tire pressure AUDI A5 CABRIOLET 2011 User Guide

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& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Tires age even if they are not be ing used and can fail suddenly ,
e specially at high speeds . Tires that are more than 6 year s old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at low
s peed .
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weigh t (in excess of those sta ndard items wh ich
may be replaced) of automatic transmission, power steer ing, power
bra kes, powe r win dows, power sea ts, radio, and heate r, to the exte nt
that these items are available as factory-insta lled equipment
(whet her i ns ta lled or no t).
Aspect ratio
means the r atio of t he he ight to t he widt h of the t ire in percent.
N umbers of 55 or lower indicate a low sidewa ll for improved steer ing
res ponse and bet ter over all h andling on dry p avemen t.
Bead
means the part of the t ire that is made of stee l wi res, w rapped or
re in forced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a brea kdown of the bond between components in the bead.
Cord
means the st rands forming the plies in the ti re.
Safety first
& W ARNING (co ntinued )
• Never mount u sed tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history ." Old u sed tires may have been damaged
eventhoughthedamagecannotbeseenthatcanleadtosudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
• If you notice unusual vibr ation or if the vehicle pulls to one side
when driving, always stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the wheels and tires for damage. •
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the t ire pressu re recom mended by the vehicle manufa ctu rer
for a tire of a desig nate d size that has not been driven for more than
a couple of m iles ( kilomete rs) a t low speeds in the t hree hour per io d
before the tire pressu re is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
means the weight of a moto r vehicle wit h standard equipment
incl uding the max imum ca pac it y of fue l, o il, and coo lan t, air condi ­
tioning and additiona l weig ht of optional eq uipment.
Extra load tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads and at higher inflat ion
pressures than t he co rresponding sta ndard t ire. Extra load tires may
be identif ied as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewa ll.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ( "GAWR ")
means the loa d-carrying capac ity of a sing le ax le system, measure d at
the t ire-grou nd interfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR")
mea ns the maximum tota l loaded we ig ht of the vehicle .
Vehicle care Technical data

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
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 infla­
tion pressure. You may not find this information on all tires because
it is not required by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating fo r a tir e at the maximum permissible inflation
pressure for that tire.
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 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 distr ibution 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 paralle l cords.
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those installed regular production
options weigh ing 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 battery, and specia l 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 297, "Cold tire inflation pressure".
Reinforced tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads and at higher inflation
pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Reinforced t ires may
be identified as "XL ", "x l", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and tube assembly upon
wh ich the tire beads are seated .
Rim diameter
means nominal diameter of the bead seat . If you change your wheel
size, you w ill have to purchase new tires to match the new rim diam­
eter .
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges.

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Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the tread 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 309. You may not find this information on
all tires because it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applicable, is molded on the tire
sidewall and indicates the max imum permissible road speeds=>
& in
"Winter tires" on
page 311.
Tire pressure monitoring system*
means a system that detects when one or more of a vehicle's tires are
underinflated and illuminates a low tire pressure warning telltale.
Tread
means that portion of a tire that comes into contact with the road.
Tread separation
means pulling away of the tread from the tire carcass.
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the principal grooves designed to give a
visual indication of the degrees of wear of the tread. See=>
page 306,
"Tread Wear Ind icator (TWI)" for more information on measuring
tire wear.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tir e information system developed by the United States National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that is designed to
help buyers make relative comparisons among tires. The UTQG is not
a safety rating and not a guarantee that a tire will last for a prescribed
number of miles (kilometers) or perform in a certain way. It simp ly
gives tire buyers additional information to combine with other
considerations, such as price, brand loyalty and dealer recommenda­
tions. Under UTQG, tires are graded by the tire manufacturers in three
Safety first
areas: treadwear, traction, and temperature resistance . The UTQG
information on the tires, molded into the sidewalls .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
This is the tire's "serial number" . It begins with the letters "DO T" and
indicates that the tire meets all federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it was manufac tured, and
the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufacture.
For example,
DOT ... 2210 ...
means that the tire was produced in the 22nd week of 2010. The
other numbers are ma rket ing codes that may or may not be used by
the tire manufacturer. Th is information is used to contact consumers
if a tire defect requires a recall.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus 150 lbs. (68 kilograms)
times the vehicle's total seating capacity as listed on the label located
on the driver's side B-pillar.
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
means that load on an individua l tire that is determined by distrib­
uting to each axle its share of the maximum loaded vehicle weight
and dividing by two.
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individua l tire that is de term ined by distrib­
uting to each axle its share of the curb weight, accessory weight, and
normal occ upant weight (distr ibuted in accordance with table below
=> page 300) and dividing by two. ..,_
Vehicle care Technical data

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Occ up ant loading and distribution for vehi cle normal load for various d esignated seating capacit ies
Designated seating capacity, num- Vehicle normal load , number of Occupant distribution in a nor­
mally loaded vehicle
ber of occupants occupants
4 2 2 in front
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle .
Fig. 227 Tire pre ssure
la bel: loc ate d on
d river 's si de B ·pillar
Tire pressure generally refers to the amount of air in a t ire 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 inte rnational measur ing un it and in pounds per square i nch
(PSI). Tire press ure is based in part on t he vehicle 's design and load
limit -the greatest amount of weight tha t the vehicle can carry safe ly
and the t ire si ze. The proper tire pressure is frequently referred to as
the "recommended cold t ire inflation pressure. " Air in t he tires
expands when the tire heats up because of internal friction when it
flexes in use . The tire p ress ure is highe r when the t ire has wa rmed up
than when it is "cold." It is the inflation pressure in a "cold" tire that c o unts . Therefo re, you should never let air ou t of a wa rm tire to
match "cold tire inflation pressure " recommendations . The t ires
wou ld then be underin flated and could fail suddenly .
SIZf COlD fflE PRESSUAf DIME NSION'S MfSSK)N DE$ l"NEV$ A fFIOiD
- KPA,. PSI
- KPA,. PSI
- KPA,. PSI
Fig. 2 28 Tir e pre ssure
label
Maintaining proper tire pressure is one of the most important things
you can do to he lp avoid sudden tire failure . Underinflated tires are a
ma jo r cause of sudden tire failure . Keep ing t ires at the right pressure
is a lso important fo r safe and responsive vehicle handling, t ract ion,
braking and load carrying.
Tire p ressures are particularl y important
when the vehicle i s being driven at higher speed s, and then e spe ­
cially when heavily loaded even with in the permissible load­
carrying capacitie s approved for your v ehicle .
The recommended tire pressures for your Audi depend on the kind o f
t ires on you r vehicle and the number o f passengers and/or amo unt of
luggage you will be transport ing .
The tire pressure label is located on the driver 's side 8-pillar . T he tire
pressure labe l lists the recommended cold t ire inflation p ressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity weig ht and tires that were on
•
your vehicle at the time it was m anufactured. .,

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If you wish to improve comfort when operating the vehicle at
normal load (up to 3 o ccupant s), you can adjust tire pres sures to
those specified for normal vehicle load . Before operating the
vehicle at maximum lo ad, you must increase the tire p res sures to
those specified for maximum vehicle load=>& .
Bear in mind that the tire press ure monitor ing system* can only
mon itor the t ire pressu re s you h ave sto red . T he sys tem does no t
recogn ize the load cond it ion of your vehicle.
Th e effectiveness of the ti re pressure monitoring system* wi ll be
impa ired if you store normal load pressu res but then operate the
vehicle at its maxim um loa d=> & . See the
illustration=> fig. 227 for the location of the label on driver's
side B- pillar (colo r of the act ual la bel and ex act l ocation on the
vehicle will vary slig htly).
N ote that the fo llow ing tab le is accurate at the time of going to press
and is subjec t to change. I n the even t of discrepancies , the tire pres­
sure label is located on the driver 's side B-pillar always takes prece­
dence .
T he table below lists the recommended cold t ire inflation pressures
for the Audi model covered by your Owne r's Literature at t he ve hicle's
capac ity weight and the tire sizes insta lled on the respective models
as original equipment, or as a factory option .
Engine Tire designation Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
(displace- normal load normal load
ment in
liter) condition (up
full load condition (up
full load
to 2 occu- condition to 2 occu- condition pants) pants)
kPA PSI PSI kPA PSI kPA
4-cylinder 225/50 Rl 7 94H All Season
33 230
36 250
30 2
10 39 270
2.0 245/45
Rl 7 95H All Season 32 220 35 240
29 200 38 260
245/45
Rl 7 99H XL All Season 32 22 0 35 240 2 9 200 3 8 260
245 /40 R18 93H All Sea son 35 240 38 260 32 220 41 280
255/35 R19 96V
XL High Performance 32 220 35 240
29 200 38 260
XL= reinforced or extra load tire . It may also appear as xl , EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire sidewall .
The correct tire p ress ure for t he spare wheel is loca ted on a labe l o n
the driver 's s ide B-pillar.
Beca use technical c hanges may be made to vehicle equipment dur ing
the model year, always compare the tire size des ignation on the t ire
pressu re labe l on yo ur vehicle with the t ires on your vehicle. Make
sure that the tire size informat ion on t he v ehicle labe l is the same as
the size of the t ires o n the vehicle. This is especially important if the
vehicle belo ngs to so meone else or you bo ug ht the vehicle with
Safety first
differe nt r im s/ tires or you bo ugh t the vehicle as a prev iously owned
vehicle.
Remember, yo ur safety and t hat of your passengers also depends o n
making sure that load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load includes
everybody and everything in an d on the vehi cle. These load limits are
t e chnically refer red to as the veh icle's G ross Veh icle Weig ht Rating
("GVW R"). The Gross Axle Weight Rati ng ("GAWR") is the maximum
load tha t can be applied at ea ch of the ve hicle's two ax les . T he G ross ..
Vehicle care Technical data

-~_T_ i_ re _ s_ a_n _ d_ w_ h _e_ e_ls _________________________________________________ _
Vehicle Weight Rating and the G ross Ax le We ig ht Rating a re listed on
t he sa fe ty co mplianc e stick er la bel lo ca ted on t he dr ive r's side B­
pillar. The tire press ure label on your Aud i lists the max imum
combine d weight of a ll of t he occ upants an d lugga ge or other cargo
that the veh icle can car ry . For the locat io n of the t ire pressure label
~ pa ge 300 , fig. 227.
& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause los s of vehicle control , a crash or
other accident, serious personal 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 b rakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehicle within a safe distan ce.
• Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly
causing loss of control and a crash.
• Always make sure that the total load being transported -
including the weight of a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehicle heavier than the
vehicle 's Gro ss Vehicle Weight Rating.
& WARNING
• Incorrect tire pressures and /or underinflation can lead to a
serious or fatal accident.
• Incorrect tire pressures and /or underinflation cause increased
tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle.
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure , including a blowout and sudden deflation,
c ausing loss of vehicle control. •
Checking tire pressure
The c orrec t t ire pre ssur e fo r th e tires origina lly insta lled
o n yo ur veh icle is listed on th e tir e p res su re l abe l lo cat ed
on driv er's side 8-pi llar.
Th e recommended tire pressures are on the tire p ress ure labe l an d in
t he table~
page 300, "Cold tire infla tion pressure" .This means that
the pressure m ust be chec ked an d ad justed w hen the tire has not
bee n driven for more tha n a co uple of miles (kil om ete rs) at l ow
speeds dur ing the prev io us three hours . A ir in t he tires expan ds when
t he tire he ats up as a res ult of in ter nal fric tion as it flexes in use. The
t ire pressure is higher w hen the tire has warmed up than whe n it is
" ld "
c o .
It is the inflation pressu re in a "cold" tire that counts. Therefore, yo u
should never let air out of a wa rm tire to match "Col d tire inflat ion
pr essu re" recomme ndat ions~
pag e 300 . The t ir e s would t hen be
unde rinflated and co uld fail sudden ly .
Th e tire p ress ure label on your Aud i list s th e recom mended co ld t ire
inflation pressures at maximum capacity fo r the new, o rigina l equip­
ment tires tha t were on yo ur vehicle at the t ime it was man ufactu red.
For the location of the label~
page 300, fig. 227.
M ost tires lose a ir nat urally ove r time. They can a lso lose some a ir if
you drive over a potho le or hit a curb while pa rking.
It is usually not
possible to see whether the rad ia l ti res used today are underinflated
jus t by loo king at them.
T herefore, be sure to check t ire pressures at least once a month and
a lways before going o n a long tri p. M ake sure to take the num be r of
peop le and the amount of luggage i nto account whe n ad justi ng tire
press ure for a t rip -even one tha t you would no t conside r to be
" lo ng." See~
pag e 304, "Tires and vehicle load lim its" for mo re
im po rtant i nformat ion.
Alw ays use an a ccu rat e t ire pres sure g auge whe n checki ng a nd
ad justing i nflat io n pressures. Check all of the tires and be sure not to
f o rge t the s pare tire. If the pre ssu re in any tir e is too h igh when the
t ir e is "co ld," let air out of t he tire slowly with t he edge of the ti re ..,_

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gauge a nd keep chec king the press ure until you reach t he press ure
th at i s cor rect fo r t he lo ad ( pass en ge rs and l uggage) and kind of
dr iving you plan to do .
If the press ure i n any t ire is too low, note the difference betwee n th e
pressu re in t he cold tire a nd the pressure you need and add the air
that you need to reach the correct pressure for t he ve hicle load
( pass enge rs and lugg age) f or th e tires on yo ur vehicle as l ist ed on t he
on your vehicle and in this manua l and the kind of driving you p lan to
do.
Never exceed the maximum inflation pressure listed on the tire
sidewall for any reason.
Remember that the ve hicle m anufac tur er, no t the tire manufa cture r,
determines t he correct tire press ure for the t ires on your veh icle.
It is important to check the tire pressure when the t ires a re co ld .
• Read the requ ired t ire pr essure from t he t ire pr essure lab el. T he
tire pressure labe l is located on the dr ive r's side B-p illar.
• Turn t he valve stem cap co unter-clockw is e t o remove it from the
tire valve.
• Place th e air press ure gauge on the valve .
• Th e tire p res su res sho uld on ly be che cked and adju sted whe n the
tires are cold . The slightly raised press ures of warm tires must not be
re duc ed .
• Adjust the tire press ure to the load you are carry ing.
• Re install the valve s tem cap o n the valve.
When should I check the tire pressure?
Th e correct tir e press ure is especially import ant a t hi gh s peeds. The
pressu re s ho ul d t herefore be chec ke d at least once a mont h and
a lways before sta rt ing a jou rney. Do not fo rget to check the tire pres­
sure for the spare w heel.
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Adjust t he tire pressure to the loa d you are ca rry ing . After ch ang ing a
w hee l
or replac ing wheels yo u have to adjus t th e t ire press ures on all
Safety first
wheels . In add itio n, you m ust t hen store the new tire pressu res in the
tir e press ure m oni torin g sy stem* =>
page 316.
& WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures 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
increa sed tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability.
• Incorrect tire pressures and /or underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation ,
causing loss of vehicle control.
• The driver is responsible for the correct tire pressures for all
tires on the vehicle. The applicable pressure values are located on
a sticker on the driver's side B·pillar.
• Only when all tires on the vehicle are filled to the correct pres­
sure , the ti re pressure monitoring system* can work correctly.
• The use of incorrect tire pressure values can lead to accidents or
other damage. Therefore it is essential that the driver observe the
specified tire pressure values for the tires and the correct pres­
sures for the function of the tire pressure monitoring system*.
• Always inflate tires to the recommended and correct tire pres­
sure before driving off.
• Driving with underinflated tires bend more, letting them get
too hot resulting in tread separation, sudden tire failure and loss
of control.
• Excessive speed and/overloading can cause heat build-up,
sudden tire failure and loss of control.
• If the tire pressure is too low or too high, the tires will wear
prematurely and the vehicle will not handle well.
Vehicle care Technical data

-~_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 189, "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. •