re du ce tire li fe, and exces sive tem per at ure c an lead
to sudde n tire failu re=> &.
T he grade C corresponds to a leve l of perfo rmance which a ll
p assenger c ar tires m ust meet under the Federal Motor Veh icle
Safety Stan dard No. 1 09. Grades Band A represent higher levels of
perfor man ce on t he laborat ory tes t w heel th an t he m ini mu m
req uir ed 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. •
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve veh icle h andlin g on s now and
i c e. At t emper atures belo w 45 °F (7 °C) we re com mend
c h anging to winter tires.
In some heavy snow areas, loca l gover nments may require true
wi nte r or "s n ow" t ires, th ose wi th very dee ply cut t read . Th ese tire s
should only be used in pairs and be i nstalled on all four wheels . Mak e
s u re you purchase snow tires tha t are the same si ze and constr uction
t ype as the other t ires on your ve hicle .
Yo ur vehicle is equi pped with a ll-w heel d rive, this will improve trac­
t ion dur ing w inter dr iv ing, even wit h th e standar d tir es. However, we
st rongly recommend that you a lways eq uip a ll four w heels on you r .,_
Vehicle care Technical data

Ill Tires and wheels
-------------------
vehicle with correctly fitted w inter t ires or all -season ti res, when
w inte r road condi tio ns ar e ex pect ed . Thi s also improve s the veh icle's
brak ing perfo rma nce and reduces stopping distances .
S umme r tires provide less g rip on ice and snow.
Wint er ti re s (sn ow tire s) m ust alway s b e fi tted on a ll fo ur wheel s.
Ask your aut horized Audi dea le r or qualified workshop for permitted
winter tire sizes. Use on ly ra dial winter tires .
Wint er tires lose their effe ct iveness w hen the tread is wor n down to
a depth of 0.1 57 inch (4 mm).
O nly dr ive w it h w inte r tir es und er w inte r co ndition s. Summe r tires
hand le better w hen there is no s now o r ice on t he roads and the
temperature is a bove
4 5 °F (7 ° C ).
If y ou have a flat tire, see notes on s pare wheel ~
page 307.
Please always remember that winter tires may have a lower speed
r a tin g th an th e t ires origin ally inst alled on y our vehicl e a t th e time it
was man ufact ured , Please see::::;, page 309, "Spe ed rat ing ( letter
c ode)" fo r a listing o f the speed ra ting le tte r codes and t he maxim um
speed at which the tires can be driven.
T he spee d rat ing letter code( ~
page 299) is on the side wa ll of the
ti re ::::;,
page 3 0 7.
& WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits that may be lower than
your vehicle's maximum speed. Always know the maximum speed
before driving off. Never drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific winter tires. This will cause damage to the tires leading to an accident and serious personal injury to you and your
passengers.
& WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed for which the winter tires
on your vehicle were designed can cause tire failure including a
& WARNING (co ntinued )
blowout and sudden deflation , loss of control, crashes and serious
personal injuries . Have worn or damaged tire s replaced immedi­
ately.
• Winter tires have maximum speed rating that may be lower
than your vehicle's maximum speed.
• Never drive fa ster than the speed for which the winter or other
tires installed on your vehicle are rated.
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and traffic conditions.
Never let the good acceleration of the winter tires and all-wheel
drive tempt you into taking extra risks . Always remember:
• When braking, an all-wheel drive vehicle handles in the same
way as a front drive vehicle.
• Drive carefully and reduce your speed on icy and slippery roads,
even winter tires cannot help under black ice conditions .
For the sake of the environment
Use summe r tires when wea ther co nd itio ns perm it. They are qui ete r,
do not wear as quickly and reduce fuel consumpt io n. •
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted on ly to th e fro nt wheels, and only to
c er ta in tire siz es. As k yo ur a uth orized Audi de aler on which ti re si zes
snow c hains ca n be used .
The snow c hains m ust have low-profile lin ks an d must not be thicker
t han 0.53 inch (1 3.5 mm), including the lock.
Remove wheel center covers and trim d iscs before putting snow
c hains on you r veh icle ::::;,
0. For safety rea so ns co ve r caps m ust t he n ~