change time AUDI A5 COUPE 2012 Owner's Manual

228 Cleaning and protec tio n
8_ WARNING
So lvents can c hange the properties of
some plas tics and ma ke it ha rder for the
a irbag to deploy .
-
-Never clean the instrument panel or the
surface of airbag modules with cleaning
products that contain solvents .
- Products containing solvents w ill make
the surface of th is part porous.
- Serious injur ies can result if plastic parts
come loose when the airbag is deployed.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 221.
(D Note
Cleaning agents containing solvents will
attack the mater ial and can change the
way it behaves.
Natural leather
App lies to vehicles: with natura l leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the
properties, natural look and feel of interior
leather.
General
We offer many different types of leather on
our veh icles. Most are different types of nappa
l eather, which has a smooth surface and
comes in var ious colors.
The intensity of the color determines the visu­ a l characteristics and appearance . If the sur­
face of the leather has a typical natural look,
then the leather is a nappa leather that has
been left in a relatively natural cond ition. This
leather offers particularly good comfort and
breathes well. F ine veins, closed g rains, insect
b ites, ski n folds , and subtle var iations in co lor
remain visible. These c haracte ris tics demon­
stra te that the mater ia l is na tural.
Natural nappa leather is not covered by a col­
or finish.
It is therefore more sensitive to soil­
ing and wear, w hich is something you need to
conside r if ch ild ren, anim als or othe r fa ctors
might p rove to be particular ly hard on the
leather . By cont
rast, leather types that are covered by
a colo red finish layer are more durab le . T his
has a positive effect on the leather's resist ­
ance to wear and soiling in dai ly use. On the
other hand, the typical characteristics of natu­
ral leather a re barely or not apparent . Howev ­
er, th is does not mean that the leathe r itself
is of inferior quality .
Care and handling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of
leather that Audi uses and their unique prop­
erties (such as sensit ivity to oils, grease, soil­
i ng, etc.), you will need to be somewhat ca re­
ful with these leathers, and a ce rtain type of
ca re is req uired. Fo r example , da rk clothing
mater ials can dis co lor le athe r seats (especia l­
l y if such clothing is damp and was not dyed
correct ly). Dust and dirt parti cles in pores,
folds, and seams can have an abrasive effect and can damage the leather surface as we ll as
wea ken seams.
The leather should be cleaned regularly as neede d. After having been used for a relatively
l ong time, your leather seats will acq uire a
rich aged fin ish. This is a characteristic of nat­
ural leather and a sign of true quality.
In order to maintain the val ue of this nat ural
product over the life of your veh icle, you
shou ld follow the recommendat ions be low:
(D Note
- To keep your leather from b leaching out,
do not allow it to be exposed to b right
sunlight for long periods of time. If you
have to leave the ve hicle parked outside
for long per iods, cover the leather to
pro tect i t from direct expos ure to sun­
light.
- Sharp objects o n cloth ing, such as z ip­
pers, rivets o r sharp pieces on belts can
leave permanent s cratches or s crape
ma rk s on the s urfa ce o f th e leathe r.
(D Tips
-Aft er each time you clean the leather and
a t regular intervals, use a leathe r
1111>

-Blend must contain not more than 15%
MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform
espec ially we ll for winter or summer driving.
During seasonal change-over, we suggest that
you fill up at busy gas stat ions where the sea­
sonal adjustment is more likely to be made in
time .
(D Note
-Methanol fuels which do not meet these
requirements may cause corrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo­
nents in the fuel system .
- Do not use fue ls that fail to meet the
specified criter ia in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether
or not a particular fue l blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
its fuel supp lier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents
cannot be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance
problems resulting from the use of fuels
different from those specified are not
the responsibility of Audi and are not
covered under the New Vehicle or the Emission Control System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy
or driveability and performance prob­ l ems due to the use of one of these fuel
blends, we recommend that you switch
to unblended fuel.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufac­
turers is carbon deposit build- up caused by
the type of gasoline you use.
Although gasoline grades differ from one manufacturer to another , they have certain
things in common. All gasoline grades contain
substances that can cause deposits to collect
on vital engine parts, such as fuel injectors
and intake valves. Although most gasoline brands include additives to keep engine and
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 233
fuel systems clean, they are not equally effec ­
tive .
A udi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline. For more info rmation on TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline, please go to the official
website (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadeq uate
fuels, built-up carbon deposits can rob yo ur
engine of peak performance.
Q) Note
Damage or malf unct ion due to poor fue l
quality is not covered by the Aud i New Ve­
hicle Limited Warranty.
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
side panel behind the fuel fille r flap.
If the power locking system should fail, you
can still open the flap manually -for deta iled
instruct ions see¢
page 235 .
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your ve­
hicle in
Technical Data ¢ page 292.
The label on the inside of the fuel fi ller flap
tells you the correct fue l for your vehicle. For
more information about fuel specifications,
see ¢
page 232.
Your vehicle fue l tank has an on -board refue l­
li ng vapor recovery system. This feature helps
to prevent fuel vapors from escaping from the
tank and pollut ing the environment while you
refuel your vehicle . In order to fill the tank
properly while protecting the environment,
please fo llow this refueling procedure careful­
ly.
_&. WARNING
Under normal operating conditions, never
carry additional fuel containers in your car.
Gas canisters and other containers used to
transport f uel can be dangero us. Such con­
tainers, full or empty, may leak and could
cause a fire in a collision. If you must
•
•

24 0 Ch eck ing and filling
Modern engine lubrication has taken a quan­
tum leap in the last few years. Many synthetic
oils ava ilable today provide better engine lu­
brication that can outlast traditional petrole­
um-based oils, making them a smart choice
for use throughout the life of your Audi .
Whether you use synthetic or petroleum ­
based engine oil, the oil that you use must
conform to Audi 's oil quality standard
VW 502 00 to help keep your vehicle 's engine
running smoothly and help prevent the for­
mat ion of harmfu l deposits, sometimes called
"sludge ", that ove r time can lead to expensive
repairs .
At the time of print ing , engine o ils available in
the U .S . and Canada that meet the exacting
specifications of Audi oi l standard VW 502 00
a re synthetic engine oils. This does not mean,
however, that every synthetic engine oil will
meet Audi oil standard VW 502 00. So always
be sure that you use an approved oil.
To help prevent the format ion of harmful de ­
posits use only oi l with the fo llowing specifi­
cations printed on the oil container :
Audi oil standard VW 502 00
O il container labe ls may carry the specif ica ­
tion s ingly or in comb inat ion with other des ig­
nations and oil qua lity standards .
Visco sity
Engine oils are graded accord ing to their vis­
cosity. The proper viscosity grade oil for your
engine depends on cl imactic or seasonal con­
d itions where you drive. You can use oil with a
viscosity grade of SA E 5W40 across all tem ­
pe ratu re ranges for normal driving conditions .
However, if eng ine o il viscos ity grade SA E
5W40 is not available, you can also use viscos­
ity grade SAE 5W -30 or SAE OW-40 as long as
it meets Audi o il quality standard VW 502 00
specif ications .
Because engine oil that meets the Audi oil
standard may not be available everywhere
when you need it, we strongly recommend
that you always carry with you an extra quart (
li ter) of oil that exp ress ly con forms to the
VW 502 00 specification , in case you have to
top
off the oil while on the road.
Only if the level of the o il is at or be low the
minimum mark -and no oi l that expressly
conforms to Audi oil standard VW 502 00
specifications is available - may you top
off
with a high quality engine o il, preferab ly syn ­
thet ic-based, tha t mee ts ACEA A3 or API SM
specifications, but even then , only in v iscosity
grades SAE 5W-40 , SAE 5W-30, or SAE
OW-40. However, dur ing the entire time be­
tween oil change inte rva ls , never top
off with
more than a total of 0.5 q t/ liter engine o il
t h at does not con form to Audi oi l specification
vw 502 00.
For more informa tion about eng ine oi l that
has been approved for your veh icle, please
contact e ither your authorized Aud i dealer or
Audi C ustomer Re lations at 1 (800) 822 -2834
or visit our web site at www .audiusa.com or
www.aud icanada .ca. Here you w ill also find a
current list of oils (manufacturers, brand
names e tc.) tha t conform to Audi oil s tandard
vw 502 00 .
Changing the engine oil
The eng ine oi l and oil fi lter must be changed
according to the mileage (kilometers) and
time intervals specified in your ve hicle's War­
ranty
& Maintenance booklet. Do not exceed
these intervals -harmful deposits from old
engine oil can reduce engine performance and
can lead to expensive engine repairs .
Changi ng the oil at the recommended inter­
vals is so very important because the lubricat­ ing proper ties of oil decrease gradually during
normal veh icle use . If you are not sure when
you have your oil changed, ask your author­ ized Audi Serv ice Adv isor.
Under some circumstances the engine oil
should even be changed more frequent ly .
Change oil more often if you drive mostly
short distances, operate the ve hicle in dusty
areas o r most ly unde r stop-and-go t raff ic con-
ditions, o r when you use your vehi cle where .,..

temperatures stay below freezing point for l ong periods.
Detergent add itives in the o il w il l make fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run ­
ning fo r a short time . This is norma l and is not
a reason to change the oi l more often than
recommended.
D am ag e or m alfun ction s due to lack of
ma intenanc e
It is essential that you change your oil at the
r ecommended inte rva ls using only engine o il
t hat complies wi th A udi oi l standard
VW 502 00. Yo ur Limited New Vehicle War­
ranty does not cover damage or malfunctions
d ue to fa ilure to fo llow recommended mainte­
nance and use requ irements as set forth in
the Audi Owner's Manua l and Warranty
&
Maintenance book let . Your dea ler will have to
deny warranty coverage u nless you present to
the dea ler p roof in the fo rm of Serv ice or Re­
pa ir Orde rs that all s chedu led maintenance
wa s pe rformed in a t imely manner .
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle dep ends on an ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all
of its moving parts.
In o rder to provide effective l ubrication and
cool ing of i nternal engine components, a ll in­
ternal comb ustion eng ines consume a cert ain
amo unt of o il. Oil cons umption varies from
engine to engine and may change significantly
over the life of the engine. Typ ica lly, engines
with a specified break-in per iod (see
c::;, page 213) consume more oil during the
break-in per iod than they consume after oil
consumption has stabilized .
Under norma l conditions, the rate of oil con ­
sumpt ion depends on the quality and viscosity
of the oil, the RPM (revo lutions per m inute) at
which the engine is operated, the amb ient
temperature and road condit ions. Furthe r fac­
tors ar e the amount of o il d ilution from wate r
condensation or fuel residue and the ox ida­
tion level of the oi l. As any engine is s ubje ct to
Checkin g and fillin g 241
wear as m ileage builds up, the oil consump ­
tion may increase over time until replacement
of worn components may become necessary.
Wi th a ll these variab les coming into p lay, no
standard rate of oil consumpt ion can be es ­
tablished or specified. There is no alternative
to regular and frequent check ing of the o il lev ­
el, see
Note .
If the yellow engine oil leve l warning symbo l
Ill in the instrument cluster lights up, yo u
sho uld check the oil leve l as soon as possib le
c::;, page 242. Top off the oil at your earliest
convenience
c::;, page 242.
A WARNING
Before you check anythi ng i n the engi ne
compartment, always read a nd heed all
WARNINGS
c::;, .&. in Working in th e engine
c ompartment on page 23
7.
(D Note
D riving w ith a n insufficient o il level is like­
ly to cause sever e damage to the engine .
(D Tips
- The oil pressure warning display. is
not an indicator of the oil level. Do not
rely on it . Instead, check the oil level in
your engine at regu lar intervals , pref­
erably each time you refuel, and alway s
before going on a long trip .
-If you have the impression yo ur engi ne
c ons umes ex ce ssive amoun ts of o il, we
recommend that you consul t an a uthor­
ized Aud i dea ler to have the cause of
your concern properly d iagnosed. Keep in
mind that the accurate measu rement of
oil consumption requ ires great care and
may take some t ime. An authorized Aud i
dealer has instructions about how to
measu re oil co nsumption accurately.
-
•
•

@ For the sake of the environment
-Under no circ umstances can the oil come
i n contact w ith the sewage network or
the soil.
- Observe and follow lega l regu lations
when disposing of empty oil containers.
Changing the engine oil
We r ecommend that hove your oil changed by
on authorized Audi dealer or a qualified serv­
ice station .
Before you check anything i n the engine com­
pa rtment,
alwa ys read and heed all WARN­
INGS c:> &. in Working in the engine comport­
men t on page 237.
The engine oil must be changed according to
the intervals specified in your Warranty
&
Maintenance book let . T his is very important
because the l ubricating proper ties of oil di­
minish gradua lly dur ing no rmal veh icle use.
Under some circ umstances the engine o il
should be changed more frequently . Change
oil more often if yo u drive most ly short dis­
tances, operate the vehicle in dusty areas or
under predominantly stop-and -go traff ic con ­
d itions, or have your ve hicle where tempera­
tures remain below free zing fo r extended pe­
ri ods.
Detergent addi tives in the o il w ill make fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run­
n ing fo r a short time. This is norma l and is not
a reason to change the o il mo re often tha n
recommen ded.
Because of the problem of prope r disposal,
a long w ith the special tools and necessary ex­
p e rti se require d, we strong ly recommend tha t
you have you r o il change d by an author ized
Audi dealer or a q ualified service sta tion.
If you choo se to change your oil yourself ,
please note the following importa nt informa ­
tion :
Checkin g and fillin g 243
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal inj ury if you
must change the eng ine oil in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wear eye protect io n.
- To reduce the risk of burns from hot en- gi ne oil, let the engi ne cool down to the
touch.
- When removing the o il dra in p lug with
your fi ngers, stay as far away as possible.
Always keep you r fo rearm parallel to the
grou nd to help p revent hot o il from run­
ning down yo ur arm.
- Dra in the oil into a containe r designed
for this purpose, one la rge enough to
hold at least the tota l am ou nt of oi l in
your eng ine .
- E ngine oil is poisonous . Keep it we ll out
of the rea ch of childre n.
- Con tinuous contact wit h used eng ine o il
is harmful to yo ur ski n. A lways p rote ct
your skin by w ashing oil off tho ro ughly
wit h soap and wate r.
@ Note
N eve r mix oil addi tiv es with yo ur engine
oi l. These additives can damage your e n­
g ine and adver se ly affec t yo u r A udi L imit­
ed New Veh icle Warran ty.
@ For the sake of the environment
- B efore changi ng your oil, first make su re
yo u k now where yo u can prope rly dispose
o f t he used oil.
- Always dispose of used eng ine o il proper ­
ly. Do not dump it on garden soil, wood­
ed are as, into open streams o r down
sewage drains .
- Re cy cl e used engine oil by taking i t to a
used engi ne oil col lect ion facility in your
area, or contact a service station .
•
•

~ Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir ¢
fig. 207. The brake fluid
level must be between the "MIN" and
"MAX" markings .
The brake f luid reservoir is located at the rear
partition of the engine compartment on the
l eft side ¢
page 239 .
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the brake pads . This is not cause for alarm .
If the brake fluid level falls considerably be­
l ow the "M IN" mark, the brake wa rning/indi ­
cator light (U .S . mode ls: . , Canadian
models: . will come on
¢page 18 and
¢
page 30. Do not continue to operate the ve­
h icle. The complete brake system shou ld be
thoroughly checked by an authorized Aud i
dealer or qualified workshop and the cause
corrected . If the brake fluid level is too low,
the brake warning/ind icator light will illum i­
nate. Contact an autho rized Aud i deale r
im­
mediately .
(D Tips
The brake f luid rese rvoir is located unde r­
neath the cove r.
Changing brake fluid
Hove the broke fluid changed by an experi­
enced technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moistu re from the a ir . If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
hi gh, cor rosion in the b rake system may result
after a per iod of t ime . The bo ili ng po int of the
b rake fluid w ill also decrease considerab ly and
decrease b raking performance.
Therefore, the brake flu id must be changed
e ver y two year s. Always use new b ra ke fluid
which confo rms to Federal Motor Vehicle
S tandard "FMVSS 1 16 DOT 4".
The brake flu id rese rvoi r can be difficult to
reac h, therefo re , we recommend that yo u
h ave the br ake fl uid changed by yo ur autho r­
ized
Audi dealer . Your deale r has the co rrect
Checkin g and fillin g 247
tools, the right brake fl uid and t he know -how
to do this for you .
A WARNING
-Brake fl uid is poisonous. It must be stor­
ed only in the closed or iginal container
out of the reach of children!
- Brake failure can res ult from o ld or inap­
propriate brake f lu id. Observe these pre­
cautions:
- Use only b rake fluid th at mee ts SA E
spe cificat ion
J 17 03 and conforms to
Fe dera l Mo to r Ve hicl e Standard 1 16.
Always check with yo ur authorized Au di
dealer to make sure yo u are using the
correct brake fluid. The cor rect type of
brake f luid is also ind icated on t he
brake f luid reservoir .
- The bra ke fl uid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes ca n cause a vapor lock if
the b rake fluid is left i n the system too
long. This can se riously affect the effi­
c iency of the b rakes as well as your
safety , T his could result in an accide nt.
(!) Note
Brake fluid will damage the pai nt of your
vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal
of brake fluid as well as the spec ial too ls
r equired an d the nec essary expertise, w e
r ecomme nd that yo u have th e brake flu id
c hanged by yo ur aut ho rize d Aud i dea le r.
Battery
General information
U nder normal oper ating cond itions, the bat­
tery in your Audi does not need any ma inte­
nance . With
high outside temperat ures or
lo ng da ily drives we recommend that you have
t h e e lectrolyte leve l che cked by an autho riz ed
A udi de aler or qu alified workshop. The elec­
tro lyte leve l should also be checked e ach time
the battery is charged
¢ page 250 . 1J1>
•
•

-Always wear eye protection. Do not let
battery acid or any lead particles get on
your skin or clothing. Shield your eyes .
Explosive gases can cause blindness or
other injury.
- Battery acid contains sulfuric acid . Sulfu­
ric acid can cause blindness and severe
burns.
- Always wear gloves and eye protection.
Do not tilt the battery because acid
could leak out of the ventilation open­
ings.
- If you get battery acid in your eyes or
on your skin, immediately rinse with
cold water for several minutes and get
medical attention .
- If you should ingest any battery acid,
seek medical attention immediately.
- Do not expose the battery to an open
flame, electric sparks or an open light.
- Do not smoke.
- Do not interchange the positive and neg-
ative cables .
= When working on the battery, be sure
not to short-circuit the terminals with
tools or other metal objects. This would cause the battery to heat up very quickly,
which could lead to damage or explosion and personal injury.
- When a battery is charged, it produces
hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal injury .
- Always keep the battery well out of the
reach of children.
- Before work is done on the electrical sys­
tem, disconnect the negative ground ca­ ble .
- Before performing any work on the elec­
trical system, switch off the engine and
ignition as well as any electrical equip ­
ment. The negative cable on the battery
must be disconnected . If you are just go­
ing to replace a light bulb, then it is
enough to switch off the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switch
off the anti-theft alarm system! Other­
wise you will set off the alarm.
Checking and filling 249
-When disconnecting the battery, first
disconnect the negative cable and then
the positive cable.
- Before reconnecting the battery, make
sure all electrical consumers are switch­
ed off. Reconnect the positive cable first
and then the negative cable . Never inter ­
change the cables -this could start a fire!
- Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out
battery . It could explode! If a battery has
frozen , then it must be replaced . A dis­
charged battery can freeze over at 32°F
(QOC),
-Make sure the vent hose is always attach­
ed to the opening on the side of the bat­
tery .
- Never use batteries which are damaged.
There is the danger of an explosion! Al­
ways replace a damaged battery.
&_ WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive problems. Wash hands after han­ dling.
(D Note
- Do not disconnect the vehicle battery
when the ignition is switched on or when the engine is running, otherwise, you will
damage electronic components in the
electrical system.
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a
long period of time without being driven,
protect the battery from "freezing", oth­
erwise it will be damaged and will then
have to be replaced.
•
•

CD Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to
start the engine. This will seriously dam­
age sensitive electronic components, such
as control units, relays, radio, etc., as well
as the battery charger.
Battery replacement
The new battery must have the same specifi­
cations and dimensions as the original equip­
ment battery.
Intelligent energy management in your vehi­
cle is responsible for distributing the electri­
cal energy throughout your vehicle
c::, page 211. The intelligent energy manage­
ment system w ill keep the engine battery
charged bette r then ve hicles w ithout this sys­
tem. To ma ke sure t he addi tional e lectrical en­
ergy is available once again after you have
changed the battery, we recommend that you
install batteries of the same type and man u­
facture only (the same as those installed at
the time your vehicle was delivered). Specifi­
cations are listed on the battery housing. Your
author ized Audi dealer must code the battery
i n the energy management system to enable
you to use the energy management functions
correctly after replac ing the bat tery .
If it is not possible to use a battery of this
type, the new battery must have the same ca­ pac ity, voltage (12 volts), amperage, con­
s truction and pl ug seal ing .
When insta lli ng the battery, make sure the ig ­
ni tion and all e lectr ica l cons umers are turned
off.
(0 Note
Ma ke sure the venti lation hose on the s ide
of the battery is connected, othe rwis e
fumes or battery ac id can leak out.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper d isposa l
of a batte ry, we recommend your author­
ize d Au di dealer change th e batte ry for
Checkin g and fillin g 251
you. Batteries contain sul fur ic acid and
l ead and must always be disposed of prop­
erly in comp liance with a ll environmental
regulations. Disposing of vehicle batter ies
i mproperly is very dange rous to the envi­
r o nment .
Windshield/headlight*
washer container
Fig . 20 9 En gin e compa rtm ent : W inds hield an d head ­
light• washer fluid co ntai ne r
The was her fluid conta iner is mar ked w ith the
symbol Won its cap.
.., Before you check any thing in the engine
compa rtment,
alwa ys read and heed all
WARNINGS ~ .&_ in Working in the engine
compartment on page 23
7.
.., Lift the fi lle r ca p tongue to add washer flu ­
id. You can fi ll the containe r to t he top .
.., Press the cap back onto t he fi ller neck after
filling the container.
You can find the reservo ir
capacity in the table
in
c::> page 292.
Clean water should be used when filling up. If
poss ible, use soft wa ter to prevent scaling on
the washer jets . Always ad d a glass cleaner
solution (with frost protection in the winter) .
CD Note
Do not mix engine coola nt antifree ze o r
any other additives to fill up t he wind­
sh ield washer reservoir .

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.

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 •
•