ESP AUDI A5 COUPE 2011 Owners Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: AUDI, Model Year: 2011, Model line: A5 COUPE, Model: AUDI A5 COUPE 2011Pages: 362, PDF Size: 84.88 MB
Page 277 of 362

Checking and filling Ill
-------------~--
Closing the engine hood
- Pull the hood down until the pressure from the struts is
reduced.
- Let the hood
drop down and latch in place. Do not try to
push it shut;
it may fail to engage=:> &.
& WARNING
A hood that is not completely latched could fly up and block your
view while driving.
• When you close the engine hood, check it to make sure the
safety catch has properly engaged. The hood should be flush with
the surrounding vehicle body parts.
• If you notice while driving that the hood is not secured prop
erly, stop at once and close it. •
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the engine
compartment.
Whenever you must perform any work in the engine compartment,
for example checking and filling different fluids, there is a risk of injury, burns and accidents. To prevent personal injury always
observe the following WARNINGS. The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a hazardous area=>& .
& WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check anything under the hood:
• Turn off the engine.
• Remove the ignition key.
• Apply the parking brake.
Safety first
& WARNING (continued)
• Move selector lever of automatic transmission to "P" (Park);
put manual transmission in Neutral.
• Always let the engine cool down. Hot components will burn
skin on contact.
• To reduce the risk of being burned, never open the hood if you
see or hear steam or coolant escaping from the engine compart
ment. Wait until no steam or coolant can be seen or heard before
carefully opening the hood.
• Keep children away from the engine compartment.
• Never spill fluids on hot engine components. They can cause a
fire.
• Never touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary electric fan is
temperature controlled and can switch on suddenly.
• Never open the coolant reservoir cap when the engine is still
warm. The coolant system is pressurized and hot coolant could
spray out.
• Protect your face, hands and arm from steam or hot engine
coolant by placing a thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir.
• If work on the fuel system or the electrical system is necessary:
-Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open flames. Fluids in
the engine compartment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher immediately available.
• To avoid electrical shock and personal injury while the engine is
running or being started, never touch:
-Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage electronic ignition
system.
• If you must perform a check or repair with the engine running: ..,
Vehicle care Technical data
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___ C_h_ e_c _k _i_n -=g :a,__ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ l _li _n _,g;._ __________________________________________ _
0 Note
• Before w inter sets in, have the coolant checked to see if the
coolant additive in your vehicle is sufficient to meet the climate
conditions. This is especially important if yo u live in a region where
the winter is extremely cold.
If necessary, increase the proportion of
coolant additive to 60% .
• When adding coolant additive to your cooling system, remember :
- We recommend using only coolant additive G12++ (check the
label) for your vehicle. This coolant additive is available at autho
r iz ed Audi dealers. Other types of antifreeze can s ignificantly
reduce corrosion protection. The resulting corrosion can cause a
loss of coolant and serious engine damage.
• Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to your vehicle 's
engine coolant. Adding radiator repair flu id may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling system and cou ld result in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty .•
Checking the engine coolant Level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a quick
glance.
Fig. 208 Engine
co mpartment : Coolant
expansion tank
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 275.
-Turn off the ignition.
- Read the engine coolant level from the coolant expansion
tank~ fig. 208 . With a cold engine, the coolant level
should be between the "MIN" and "MAX" markings. When
the engine is warm, the level may be slightly above the
"MAX" marking.
The locat io n of the coolant expansion tank can be seen in the engine
compartment illustration~
page 276.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must be switched off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped with an electric coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning light in the Auto-Check
System =>
page 34 will blink until you add coolant and the level has
been resto red to normal. Even though there is an electric coolant
level sensor, we still recommend you check the coolant level from
time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the coo ling system. In the event of
coolant loss, the cooling system should be inspected immediately by
your authorized Audi dealer. It is not enough merely to add coolant.
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if the boiling point of the
coo lant is exceeded as a result of overheating .
& WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and can get very hot. Reduce
the risk of scalding from hot coolant by following these steps.
• Turn off the engine and allow it to cool down.
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___ C_ h_ e_c _k _i _ n _g ~ a_n _d_ f_il _l_in _ g _________________________________________ _
Have the battery checked when you take your vehicle in for service.
You are well advised to replace a battery that is older than 5 years.
With certain types of a irbag deployment, the battery is disconnected
from the vehicle e lectrical system for safety reasons=>
& in "Repair,
care and disposal of the airbags" on
page 204.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power window regulators, for example) are
lost if the battery terminals are disconnected. These functions have
to be relearned after the battery terminals are connected aga in . To
prevent this, the battery should only be disconnected from the
vehicle electrical system when absolutely necessary for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not dr ive your vehicle over a period of several days or weeks,
electrical components are gradually cut back or switched off. This
reduces energy consumption and maintains starting capability over a
longer period=>
page 243.
Take into consideration that when you unlock you r vehicle, some
convenience functions, such as the master key remote function or
power seat adjustment, may not be available. The convenience func
tions will be available again when you turn on the ign ition and start
the engine.
W inter operation
During the w inte r months, battery capacity tends to decrease as
temperatures drop. This is because more power is also consumed
wh ile starting, and the headlights, rear window defogger, etc., are
used more often.
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, particularly in city traffic or
when traveling only short distances. Let your authorized Audi dealer
check the capacity of the vehicle battery before winter sets in
=> page 288. A well charged battery will not only prevent starting
problems when the weather is cold, but will also last longer.
W Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several weeks at extremely low
temperatures, the vehicle battery should be removed and stored
where it will not freeze. This will prevent it from being damaged and
having to be replaced .•
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near the
battery.
The battery is located in the luggage compartment under the
floor. Before you check anyth ing in the lu~gage compart
ment,
read and heed all WARNINGS:=>& .
Always heed the safety warnings, when working on the vehicle
battery or the vehicle electrical system to prevent injury .
The following WARNINGS are very important when
working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYMBOLS and safety pre
cautions when working on the battery.
Always wear eye protection.
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Always wear
gloves and eye protection . .,,_
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Fast charging the battery (charging rate above 14 .8
Volts)
For technical reasons do not use a battery charge r that uses voltage
greater than 14.8 Volts to charge yo ur vehicle's battery.
& WARNING
Charging a battery can be dangerous.
• Always follow the ope rat ing instructions provided by the
battery charger manufacturer when charging your battery .
• Never charge a frozen battery. It ma y explode because of gas
trapped in the i ce . Allow a frozen battery to thaw out first .
• Do not reuse batteries which were frozen . The battery housing
may hav e cra cked and weakened when th e batter y froze.
• Charge the battery in a well ventilated area . Keep away from
open flame or electr ical spark . Do not smoke . Hydrogen gas gen er
ated by the battery i s explosive.
• To reduce the danger of explo sion, n ever conne ct or dis connect
c harger cables while the charger is operating.
• Fast charging a battery is dangerous and should only be
attempted by a competent te chnician with the proper equipment.
• Battery acid that may spill during charging should be washed
off with a solution of warm water and baking soda to neutralize
the acid.
0 Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to start the eng ine. This w ill seri
ous ly damage sens itive elect ronic components, such as control units,
re lays, rad io, etc., as well as the battery charger. •
Safety first
Battery replacement
The ne w ba ttery must have the same spe cific ations and
dimensions as the original equi pment battery.
Inte lligent energy management in your veh icle is responsible for
dist ributing the ele ct ric a l ene rgy t hroughout yo ur veh icle
~ page 243. The intelligent energy management system will keep
t he eng ine ba ttery c ha rged better then vehicles wi thou t this system.
To make sure the additional e lectrical energy is available once again
after you h ave changed the ba tte ry, we re commend t hat yo u inst all
batter ies of the same type and ma nufacture only (the same as t hose
installe d at the time your ve hicle was delivere d). Specifications a re
listed on the battery housing . Your authorized Aud i dealer must code
the batte ry in the energy management system to enable you to use
the energy management f unctions co rrectly after rep laci ng the
battery.
If it is no t poss ibl e to use a batte ry of thi s ty pe, the new ba tte ry mus t
have the same capac ity , voltage (12 volts) , amperage , construction
and plug sea ling .
Whe n ins tal ling the ba ttery, make sure the ign it io n and a ll electr ica l
cons umers are turned off.
0 Note
Make s ure t he venti lation hose on the s ide of the battery is
co nnected, o the rwise fumes or battery acid can lea k out.
W For the sake of the environment
B ecau se of the p roblem of proper di sposal of a ba tte ry, we recom
mend your authorized Audi dealer change the battery for you.
B atteries con tain sulfuri c acid and lead and m ust always be dispose d
of properly in comp liance w it h all environmental regulations.
Dis pos ing o f vehi cle b atter ies im proper ly is ve ry dange ro u s to the
environment .•
Vehicle care Technical data
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-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nu ed )
• Tire s age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly ,
especially 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 we ight (in excess of those sta nda rd items which
may be rep lace d) of automatic transmission, power steering, power
bra kes, powe r w indows , power seats, radio, and heater, to the extent
that these items are avai lab le as factory- installed equipment
(w het he r i nsta lled or no t).
Aspect ratio
me ans the ratio of t he he ight to t he w id th of the tir e in percent .
Numbe rs of 55 o r lower indicate a low sidewa ll for improved steer ing
respo nse an d be tter overa ll handling on dry p avemen t.
Bead
means the part o f the tire that is made of stee l w ires , wrap ped o r
re in forced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a brea kdown of the bon d between components in the bead .
Cord
means the st rands forming the plies in the tire.
& W ARNING (continued )
• Never mount used tire s on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous hi story ." Old used tires may have been damaged
eventhoughthedamagecannotbeseenthatcanleadtosudden
tire failure and lo ss of vehicle control.
• If you notice unu sual vibration or if the vehicle pull s to one side
when driving, alway s stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the wheels and tires for damage. •
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recommended by the vehicle ma nufa cturer
for a tire of a des ignated size t hat has not been driven for more than
a couple of m iles ( kilomete rs) a t low speeds in the t hree ho ur period
before the tire pressure is measured or ad justed.
Curb weight
mea ns the weig ht of a motor vehicle wit h standard equ ipment
including the max imum cap aci ty of f ue l, oil, and coo lan t, air condi
tioning and additiona l weight of optional equipment.
Extra load tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loa ds and at higher inflation
pressures than the co rrespo nd ing standard tire. Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewal l.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ( "GAWR ")
means the load -ca rry ing capacity of a s ingle ax le system, measured at
t he t ire-grou nd inte rfaces .
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR")
means the max imum total loaded we ight of the vehicle .
Page 295 of 362

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Groove
means the spa ce between two ad jacen t tread ribs .
Load rating (code)
mea ns the max imu m load th at a tir e is ra te d to c arry fo r a give n infla
tion pressure. You may not find this information on all t ires beca use
i t is no t required by law .
Maximum load rat ing
me ans the load r ati ng for a t ire at th e maxi mum p ermis sib le in flation
pressure for that tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weig ht
(c) Vehicle ca pacity we ight, and
(d) Pro duct ion op tions weigh t
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the m aximu m cold infla tio n pr essur e to whi ch a t ire may be
inflated . Also called "maximum inflat ion press ure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 k ilog rams) times t he num ber of occupants seate d
in t he vehi cle up to the total sea ting cap aci ty of yo ur vehicl e.
Occupant distribution
means d is tribut ion of occ upan ts i n a vehicle.
Outer diameter
means the ove rall d iameter of an inflated new tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance betwee n the exter iors of the s idewalls of
a n in flated tire, in cludi ng eleva tions due to la beling, dec ora tions, o r
protective bands or ribs.
Safety first
Ply
means a layer o f rubbe r-coate d para llel co rds.
Production options we ight
me ans the co m bine d we ight of tho se in stalled regu lar pr oduction
options weighi ng over 5 lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of t hose standard
i t ems w hic h they replace, not previously considere d in c urb we igh t o r
accessory weight, includ ing heavy duty brakes , ride levelers, roof
rack, heavy duty battery, and s pecial tr im.
Radial ply tire
me ans a pneuma tic tir e in wh ich the pl y cords that extend to t he
beads are laid at substantially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
t rea d.
Recommended inflation pressure
see => page 292, "C old tire in fla tion pr essu re".
Reinforced tire
mea ns a t ire desig n to operate at h ig her loads and at h igher i nflat io n
pressures tha n the corresponding standard tire . Re inforced tires may
be iden tifi ed as " XL", "x l", "E X TR A LOA D", or "RF " on t he sidew all.
Rim
means a metal suppo rt fo r a tire or a tire and tube assemb ly up on
wh ic h the t ire beads are seated.
Rim diameter
means nom inal d iameter of the bead seat . If you change yo ur whee l
si ze, yo u w ill have to purchase new tires to ma tc h the new r im diam
eter .
Rim size designation
means r im diamete r and width.
Rim width
mea ns nom inal dis tance be twee n rim flanges.
Vehicle care Technical data
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________________________________________________ T_ i_ re _ s_ a_ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l _s _ ....... JIII
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seat ing capacities
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 •
Co ld tire inf lation pressure
Tire pr essur e aff ects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
F ig . 2 12 Tire pre ssure
label : loca te d e ithe r on
drive r's s ide B -pillar or
i ns ide th e fuel fille r
flap
Tire pressure generally refers to the amount of air in a tire that it
nee ds it to do its job and safe ly ca rry the combi ned load of t he en tire
vehicle and its contents. Tire pressure is measured in kilopascals
(kPa), the inte rn ational measuri ng un it and in pou nds per square i nch
(PSI) . Tire pressure is based in part on the ve hicle's design and load
limit -the greatest amount of weight that the vehicle can ca rry safe ly
and the t ire size . The proper tire pressure is frequent ly refe rred to as
the "recommended cold t ire inflation pressure ." Air in t he tires
expands when the t ire hea ts up because of i nternal fric tion whe n it
flexes in use . The tire press ure is higher when the ti re has warmed up
t han whe n it is "cold."
It is the inflat io n pr essu re in a "co ld" t ire that
counts. The refore, you sho uld never let air out of a warm t ire to
match "cold ti re infla tion pressure" recommendations . The t ires
would then be under inflated and could fail suddenly.
Vehicle OP-eration
(.
~ ( SEATING CAPACllY JOTAL l:FRONT l:CENTER I )!EAR I )
TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION
Tot--""'91"dOCC10-,ndQ,gc>"""-"1 ___ "90<- lb$.
TIRE SIZE COW TIRE PRESSURE
FRONT -KPa, - PSI
REAR -KPa, -PSI
Fig . 213 Tire pres sure
label
Ma intain ing proper tire pressure is one of the most important things
you can do to he lp avoid sudde n tir e f ailur e. Under infl ated tires a re a
major cause of sudden tire fa ilure. Keep ing t ires at the rig ht pressure
is a lso important for s afe and responsive vehi cle ha nd ling, tractio n,
braking and load carrying.
Tire pressures are particularly important
when the vehicle is being driven at higher speeds , and then e spe·
cially 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
ti res on your vehicle and the numbe r of passengers and/or amou nt of
l u ggage you will be transpo rting .
On USA vehicles, the tire pressure label is located on the d river 's side
8 -pi lla r. O n Ca nada vehi cles, the tire pressure label is located either
on t he driver's side 8- pilla r o r i nside the f uel filler flap . The tire pres ·
s u re labe l lists the recommended co ld tire inflation press ures for the ..,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
Page 298 of 362

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
vehicle at its maximum capacity weight and tires that were on your
vehicle at the tim e it was manufactured.
If you wish to improve comfort when operating the vehicle at
normal load (up to 3 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
=> &.
Bear in mind that the tire pressure monitoring system* ca n only
monitor the tire pressures you have stored. The system does not
recogn ize the load condit ion of your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the tire pressure monitoring system* wi ll be
impaired if you store normal load pressures but then operate the
vehicle at its maximum load
=> &.
See the illustration => page 295, fig. 212 for the locat ion 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 tab le is accurate at the time of going to press
and is subject to change. In the event of discrepancies, the tire pres
sure label (On USA vehicles, the tire pressure label is located on the
dr iver's side B-pillar. On Canada vehicles, the tire pressure label is
located e ither on the driver's s ide 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 respective models
as origina l equipment, or as a factory option.
Engine
(displace ment in liter) Tire designation
Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
normal load normal load
condition (up full load condition
(up
full load
to 2 occu- condition to 2 occu- condition pants) pants)
PSI Jl kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI II kPA
4-cylinder 225/50 Rl 7 94H All Season 32 220 33 230 29 200 33 230
2.0
245/45 Rl 7 95H All Season 32 220 33 230 29
200 33 230
245/40 R18
93H All Season 33 230 35 240 29 200 35 240
255/35 R19 96V XL High Performance 32 220 33 230 32 220 33 230
265/30 R20 94Y XL High Performance 30 210
33 230 29 200
33 230
XL=
reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xi, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire sidewall.
The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is located on a label
either on the driver's s ide B-pillar or inside the fuel filler flap.
Beca use technica l changes may be made to vehicle equipment during
the model year, always compare the tir e s ize designation on the tir e
pressure 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 tires on the vehicle. This is especially important if the
vehicle belongs to someone e lse or you bought the vehicle with
different rims/tires or you bought the veh icle as a previous ly ow ned
vehicle. _.,,
Page 300 of 362

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
pressure for a trip -even one that you would not consider to be
" long. " See =>
page 299, "Tires and vehicle load limits" for more
important 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 tir e manufacturer,
determines the correct tire pressure for the t ires on your veh icle.
It is important to check the tire pressure when the tires are cold.
• Read the required tire pressure from the tir e pressure label. On
USA vehicles, the tire pressure label is located on the driver's side 8-
pillar. On Canada vehicles, the tire pressure label is located either on
the driver 's side 8 -pillar or inside the fuel filler flap. The tire pressure
label lists the recommended cold t ire inflation pressures for the
vehicle at its maximum capac ity weight and the tires that were on
your vehicle at the time it was manufactured. For recommended tire
p ressures for normal load cond it ions, please see chapter
==> page 295.
• Turn the valve stem cap counter-clockw ise 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
ti res are cold . Th e slightly raised pressures of warm tires must not be
reduced .
• Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are carrying .
• Reinstall the valve stem cap on the valve .
When should I check the tire pressure?
The correct tire pressure is especially important at high speeds . The
pressure shou ld therefore be checked at least once a month and
always before starting a journey . Do not forget to check the tire pres
sure for the spare wheel.
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Adjust the t ire pressure to the load you are carrying . After chang ing a
wheel
or replacing whee ls you have to adjust the tire pressures on all
wheels. In addition, you must then initialize the new tire pressures in
the tire pressure monitoring system*=>
page 310.
& 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
increased 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 or on the inside of the fuel
filler flap. .,_
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-~_T_ i_ re _ s_ a_n _ d_ w_ h _e_ e_ ls _________________________________________________ _
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wea r a nd can cause sudden
t ire blow-out. For this reason, ti re p ressure must be checked at least
once a month ~
page 297.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy acce le ra tion and hard brak ing
increase tire wear .
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your veh icle to have the same service life, we
re commend that the fron t and re a r tires are rotate d according to the
tire manufact urer's suggested tire rotation interva ls . Please
remember the fo llow ing:
• Tir e rotat ion inte rvals may differ from t he ve hicl e service intervals
outlined in your Maintenance and War ranty Booklet .
• T he longer one tire is used in one location on the veh icle, the more
it wears at certa in points; therefore, we recommend that you follow
t he t ire m anufac ture r's suggested tire rotation in terva ls.
• V ehicles with front-whee l drive expe rience mo re tread wea r on t he
fron t wheels compa red to all-whee l drive (quattro
® ).
• Please rotate tires as s hown ~fig. 215.
• Extra care must be taken when rotating d irection-specific tires
~ page 321.
Wheel balancing
The w heels on new vehicles are balanced. Howeve r, va rious sit uat io ns
dur ing eve ryday dr iv ing can cause them to become unbalanced,
re su lt ing in v ibr ations yo u can usually fee l throug h the steering
wheel.
Unbalanced wheels must be rebalanced to avoid excessive wea r on
steeri ng, suspension and t ires . A wheel must also be rebalanced
w hen a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrec t whee l alignment can ca use excessive tire wear, impai ring
t he sa fety of the veh icle . If tires show excess ive wear, have the wheel
alignment checked by an authorized A udi dealer or qualified wo rk
shop .
All wheel drive
Vehicles w ith q uattro ® must always have ti res of the same size,
const ructio n and trea d type. For details see~
page 242 .
& 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 wea r ind icato rs.
• Worn tire s are a safety hazard, they do not grip well on wet
roads and in crease your risk of "hydroplaning" and lo ss 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 tire s 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. •