tire pressure AUDI A5 COUPE 2013 User Guide

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 pressu re."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs . (68 k ilograms) 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 overall diameter of an inflated 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 para llel 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 t ire in which the p ly cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan­
tially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread.
Tires and wheels 233
Recommended inflation pressure
see~
page 232, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standard tire. Reinforced tires
may be identified as "XL" , "x l", " 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 w ill have to
purchase new tires to match the new r im di­
ameter.
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width.
Rim width
means nom inal distance between rim fla nges.
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 243 . 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 pe rm issib le road speeds
~ .&. in Winter tires on page 247 .
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.
•
•

Tires and wheels 235
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle .
Fig . 17 6 Tir e pr essur e labe l: located on drive r's s ide B ·
p ill ar
Tire pressu re genera lly refers to the amount
of air in a t ire tha t 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 i nterna­
tional measuring unit and in pounds pe r
square inc h (PSI). Tire pressure is based in
p ar t o n the vehicle's desig n an d load limit­
the greatest amount of weight that the vehi­
cle can carry safe ly and the ti re size . The prop ­
er tire pressure is freq uent ly referred to as the
"recommended cold tire inf lation pressure ."
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
because of interna l frict io n when it flexes in
use . The ti re p ressu re is higher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold ." It is the
i nflat io n pressure i n a "cold" tire that counts.
Therefo re, you s ho ul d never let air ou t of a
warm tire to matc h "cold tire infla tion p res­
sure" recommendations . The tires wo uld then
be underinf lated a nd could fail suddenly.
M ain taining proper t ire press ure is one of the
most impor tan t thi ngs you c an do to he lp
avoid sudden tire failure. Underinfla ted tires
are a major cause of s udden tire failure . Keep­
ing tires at the r ight pressure is also impor­
tant for safe and responsive vehicle handling,
traction, b rak ing and load carrying .
Tire pres­
sures are part icularly important wh en th e
vehicle is being driven at higher speeds , and
then especially when h eavily loaded even
within the permi ssible load -carrying capaci­
tie s approved for your vehi cle.
~
"' ~
,.------------------- ~
•(=~: I := I ~ I )§ :ll
,.,,. ........................ ...., .... ~----.... _ ... t.._.. .... _..,.. .... ......,... .. ~--......... ·- ..
- KPA. . PSI
- KPA. . PSI
- KPA. . PSI
Fig. 17 7 Tir e pressu re labe l
The recommended tire pressures for your Audi
depe nd on the kind of tires on your ve hicle
and t he number of passe ngers and/or amount
of luggage you w ill be t ransporting .
The tire pressure label is located on the driv­
er's side 8-pillar . The tire pressure labe l lists
the recommended cold t ire inflat io n pressures
for the veh icle at its maximum capac ity
weight and tires that we re o n your veh icle at
t h e time it was manufactu red.
If you wish to improve comfort when op erat­
ing the ve hicle at normal load (up to 2 occu­
pant s), you can adju st tire pres sures to those
spe cified for normal vehi cle load . Before op­
erating the vehicle at maximum load, you
must increase the tire pressure s to those
speci fied for maximum vehicle load
¢ .&.
Bear in mind that the tire pressure mon itor ing
system* can on ly mon itor the tire p ress ures
yo u have sto red. The sys tem does not recog ­
nize the load condi tion of your veh icle.
T he effectiveness of the t ire p ress ure monitor­
ing system * w ill be impa ired i f you s to re no r­
m al load pressures but t hen opera te the veh i­
cle a t its maximum load
¢ .& .
See the ill ustration 9 fig. 176 fo r the lo cat ion
of the label o n driver's s ide B-pillar (color of
the actu al label a nd exact lo cat ion on the ve­
hicle will vary s light ly).
Note t hat the follow ing table is accu rate at
the time of going to press and is s ubject to

236 Tires and wheels
change. In the event of discrepancies, the tire
pressure labe l is located on the driver's side B­
p ill ar a lways takes precedence.
The table below lis ts the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures for the Audi model
I Model II
Tire designation
covered by your Owner's Literature at the vehi ­
cle's capacity weight and the tire sizes instal­
l ed on the respective models as orig inal
equipment, or as a factory option.
Tire pressure
Engine normal load condition full load condition
(up to 2 occupants)
front rear front rear
I
PSI Jl kPA PSI Jl kPA PSI Jl kPA PSI Jl kPA
AS Coupe: 225/50 R17 94H
2.0 liter All Season
4-cylinder 245/45 Rl 7 95H
I Au Season
245/40 R18 93H
All Season
2SS /35 R19 96V
High Performance
55 Coupe: 245/40 R18 93V
3 .0 liter High Performance
6-cylinder
-255/35 R19 96V
High Performance
32 220
32 220
33 230
32 220
38 260
38
260
29 200 33 230 33 230
.
29 200 33 230 33 230
I
29 200 35 240 35 240
'
32 220 33
230 33 230
I
32 220 41 280 38 260
32 220 41 280 38 260
I
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 is
located on a label on the driver's side B-pillar.
Because technical changes may be made to
vehicle equipment during the model year, a l­
ways compare the tire size designation on the
tire pressure label on your vehicle with the
tires on your vehicle . Make sure that the tire
size information on the veh icle label is the
same as the size of the t ires on the vehicle .
This is especially important if the vehicle be­
lo ngs to someone else or you bought the veh i­
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 sure that
l oad limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
vehicle . These load limits are technically refer­
red to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating ("GVWR"). The Gross Axle Weight Rat- ing
("GAWR") is the maximum load that can
be applied at each of the vehicle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
G ross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety comp liance sticker label located on the
drive r's side B-pillar . The tire pressure label on
your Audi lists the maximum combined
weight of all of the occupa nts and luggage or
other cargo that the vehicle can carry. For the
location of the tire pressure label¢
fig. 176.
A WARNING ._
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
hicle contro l, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more weight than your vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
veh icle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of a loss of vehicle con­
trol.

-The brakes o n a vehicle t hat has been
overloaded may not be a ble to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly causing loss of con­
trol and a crash.
- Always make sure that the tota l load be­
ing transported -including the we ight of
a tra ile r hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer - does not make the veh i­
cle heav ier than the veh icle's Gross Vehi­
cl e Weight Rating.
A WARNING
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
fla tion can lead to a serious o r fatal acci­
dent.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
fla tion cause increased tire wea r and can
affect the handling of the vehicle .
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can also lea d to sud den tire fa il­
ure, incl uding a blowo ut and sudden de ­
flation, causing loss of vehicle control.
Checking tire pressure
.
The correct tire pressure for the tires original­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressure Lobel located on driver's side 8-pil­ lor.
The re commended t ire press ures a re o n the
tire pressure label and in the tab le
c=> page 235, Cold tire inflation pressure. This
means that the pressure must be checked and
adj usted when the tire has not been driven for
more than a couple of m iles (kilometers) at
low speeds during the previous three hours .
A ir i n the tires expands when the tire heats up
as a result of inte rnal fr iction as it flexes in
use. The t ire p ress ure is higher w hen the tire
h as wa rmed up th an when it is "cold."
It is the inflat io n pressu re in a "cold" tire that
counts. Therefore, you shou ld never let air out
of a warm t ire to ma tch "Cold tire in flation
p ressu re" recommend ations
c::> page 235. T he
Tire s an d wheel s 237
tires wo uld then be unde rinflated and co uld
fail suddenly.
T he tire pressure label on your Aud i lis ts the
re commended co ld tire inflation pressures at
maximum capacity for the new, orig inal
equipment tires that were on your ve hicle at
the time it was manufactured. For the loca­
tion of the labe l
c::> page 235, fig. 176.
Most tires lose air naturally over t ime. They
can a lso lose some air if yo u drive over a pot­
ho le or hit a curb while par king. It is usually
not possible to see whether the rad ia l tires
u sed today are underinflated just by looking
at them .
There fore, be sure to check t ire p ress ures at
l east once a month and always before going
on a long tr ip. Make sure to take the n umber
of peop le and the amount of luggage into ac ­
count when adjust ing tire pressure for a tr ip -
even one that you wou ld not conside r to be
"long." See
c::> page 239, Tires and vehicle
food limits
f or mo re import ant inform ation .
Always use an accurate ti re pressu re gauge
when checking and ad justing inflation pres­
s ur es. Check a ll of t he tires and be s ure not to
forge t the spare tire.
If the pressure in any t ire
is too high when the ti re is "cold", let air out
of the ti re s low ly 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 k ind of
driv ing you plan to do.
If the pressure in any ti re is too low, note the
difference between the pressure in the co ld
tire and the pressure you need and add the air
that you need to reach the correct pressure for
the ve hicle load (passengers and luggage) for
the tires on you r veh icle as listed on the on
you r vehicle and in this ma nual and the kind
of d rivi ng you plan to do .
Never exceed th e maximum inflation pr es­
sure listed on the tire sidewall for any rea­
s on.
•
•

238 Tire s and whee ls
Remember that the vehicle manufacturer, not
the tire manufacturer, determines the correct
tire pressure for the t ires on your vehicle.
I t is important to check the tire pressu re when
the tires are cold.
- Read the requ ired t ire pressure from the tire
pressure label. The tire pressure labe l is lo ­
cated on the drive r's side 8-p illar. The tire
pressure label lists the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures for the vehicle at its maximum capacity we ight and the tires that
were on your vehicle at the time it was man­ ufactured . For recommended tire pressures
for normal load condit ions, please see chap ­
ter ¢
page 235 .
-Turn the valve stem cap coun ter-clockwise
to remove it from the tire valve .
- Place the air pressure gauge on the valve .
- The tire pressures should on ly be checked
and adjusted when the tires are cold . The
s lightly raised pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced .
- Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying.
- Re install the valve stem cap on the valve .
When should I check th e tire p ressur e?
The correct tire pressure is especially impor­
tant at high speeds . The pressure should
therefore be checked at least once a month
and a lways before starting a journey . Do not
forget to check the tire pressure for the spare
wheel.
When should I adju st the tire pre ssure s?
Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying. After changing a wheel
or replacing
wheels you have to adjust the tire pressures
on all wheels. In addition, you must then init i­
alize the new tire pressures in the tire pres­
sure mon itor ing system*
¢ page 249 .
A WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinf la­
tion can lead sudden tire failure, loss of contro l, collision, ser ious persona l inju ry
or even death. -
When the
[ti warning symbol appears in
the instrument cluster, stop and inspect
the t ires.
- Incorrect tire pressure and/or underinfla­
tion can cause increased tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability .
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can a lso lead to sudden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
flation, caus ing loss of veh icle control.
- The driver is responsible for the correct
tire pressures for all tires on the veh icle.
The applicable pressure values a re locat­
ed on a sticker on the dr iver's s ide 8-pil­
lar.
- Only when all tires on the vehicle are fil­
led to the correct pressu re, the t ire pres­
sure mon itor ing system* can work cor­
rectly.
- The use of incorrect tire p ressure va lues
can lead to acc idents or other damage .
Therefore it is essential that the driver
observe the spe<;ified tire pressure val ues
for the tires and the correct pressures for
the function of the tire pressure monitor­ing system*.
-Always inf late tires to the recommended
and correct t ire pressure before dr iving
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 t ires will wear prematurely and the
veh icle w ill not handle well.
- If the tire is not flat and you do not have to change a wheel immediately, drive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta­
tion to check the t ire press ure and add
ai r as requ ired .

(D Note
Driving without valve stem caps can cause
damage to the t ire va lves. To prevent this,
always make sure that factory installed
valve stem caps on all wheels are securely
mounted on the valve .
@) For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will also increase the
fue l consumption .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or
weight that any vehicle and any t ire can carry .
A vehicle that is overloaded w ill not handle
well and is more difficult to stop. Overload ing
can not on ly lead to loss of vehicle contro l,
but can a lso damage important pa rts of the
ve hicle and can lead to sudden tire failure, in­
cluding a blowout and sudd en d eflation that
c a n cause the veh icle to crash.
Your safety and that of yo ur passenge rs a lso
depends on making sure that load limits are
not exce eded . Vehicl e load includes ev erybody
and everyth ing in and on the vehicle. These
load limi ts are techn ically referred to as the
vehicle's
Gross Vehicl e W eight Rat ing
("GVWR ").
The "GVWR" includes the we ight of the basic
vehicle, all fac tory installed accessories, a full
tank of fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids plus
maximum load . The maximum load includes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is
i ntended to ca rry ("seating capacity") with an
assumed weight of 150 lbs . (68 kg) for each
passenger a t a des igna ted seat ing pos ition
and the tota l weight of any l uggage in the ve ­
h icle. If you tow a trailer, the weig ht of the
trailer hitch and the tongue we ight of the
loaded traile r must be included as part of the
vehicle load .
The
Gro ss Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each
of the vehicle's two axles.
Tire s an d wheel s 239
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on th e
safety comp liance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar. Audi has 4 seat ing pos i­
tions, 2 in the front and 2 in the rear for total
seat ing capac ity of 4. Each seating position
has a seat belt ¢
page 134, Safety belts .
The fact that there is an upper limit to your
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the total weight of whatever is being car­ ried in the vehicle ( includ ing the weight of a
trailer hitch and the tongue we ight of the
loaded tra ile r) is lim ited. The more passen­
gers in the vehicle or passe ngers w ho are
heavier than the standard we ights assumed
mean that less weight can be carried as lug­
gage.
T he tire pressure label on your Aud i also lis ts
t h e maximum combined weight of a ll of the
occupants and l uggage or other cargo that
the ve hicle can carry. For the location of the
l abel ¢
page 235, fig. 176.
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
h icle contro l, a crash or other accident , se­
rious personal injury, and even death .
- Carrying more we ight than your veh icle
was des igned to carry will prevent the
ve hicle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of the loss of vehicle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
ve hicl e with in a safe distance .
- Tires o n a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly, incl uding a blowout
a nd sudden defla tion, causing loss of
control and a crash .
- Always ma ke sure t hat the to tal load be­
i n g transpo rted - incl udi ng t he weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue we igh t of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehi ­
cle heavier than the vehicle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
•
•

240 Tires and whee ls
Determining correct load limit
Use the example below to cal­
culate the total weight of the
passengers and luggage or oth­
er things that you plan to trans­
port so that you can make sure
that your vehicle will not be overloaded.
Steps for Determining
Correct Load Lim it
1 . Locate the statement "THE
COMB INED W EIGHT OF OC­
CUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX LBS"on your vehi ­
cle's placard (tire inflation
pressure label)
c::> page 235,
fig. 176.
2.
Determ ine the comb ined
weight of the driver and pas ­
sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle .
3. Subtract the combined weigh t of the dr iver and pas­
sengers from
"XXX " kilo­
grams or
"XXX" pounds
shown on the sticker
c::> page 235, fig . 176 .
4. The resulting figure equals
the available amount of car­go and luggage load capaci­
ty . F or examp le, if the "XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will be five 150
lbs . passengers in your vehi­
cle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load ca­ pacity is 650 lbs . (1400 -750
(5
X 150) = 650 lbs .)
5 . D etermine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo be ing loaded on the vehicle.
That we ight 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 trail ­
er will be transferred to your
vehicle . Consu lt this manual
to determine how this re­
duces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehic le .
.,. Check the tire sidewall
(c::> page 242, fig. 180) to de­
termine the designated load rating for a specific tire .

Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of
different things including proper installation
and balancing, correct tire pressure and driv­
ing style.
F ig. 178 Tire tread: tread wea r ind ica tors (TWI)
___ __,J.)
Fi g. 179 Rotat ing t ires fo r m ore even wea r
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The origina l tires on your veh icle have
1/16 in ch (1.6 mm) high "wear ind icators"
r::!;> fig . 178 run ning across the tread. Depend ­
ing on the make, there will be six to eight of
them evenly p laced around the t ire . Marks on
the t ire s idewall (for example "TWI" or other
symbols) indicate the positions of the tread
wear ind icators . Worn t ires must be replaced.
Different fig ures may apply in other countries
r::!) & .
Tir e pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premat ure wear
and can cause sudden tire blow-out . For th is
reason, tire pressure must be checked at least
once a month
r::!;> page 23 7.
Dri ving sty le
Driving fast around curves , heavy acceleration
and hard braking increase tire wear. Tires and wheels 241
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your ve
hicl e to have the
same service life, we recomme nd that the
front and rear tires are rotated according to
the tire manufacturer 's suggested tire rota­
tion inte rvals. Please remember the follow ­
ing :
- Tire rotation intervals may differ from the
veh icle service inte rva ls o utlined in your
Ma intenance and Warranty Booklet.
- The longer one tire is used in one location
on the vehicle, the more it wears at certain
points ; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufactu rer 's suggested
tire rotation intervals .
- Vehicles w ith front-wheel dr ive exper ience
more tread wear on the front wheels com­
pared to all w heel drive (quattro ®).
- Please rotate tires as shown
r::!;> fig. 179.
-Extra care must be taken when rotat ing di-
rection-specific tires
r::!;> page 258 .
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new veh icles are balanced .
However, various situations during everyday
driving can cause them to become unba l­
anced, resulting in vibrat ions you can usually
feel through the steer ing wheel.
Unbalanced wheels must be rebalanced to
avoid excessive wear on steering, s uspension
and t ires. A whee l must also be reba lanced
when a new tire is insta lled.
Inco rrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can cause exces­
sive tire wear, impair ing the safety of the vehi­
cle . If tires show excessive wear, have the
whee l alignment checked by an authori zed
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
All wheel drive
Vehicles wi th quattro ® must a lways have tires
of the same size, construction and tread type. For details see
r=> page 190 .

contribution to good road holding and safe
handling when in good condition and properly
inflated
¢ .&. .
We recommend that all work on t ires and
wheels be performed by an authorized A udi
dealer. They are familiar with recommended
procedures and have the necessary spec ial
too ls and spare parts as we ll as the proper fa ­
cilities for dispos ing of the old tires .
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary information about techn ica l requ irements for
installing or changing tires and r ims.
R eplacing t ires and wheel s
Tires shou ld be rep laced at least in pairs and
not individua lly (for example both front tires
or both rear tires together).
Be s ure to read and heed the information to
the tire pressure monitoring system*
¢ page 249.
Always buy rep lacement radial tires that have
the same specifications as the t ires approved
for your ve hicle by Audi. Replacement tires
must always have the same load rating speci ­
fication as the original equipment or approved
optional tires listed in the table
¢ page 235.
Audi-approved specification tires are specially
matched to your vehicle and its load limits ,
and can contribute to the important road hold­
ing, driving character istics, and safety of the
veh icle. The table
( ¢ page 235) lists spec ifica­
tions o f the t ires approved for the Audi mod­
e ls covered by your Owner 's Literature .
T he tire pressure labe l located on dr iver 's side
B-pillar (¢
page 235, fig. 177) lists the speci­
fications o f the orig inal equipment tires in­
stalled on your veh icle at the time it was man­
ufactured .
Federal law requires t ire manufacturers to
p lace s tanda rd iz ed information on the s ide­
wall of all tires¢
fig. 180 . This information
i dent ifies and desc ribes the fundamental
characterist ics , the quality grade of the tire
and a lso provides a tire ide ntificat io n number
Tire s an d wheel s 243
for sa fety standard certification and in case of
a reca ll.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it eas­
ier to choose the co rrec t tires . Radial ti res
have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewa ll, for examp le:
P255 / 35 Rl 9 96Y XL
This co nta ins the following information :
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars
(where app licab le)
255 Nom inal tire width i n mm of the tire
from sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In
general, the larger the number, the wider
the tire
35 Height/w idth ratio in percent (aspect ra -
t io)
R Tire construct ion: Radial
1 9 Rim diameter code (i n inches)
96 Load rating code
Y Speed ra ting letter code
XL (or "xl", " EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" Indicates
t h at the t ire is a"Re info rced" or an " Extra
Load " tir e
M+S (or "M/S") Indicates that the ti re has
some mud and snow capab ility
The tires could also have the informat ion of
direction of rotation ¢
page 231 .
Tire manufacturing d ate
The manufact uring date is also indicated on
the tire sidewall (possibly only on the
inner
s ide of the wheel):
"DOT ... 2212 .. . "means, for examp le, that
the tire was produced in the 22nd week of 2012.
Speed rating (letter cod e)
The speed rating letter code on the whee ls in­
dicates the maximum permissible road speeds
¢ .&. in Winter tires on page 247.
P up to 93 mp h (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mp h (1 58 km/h)
R up to 106 mph ( 170 km/h)
•
•

24 4 T ire s and wheel s
S up to 110 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)1l
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)ll
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)ll
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)
1 l
Your veh icle is no rma lly factory equipped with
tires, which possess excellent driving cha rac­
terist ics and give yo ur Audi opt imum d riving
comfort . An e lectronic speed limiter
c::> page 31 will normally prevent your vehicle
from going faster than the tire speed rating
¢ &. .
U.S. DOT Ti re Identification Numb er (TIN)
and ti re manuf actur e date
This is the tire's "serial number" . It begins
with the letters "DOT" and indicates that the
tire meets all federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers
represent the week and year of manufacture.
For example, the numbers 2212 mean that
the tire was produced in the 22nd wee k of
2012. The other n umbers are mar keting co ­
des that may or may not be used by the tire
manufacturer . This information is used to con­
tact consumers if a tire defect requires a re ­
call.
Audi Original tir e
Tires with the identification "AO" or "RO" have
been specia lly matched with your Audi . We
recommend using only these tires because
they meet the highest standards regard ing
safety and driving character istics when used
correctly. Your authorized Audi dealer will
glad ly provide you with more information.
Tire ply compo sit ion and materi als used
The number of plies indicates the number of
l ayers of rubber-coated fabric in the tire. In
ll For tir es w it h a m ax im um spee d ca pabil ity ove r
1 4 9 mp h (2 40 k m/h) , t ire man ufact urers somet imes
u se the letters "ZR. "
genera l, the greater the number of plies, the
more weight a tire can support. Tire manufac­
turers also must indicate the mate rials in the
t ire, which include steel, nylon, po lyester, and
others.
Ma ximum Load Rating
This number ind icates the maximum load in
ki lograms and pounds that can be carried by
the tire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear ,
traction , and t emp eratu re resi stance
T read wear, t raction and temperat ure grades
c::> page
245.
Ma ximum Permi ssible Inflat ion Pressure
T h is number is the greatest amount of a ir
pressure that should ever be put in the tire
u nder norma l driving cond itions.
.&, WARNING ~ -
- Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
comb inat ions can lead to loss of control ,
coll is 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
p roved by the vehicle manufacture r.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 yea rs
old can only be used in an emergen cy
a nd then w it h specia l care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mo unt used tires on your veh icle if
you are no t sure of the ir "previo us histo­
ry." O ld used tires may have been dam ­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire fa ilure
and loss of vehicle control.