ESP AUDI A5 COUPE 2012 Owners Manual

-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been 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 automa tic tra nsmission, power steering,
power br akes, power w indows, 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 rat io 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 t hat is made o f
s teel wires, wrapped o r rein force d 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 tire infl ation pressure
means t he 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 253
-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 we ight of a motor ve hicle w it h
standard equipment in cl ud 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 t ire design to operate at h igher 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 LOA D", or
"R F" on the sidewall .
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
mea ns the load-carry ing capac ity of a s ingle
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.
Groove
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 loa d ra ti ng f or a t ire at the maxi­
mum pe rm issi ble inflat ion pressure for that
ti re .
•
•
...

254 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 253, 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 264 . 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 268.
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.

256 Tires and wheels
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
Fig. 210 Tire p ress ure labe l: loca ted e ith er on d river 's
side 8 -pillar or ins ide t he fue l filler flap
Tire pressure genera lly refers to the amount
of air i n 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 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 design an d load limit­
the greatest amount of weight that the vehi ­
cle can carry safe ly and the t ire size . The prop­
er tire pressure is freq uently referred to as the
"recommended cold tire inf lation 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 ion pressu re i n a "cold " tire that coun ts.
T herefore, 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 underinflated and could fail su ddenly .
M ain taining p roper t ire pr es su re is one o f the
most impor tan t things 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 r ight pressure is also impor­
tant for safe and responsive vehicle handling,
traction, braking and load carrying .
Tire pres­
sur es are particularly important when th e
vehicle is being driven at higher speeds , and
then especially when heav ily loaded even
w ithin the permissible load -carrying capaci ­
tie s approved for y our vehicle .
,;
•(=~ : I : I :,.. I)@ ~
The~-----~---w-o- ....... -e.....i -·· - ­u ........ -.-..,.0, ... -....,.,...tot~---....... ._.,. -..
....
-..... ...........
- KPA. a PSI
- KPA.
a PSI
- KPA. a PSI
Fig. 21 1 Tir e 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 t he kind of tires o n your veh icle
and the numbe r of passengers and/or amount
of luggage you w il l be transporting .
On USA vehicles, the t ire pressure label is lo­
cated on the driver's side B-p illar. On Canada
vehicles, the tire press ure label is located ei­
ther on the dr iver's s ide B-pillar or inside the
fuel fille r flap. The t ire press ure l abel lists the
recommended co ld tire inflation pressures for
t h e veh icle at its ma ximum ca pa ci ty we igh t
and t ires th at were on yo ur vehicle at the t ime
it was manufac tured.
If you wish to improve comfort when operat­
ing the vehicle at normal load (up to 3 oc cu­
pant s), you can adjust tire pre ssures to those
specified for normal vehicle lo ad. Before op­
erating the vehicle at maximum load, you
must increase the ti re pressures to those
specified for ma ximum veh icle load ¢.&..
Bear in mind that the tire pressure mon itor ing
system * can o nly monitor the tire press ures
yo u have sto red. The system does not recog­
ni ze the load condition of your vehicle.
T he effectiveness of the tire press ure monitor ­
ing system * w ill be impa ired i f you store nor­
mal load press ures but then operate the veh i­
cle at its maximum load
¢ .&. .
See the ill ustration ¢ fig. 210 fo r the location
of the label eit her on driver's side B -p ill ar or
i nside the fuel fi ller flap (color of the actual
IJI>

Tires an d wheel s 257
labe l and exact location on the vehicle wi ll
va ry slightly). inside the f
uel fi ller flap) always takes p rece ­
dence.
Note that the f ollowing tab le is accurate at
t he t ime o f go ing to press and is subject to
change. In the event of discrepancies, the tire
pressure label (On USA vehicles, the tire pres­
sure label is located on the dr iver's side B-pil­
lar. On Canada vehicles, the tire pre ssure labe l
is located either on the driver's side B-pillar or T
he table below lists the recommended cold
ti re in flat ion p ressu res for the Audi mode l
cove red by your Owner 's Literat ure at the vehi­
cle's capacity weight and the t ire sizes instal­
l ed on the respect ive models as orig inal
equipment, or as a factory option.
Engine Tire designation Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
( displace-
normal load normal load
ment in li- condition full load condition
full load
ter) (up to 2 oc-condition (up to 2 oc- condition
cupant s) cupants)
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
4-cylinder 225 /50 Rl 7 94H All Season
230
33 230
2
.0
245/45 Rl 7 95H All Season 230
245 /40 R18 93H All S eason 33 230 35 240 29 200 35 240
255 /35 R19 96V XL High 32 220 33 230 32 220 33 230 Performance
265 /30 R20 94V XL H igh
Perfo rmance
30 210 33 230 29 200 33 230
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 spare wheel i s
located on a label e ither on the driver's side B­
p illar or ins ide the fuel filler flap .
Because technical changes may be made to
vehicle equ ipment dur ing the model year, a l­
ways compare the tire s ize designation on the
tire pressure label on your vehicle w it h the
tires on your veh icle. Ma ke sure that the tire
size info rmation on the ve hicle label is the
s a me as the s ize of the t ires on the vehicle.
This is especia lly important if the vehicle be­
l ongs to someone else or you bought the vehi­
cle with different rims/tires o r you bought the
vehicle as a previously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your pas ­
sengers also depends on mak ing su re that
l oad limits a re not exceeded . Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
ve hicle. These load limits are technically refer­
red to as the vehicle's G ross Vehicle We ight 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 Rat ing and the
G ross Ax le Weig ht Rating are listed on the
sa fe ty comp liance sticke r label lo cated e ither
on the dr iver's s ide B-pillar or on the ins ide of
the fue l filler flap. The tire pressure labe l on
your A udi lists the maximum combined
weight of all of the occ upants and luggage or
other cargo that the veh icle can carry . For t he
loca tion of the t ire p ressure label¢
fig. 210.
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
h icle cont ro l, a c rash or other accide nt, se­
rious pe rsonal injury, and even death.
- Ca rrying more we ight than your veh icle
was des igned to carry will prevent the
1
I
•
•

Remember that the vehicle manufacturer, not
the tire manufacturer, determines the correct
tire pressure for the t ires on your vehicle .
It is importan t to check the tire pressu re when
the t ires a re cold .
- Read the requ ired ti re p ressure from the tire
pressure label. On USA veh icles, the t ire
pressure label is located on the drive r's side
B-pi llar . On Canada vehicles, the tire pres ­
s u re label is located either on the driver's
s ide B-pi llar or inside the fue l filler flap . The
t ire press ure label lists the recommended
cold tire inflation pressures for the veh icle
at its max imum capacity weight and the
t ires that were on your vehicle at the time it
was manufactured . Fo r recommended t ire
pressures fo r normal load condit ions, please
see chapter
9page 256.
- T urn the valve stem cap counter-clockwise
to remove it from the tire valve .
- Place the air pressu re ga uge on the valve .
- The tire pressures should only be checked
and adjusted when the tires a re cold . The
s li ghtly raised p ressures of warm tires must
not be reduced.
- Adjust the tire pressure to the load you a re
c a rrying.
- Re install the valve stem cap o n the valve .
When should I check the ti re pres sure ?
The correct tire pressure is espec ially impor­
tant at high speeds. The pressure should
therefore be checked at least once a month
and a lways befo re start ing a journey . Do not
forget to check the tire pressure for the spare
wheel.
When should I ad ju st the tire p re ss ures?
Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carry ing . After chang ing a wheel
or replacing
wheels you have to adjust the tire pressures
on all wheels. In addition , you must then in it i­
alize the new tire pressures in the tire pres­
sure mon itor ing system*
9 page 270.
Tire s an d wheel s 259
_& WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinfla­
tion can lead sudden tire fa ilure, loss of
control, collision, serio us pe rsonal injury
or even death.
- When the
ti] warn ing symbol appears in
the instrument cluster, stop and inspect
the t ires.
- Inco rrect tire pressure and/or underinfla­
tion can cause increased tire wea r and
can affect the handling of the vehicle and
s topping ability.
- I nco rrect tire pressures and/or unde rin­
f lation can a lso lead to sudden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowou t and sudd en de­
f lation, ca using loss of veh icle cont ro l.
- T he drive r is responsi ble for the co rrec t
tire pressures for all tires on the veh icle.
The appli cable pressure values a re locat ­
ed on a sticke r on the dr iver's side B -pil­
lar or on the inside of the fuel filler flap.
- On ly when all tires on the vehicle are fil ­
led to the correct pressure, the t ire 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 tires and the correct pressures for
the function of th e ti r e p ress ure monito r­
ing system*.
- Always inf late tires to the recommended
a nd correct t ire p ress ure before dr iv ing
off.
- Driving with unde rinflated tir es bend
mo re, lett ing t hem get too hot resulting
in tre ad separation, sudden tir e fa ilure
and loss of cont rol.
- Exces sive speed and/overloading can
cause heat b uild- up, s udden tire failure
an d l oss of cont rol.
- If the tire pressure is too low or too high,
the t ires will wear prema turely and the
vehicle wi ll not handle well.
- I f the tire is not fla t and you do not have
to change a wheel immedia tely, drive a t •
•

A WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of con­
trol, a crash and serious personal injury!
- Never drive a vehicle when the tread on
any tire is worn down to the wear indica­
tors.
- 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 t ires.
- Tires age even if they are not be ing used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds . Tir es 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 histo ­
ry ." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
Tires and wheels 263
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in .
Fig. 214 Tir e specificat ion codes on t he s idewall o f a
tire
No. Description
CD Passenger car tire (where applicable)
@ Nominal width of tire in millimeters
® Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
© Radial
® Rim diameter code
® Load index and speed rat ing
(f) U.S. DOT tire identification number
® Audi Original tire
® Sever snow conditions
@ Tire ply composition and materials
used
@ Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and temperature
grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pres-
sure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the
vehicle's design . The tires and rims approved
by Audi are specially matched to the charac­
teristics of the vehicle and can make a major .,.
•

Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/
h)
s up to 1 10 mph (180 km/ h)
T up to 118 mph (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)1
)
z over 149 mph (240 km/h)ll
w up to 168 mph (270 km/h)1l
y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)1l
Your veh icle is normally factory equipped with
tires, which posse ss excellent driving charac ­
ter ist ics and give your Audi opt imum dr iving
comfort. An electronic speed limiter
q page 27 w ill normally p revent your vehi cle
from go ing faster than the tire speed ra ting
Q .&. .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
and tire manufa ctur e date
This is the t ire's "serial number". It begins
with the lette rs "DO T" and indicates that the
tire meets all federal standards . The next two
numbers or letters indicate the p lant where it
w as manufactured, and the last four numbers
represen t the week and ye ar of manufacture .
For example, the numbers 2209 mean that
the t ire was produced in the 22nd week of
2009 . The othe r numbe rs are marketing co­
des that may or may not be used by the t ire
manufacturer. This informa tion is used to con ­
t act consume rs if a tire defect requires a re ­
call.
Audi Original tir e
Tires with the ident ificat ion "AO" or "RO " have
been spec ially matched with your Aud i. We
recommend using only t hese tires because
they meet the highest standards regard ing
safety and driving characteristics when used
correctly. Your authorized Audi dealer will
g lad ly p rovide you with mo re info rmation .
ll Fo r tires wit h a m ax im um s pee d ca pabil ity over 149
mph (2 4 0 k m/h) , tire ma nufa cturers some times use
t h e le tters "Z R."
Tire s an d wheel s 265
Tire ply composition and material s used
The number o f plies indicates the number o f
l aye rs of r ubber-coated fabric in the tire. In
genera l, the greater the number of plies, the
more weight a tir e can support . Tire manufac­
turers also must indicate the materials in the
tire, which include steel, nylon, po lyester, and
others.
Maximum Load Rating
T his number indicates the maximum load in
ki lograms and po unds that can b e carried by
the tire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear,
tract ion , and temperature resistance
Tread w ear, traction and t emperat ure grades
q page 266.
Ma ximum Permissible Inflat ion Pre ssure
T his number is the greatest amount of a ir
pressure that should ever be put in the tire
u nder normal dr iving conditions.
A WARNING
- Using incorrect or unmatched tires and I
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
comb inat ions can lead to loss of control,
col lis ion and serious personal injury.
- Always use t ires, rims and whee l bolts
that meet the specifications of original
factory- installed tires or other combina ­
tions that have been specifically ap­ proved by the vehicle manufacture r.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fail sudden ly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 yea rs
old c an only be used in an emerge ncy
an d then w ith special care and at lower
spee ds.
•
•

tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on
specif ied government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
t raction performance¢ .&,.
Temp eratu re
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and
C, representing the tire's resistance to
the generation of heat and its ability to dissi­ pate heat when tested under controlled condi­
tions on a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure ¢.&, .
T he grade
C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet
under the Federa l Motor Veh icle Safety Stand­
ard No.
109 . Grades Band A represent higher
levels of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the m inimum required by law.
.8, WARNING
The trac tion grade assigned to this t ire is
b ase d on stra ight-ahead brak ing t raction
t ests, and does not inclu de acceleration,
co rnering, hydrop laning or peak traction
characteristics .
.8, WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is es ­
tablished for a t ire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded . Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separate ly or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible ti re fa ilu re.
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice . At temperatures below 45 °F
(7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires.
-
In some heavy snow a reas, loca l governme nts
may require t rue winter or "snow" tires, those
Tires an d wheel s 267
with very deeply cut tread. These tires should
o nl y be used in pairs and be installed o n all
fo ur wheels. Make sure you purchase snow
tires that are the same si ze and construction
type as the other tires on your vehicle.
Your vehicle is equipped with a ll-wheel drive,
th is w ill imp rove traction d uring winter driv ­
ing, even with the standard tires. However, we
strong ly rec ommend that you always equip all
fou r wheels on you r vehicle with correctly fit­
ted w inter t ires or al l-season t ires, when win­
te r road cond itions ar e expected . This also im­
proves the veh icle's b ra ki ng perfo rman ce and
reduces stopping d ista nces .
Summe r tires p rovide less grip on ice and
snow .
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted
o n all four wheels .
Ask your authorized A udi dealer or qualified
workshop for permitted
winter tire sizes . Use
only rad ial winter t ires.
Winter tires lose their effectiveness whe n the
tread is worn down to a depth of
0.157 inch
(4 mm).
Only drive with winter tires under winte r con ­
ditions. S ummer t ires handle better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °().
If you have a flat t ire, see no tes on spare
whee l ¢ page 263.
P lease alway s remember tha t win ter tire s m ay
have a lowe r speed ra ti ng than the tires orig i­
nally installed on your vehi cle at the time it
was man ufactured. Please see ¢page 264,
Speed rating (letter code) for a listing of the
speed rating letter codes and the max imum
speed at which the tires can be driven.
T he spee d rating letter code (¢ page 254) is
on the side wall of the t ire ¢page 263.
.8, WARNING
Winter t ires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than yo ur vehicle's max-
imum speed . Always know the max imum
~
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•

2 70 T ire s and wheel s
- Drive carefu lly on roads with potholes, deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from driving
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may also
cause damage to your tires.
- After any impact, immediately inspect your tires or have them inspected by the neares t
authorized Aud i dealer. Replace a damaged
t ire as soon as possible .
- Inspect your t ires every 2 ,000 miles (3,000
km) for damage and wear . Damage is not al­
ways easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of
air and underinflation, wh ich could eventu­
ally cause t ire failu re. If you be lieve that a
t ire may have been damaged, replace the
t ire as soon as poss ible.
- T hese tires may wea r more quick ly than oth­
ers.
- Please also remember that, whi le these t ires
deliver respons ive handling, they may ride
less comfortably and make mo re no ise than
othe r choices.
Reduced perf ormance in winter /cold
sea son condit ion s
All ti res are des igned for certa in pu rposes.
The low aspect ratio, u ltra high performance
tires originally installed on your vehicle are in­
tended for max imum dry and wet road per­
formance and handling . They are not suitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather condit ions. If
you dr ive under those circumstances, you
should equip your vehicle with all-season or
winter tires, which offer better traction under
those cond it ions . We suggest you use the rec­
ommended snow or all-season tires specified
for your vehicle, or their equ ivalent .
Refe r to ~
page 267 for more deta iled infor­
ma tion regarding w inter tires.
Tire pressure
monitoring system
(l) General notes
App lies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
Each tire , includ ing the spare (if provided),
should be checked month ly when cold and in- flated to the inflation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufact urer on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure labe l. (If your
vehicle has tires of a different si ze than the
s ize indicated on the vehicle placard or tire in­
flat io n pressure labe l, you shou ld determine
the proper t ire inflation pressu re for those
tires) .
As an added safety feature, your veh icle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system ( TPMS) that illum inates a low tire
pressure te lltale when one or more of your
t ir es is significantly under-inflated. Acco rding­
ly, when the low tire pressure telltale i llumi­
nates, yo u shou ld stop and check your tires as
soon as possib le, and inflate them to the
proper pressure . Driving on a significantly un­
der- inflated t ire causes the tire to overheat
and can lead to tire fa ilure. Under-inflation al­
so reduces fuel effic iency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's hand ling and
stopp ing ability .
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute
for proper tire ma intenance, and it is the driv­
er 's respons ibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not
reached the level to tr igger illum inat ion of the
T PMS low tire p ressu re tellta le.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
T PMS malfunction ind icator to ind icate when
the system is not operating prope rly . T he
T PMS ma lfunction indicator is combined w ith
t h e low tire pressure te lltale . When the sys ­
tem detects a malfunction , the telltale will
flash for approximately one min ute and then
remain continuously illuminated. This se­
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunct ion exists .
When the malfunction indicator is illuminat­ ed , the system may not be ab le to detect or
s ignal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a var iety of rea­
sons, including the installa tion of replace­
ment o r alternate tires or wheels on the vehi ­
cle that p revent the TPMS from functioning
properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
te lltale a fter rep lacing o ne or more tires o r .,.

272 T ire s and wheel s
- The driver is responsible for maintaining
the correct tire pressures. You must
check the tire pressures regularly.
- Under certain conditions (such as a spor­
ty driving style, winter condit ions or un­
paved roads), the pressure monitor ind i­
cator may be delayed .
- Ask your author ized Audi dealer if run­
flat tires may be used on your veh icle.
Your vehicle regist rat ion becomes invalid
if you use these tires when not permit­
ted. Damage to your veh icle or acc idents
cou ld also resu lt.
(D Tips
- The tire pressure monitoring system
stops working when there is an ESP/ABS malfunction.
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- To ensure a proper TPMS function use AUDI O riginal Tires wh ich are marked
with "AO" or "RO" on the tire sidewall.
¢page 263.
-The tire pressure monitoring system on
you r A udi was ca lib rated us ing tires w ith
the "AO" or "RO" identification. We rec­
ommend using these tires .
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monito ring system
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels are ro ­
tated or changed, the TPMS must be reset via
radio or MM!*.
• Turn on the ignition.
• Se lect : the
ICARI function bu tton> Tire
pre ssure monitoring
> Store now .
@ Tips
Before resetting the TPMS, the current
pressu res of all four tires must correspond
to the specified values. Adjust the t ire
pressure and reset the pressure in the tire
pressu re monitoring system according to
the load you are carrying
¢ page 256 .