wheel AUDI A5 COUPE 2013 Service Manual

188 Intelligent technology
Braking
What affects braking efficiency?
New brake pads
During the first 250 miles (400 km), new
b rake pads do not possess their fu ll braking
effect , they have to be "broken in" first¢.&. .
You can compensate for this slightly reduced braking power by push ing harder on the brake
pedal. Avoid heavy braking loads during the
break-in per iod.
Operating condition s and d riv ing hab it s
The brakes on today's automob iles are st ill
subject to wea r, depending largely on operat­
ing conditions and driving habits¢.&. . On
vehicles that are e ither driven mostly in stop­
and-go city traffic or are driven hard, the b rake pads should be checked by your author­
ized Audi dealer more often than specified in
the
Warranty & Maint enan ce booklet . Failure
to have your b rake pads inspected can res ult
in red uced brake pe rformance.
On steep slopes, you shou ld use the brak ing
effect of the engine. This way, you p revent un­
necessa ry wear on the brake system. If yo u
must use yo ur brakes, do not hol d the brakes
down continuously. P ump the brakes at inter ­
va ls.
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braking depending on
the speed, brak ing fo rce and outside condi­
tions such as temperature and humidity.
Effect of water and road salt
In ce rtain situat ions, for example after driving
through water , in heavy ra in, after overn ight
conde nsation or afte r washing your car, the
b rak ing effect can be redu ced by mois ture or
ice on the brake rotors and brake pads . The
brakes must be dried first with a few careful
brake applications .
A t higher speeds and with the w indshield w ip­
ers turned on, the brake pads press against
the brake rotors for a short amount of time .
This occurs at regular intervals witho ut the driver noticing and p
rovides fo r bette r brake
response time under wet conditions .
T he effec tiveness of the brakes can be red uced
when the vehicle is d riven on a sa lt -covered
r oad and the brakes are not used . Likewise,
you clean off accumulated salt coating from brake d iscs and pads with a few cautio us ap­
plicat ions of the brake ¢ .&. .
Corro sio n
The re may be a tendency for di rt to b uild up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not driven regularly or only fo r short trips w ith litt le use of the
brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently, o r if cor ­
rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean off the pads and d iscs by braking
firmly a few times from a moderately high
speed ¢.&. .
Fault s in the brak e syst e m
If you s hou ld notice a sudden increase i n
brake pedal trave l, then one of the two brake
c ircuits may have failed ¢.&. .
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occ ur in the b ra ke system if
the brake fluid level is too low. The brake fluid
l evel is monitored electronica lly.
Brake booster
T he bra ke booster inc reases the pressure that
you generate wi th the b rake peda l. It works
o n ly when the engine is runn ing .¢ .&.
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spect ion of the condition of the brake pads
th rough the ope nings in the wheel. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed for t his in­
spect ion ¢
page 253, Changing a wheel.
_& WARNING ,____
-New b rake pads don't have the best stop­
p ing power and m ust be "broken-in" dur-
ing the initial 100 to 150 miles (150 to
11>-

200 kilometers) of normal city driving.
You can compensate for this by press ing
the brake pedal more firm ly. This also
applies later when new pads are instal­
led .
- You should perform brak ing maneuvers
for the purpose of clean ing the brake
system only if road cond it ions permit.
Other road users must not be put at r isk -
you may cause an acc ident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmiss ion into a lowe r
gear or lowe r driving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often . This cou ld cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency.
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your
foot on the pedal when yo u do not intend
to brake. Th is may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopp ing distance.
- Under certain climat ic and operating
condit ions such as passing through wa­
ter, driving in heavy rain or after wash ing
the vehicle, the effect iveness of the
brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice ca n
a ccumulate on the brake pads, linings,
dis cs and d rums. Carefully apply brakes
f or a test . Brakes will dry and ice coat­
ings will be cleaned off after a few ca re ­
ful brake applications.
- Driv ing fo r an ex tended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency.
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads w ith a few caref ul
brake applicat ions.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you install a different spoiler, be sure the air
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct­
ed . Otherwise the brake system co uld
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
t h e ent ire brake system.
- Failur e of one bra ke c ircuit will impair
t h e braking capability resulting in an in­
cr eased stop ping distan ce. Avoid driv ing
the vehicle and have it towed to t he near-
Int ellig ent technolog y 189
est a uthorized Audi dea ler or q ualified
workshop.
- Never let the ve hicle roll to a stop with
the engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, for
examp le when towing you r vehicle, or
because the brake booster has somehow
been damaged, the bra ke pedal must be
pressed considerably harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance .
Electro-mechanical
power assist, dynamic
steering
The electro-mechanical power assist helps
the driver when steering.
Power steer ing adapts electronically based on
the ve hicle speed .
Indicator lights and messages
• Steering d efective! Do not driv e vehi cle!
If this indicato r light tur ns on and stays on
and t his message appears, the power steer ing
may have failed .
Do
not continue dr iv ing . See your author ized
Audi dealer or other qualified repair facility
fo r ass istance.
':r,y Dy namic steer ing: System fault! You can
continue driving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the steering may be more diffi­
cu lt to move or more sensit ive tha n usual. The
steering wheel may a lso be at an ang le when
dr iv ing straight .
Drive slowly to your a uthorized Audi dea ler or
qualified workshop to have the ma lf u nction
corrected .
'Taj Dynamic steering: init ializing
If this drive r message appears and t he in dica ­
tor light is flashing on the instrumen t panel,
dynamic steering * is being rei nitialized. Once
you start the engine afte r this is finished, the .,..
•
•

190 Intelligent technology
steering wheel will be easy to move. Re­
initia lization might be necessary if the steer­
ing whee l was moved hard to the left and
right while the vehicle was not moving. The
d isplay goes out as soon as in itia lizat ion is
comp lete.
A WARNING
Have the dynamic steering* system ma l­
function repaired as soon as poss ible by an
authori zed A udi dealer or any qualified
workshop -risk of accident!
- If the . or
l:r-ij indicator light on ly stays
on for a short t ime, yo u may continue
drivi ng.
- The dynamic steering * stability systems
are not available in the event of a system
malfunction.
- Fo r additional informat ion on dynamic
stee ring*, refer to ¢
page 109.
Driving with your
quattro ®
Applies to vehicles: with all-wheel drive
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driv­
en.
General information
W ith all-whee l drive, power is distribute d to
a ll fo ur whee ls. This happens automat ica lly
d epending on your dr iving sty le and the road
conditions at the t ime. See also¢
page 185 .
A cen ter different ial d istr ib ut es the dr iv ing
power var iably to the front and rear axle. It
wo rks together with se lective whee l torque
control, which activates when driving throug h
curves ¢
page 186. With the sport differen ­
tial*, power distribution to the rear wheels is
variable and can be adjusted with Audi drive se lect ¢
page 109 .
The all-wheel drive concept is designed for
h igh engine power . Your vehicle is exception­
ally powerful and has exce llent dr iving charac ­
terist ics bot h under normal driving conditions and on snow and
ice . Always read and follow
safety precautio ns ¢ &. .
Winter tires
When driving in t he win ter, yo ur vehicle wi th
all-wheel d rive h as an adv antage, eve n w it h
r egular tires. In wi nte r road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all -sea ­
son tires) for improved driveability and brak­
i ng : these tires must be mounted on
all fou r
wheels . See also ¢ page 246, Winter tires.
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this no rma lly also app lies to ve hicles
with all-wheel drive¢
page 247, Snow
chains .
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles wi th a ll-wheel drive m ust always
have ti res of t he same s ize. A lso avoi d tires
with differe nt t read depths . For detai ls see
page ¢
page 242, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels.
Off-Road dr iving?
You r A ud i does no t have e nough gro und clea r­
ance to be used as an off -road vehicle .
It is
t h e refore best to avoid roug h tracks and u n­
even te rrain as much as possib le . Also refer to
¢ page 193.
A WARNING
Always ad just your dr iv ing to road and traf­
f ic conditions. Do not let the extra safety
afforded by all-wheel drive tempt you into
taking ext ra risks .
-Al though the a ll-wheel drive is ve ry ef­
fective, always remember that braking capacity is lim ited by tire t raction. You
s hould t herefore no t drive at ex cessive
speeds on i cy or slippe ry road surfa ces.
- On wet road surfa ces, be careful not to
d rive too fast because the fr on t whee ls
could begin to slide on top of the water
(aquaplaning) . If thi s should occur, you

will have no warning from a sudden in­
crease in engine speed as with a front­
wheel drive vehicle. A lways drive at
speeds wh ich are suited to the road con­
ditions -risk of crash .
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution
of electrical energy and thus optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting
the engine.
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system
i s not driven for a long period of time, the bat­
tery is discharged by idling current consumers
(e.g. immobilizer) . In certain circumstances it
can result in there being insufficient energy
avai lab le to start the engine.
I ntelligen t energy management in your vehi­
cle handles the distribution of electrical ener­
gy . Starting ability is marked ly improved and
the life of the battery is extended .
Basically, energy management consists o f
battery diagnosis, idling current manage­
ment
and dynamic energy management.
Battery diagnosis
Batt ery d iagnosis continuously dete rmines
the state of the battery. Sensors determine
battery voltage, battery current and battery
temperature. This determines the current
state of charge and the power of the battery.
Idling current management
I dling current management reduces energy
consumption while the vehicle is stand ing.
With the ignition switched off, it contro ls the
energy supply to the various electrica l compo­
nents . Data from battery diagnosis is consid­
ered.
Depending on the battery's state of charge,
individual consumers are gradually turned off
to prevent excessive discharge of the battery
and thus mainta in start ing capability.
Intelligent technology 191
Dynamic energy management
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic en­
ergy management distrib utes the energy gen ­
erated according to the needs of the individ u­
al components. It regulates consumption, so
that more e lectrical energy is not being used
than is being generated and ensures an opti­
mal state of charge fo r the battery .
{!) Tips
- But even energy management cannot
negate the limits of physics. Consider
that the power and life of a battery are
limited .
- If start ing ability is threatened, the indi­
cator light(•] appears¢
page 17.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability.
The battery is severe ly taxed in short-distance
driv ing, in city traff ic and during the cold time
of year. Abundant electrical energy is re­
quired, but on ly a little is generated . It is also
c rit ical if the engine is not running and electri­
ca l components are turned on. In this in­
stance ene rgy is be ing consumed but none is
being generated .
It is in precisely these situations that you will
notice energy management actively regulat­
in g the distribution of energy.
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, electr ical compo ­
nents are gradually cut back or switched off .
T h is reduces energy consumption and main­
tains starting capability over a longer period .
Some of the convenience functions may not
operate, such as the interior lights or the
power seat adjustment. The convenience
functions will be available again when you
switch on the ignition and start the engine.
•
•

Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle hand les different ly when tow ing
a trailer because o f the addit ional weight and
d iffe ren t weight distribution . Safety, perform ­
ance and economy w ill greatly depend on how
caref ully you load your trailer and operate
your rig.
B efore you actua lly tow your trailer, pr actice
turning, stopp ing and bac king up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you have become comp lete ly fam iliar with the way
your veh icle-trailer comb ination behaves and
responds.
Backing up is d ifficu lt a nd requires practice .
Backing up with a tra iler genera lly requires
steer ing action opposite to that when backing
up your vehicle without a trailer.
M aintain a g reater distance betwee n your ve­
h icle and the one in front o f you . You will need
mo re room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you will need a larger than normal
turning radius .
W hen pass ing, remember that yo u cannot ac ­
celerate as fast as yo u normally wo uld be­
cause of the added load. Ma ke s ure you have
e nough room to pass . After passing , allow
p lenty o f room fo r your tra iler before chang­
in g la nes aga in .
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rap id lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a tra iler during the break-in
period of you r vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your A udi may re­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load
o page 2 73.
Trailer towin g 199
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer . If it can­
not be avoided, do so only after doing the fol­ lowing:
When parking:
.. App ly the foot brake.
.. Have someone p lace chocks under both the
veh icle and the tra iler wheels .
.,. With chocks in place, slowly release t he
bra kes unt il t he whee l chocks absorb the
load .
.. Tur n the whee ls towa rds t he curb .
.,. App ly the parking brake.
.. Place an a utomat ic t ransm ission* in P, re ­
spectively a manual transmission in first or
reverse gear.
When restarting after parking:
.. App ly the foot br ake .
.. Sta rt t he engine.
.. Move the se lector lever to D/S, respectively
a man ual transmiss ion in first gear .
.. Release the parking brake and s low ly pull
out and away from the wheel chocks .
.. Stop and have someone retr ieve the wheel
chocks.
@ Tips
If you move the selector leve r of the auto­
matic transmissio n* to P before applying
the pa rking brake and before bloc king the
whee ls, you may hav e to use mor e forc e
la ter to m ove the lever out of the P p osi­
tion.
•
•

200 Cleaning and protection
Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value .
Any automobile is exposed to industr ial
fumes, corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after
p ur chase . Reg ular and correct care w ill con­
tr ibute to maintain ing the beauty and valu e of
your Aud i.
Furthermore, good care may be a condition
for substantiating a warranty claim should
corrosion damage or paint defects occur.
Your auth orized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedicated vehicle-care products and can ad ­
v ise wh ich ones to use for cleaning the ext eri­
or a nd inte rior o f you r vehi cle.
Whether you use products recommended by
Aud i or other commercially ava ilable clean ing
agen ts, pleas e make sure you apply t hem cor­
r ectly .
A WARNING
-Cleani ng agen ts m ay be poi sonous. Kee p
them o ut of t he rea ch of childre n.
- H eed a ll ca ution labels.
- Always read directions on th e co ntai ner
b efore using a ny produc t. Follow the di­
rec tions caref ully.
- Most chemical cleaners a re concentrat ed
and have to be diluted.
- Use spot removing flui ds only i n well
ventila ted areas.
- Do not use gasoline, ke rosene, d iesel
fuel, nail pol is h remov er or ot her volati le
fluid s. T hey may be to xic, flammab le or
h azar dou s in other w ays. D o not was h,
w ax or dry the vehicle wi th the ig nit ion
on or the eng ine running .
- D o not cl ean t he under sides of ch assis,
f en ders, wheel cove rs , etc. without pro­
tectin g your hands and a rms. You may
c u t yourself on s harp-ed ged metal parts . -
Moisture and ice on b rakes may impair
brak ing eff ic iency
c::> page 188. Test t he
brakes carefully each time you was h the
ve hicle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Selec t on ly environ mentally frien dly clean ­
i ng products. Leftover cleaning pr oducts
s hou ld not d isposed of in the househo ld
waste .
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protec ts the vehicle .
The best p rotection against environmen tal i n­
fluences is
frequent wash ing and waxing . H ow
often t his is requ ire d d epends o n:
- How much t he ve hicle is used
- W he re the veh icle is parked (garage, i n the
open under trees, etc .)
- The seasona l and weather conditions
- Environmental infl uences
T he longer b ird d roppings, inse cts, tree res in,
r oad and indus trial grime, t ar, soo t, ro ad salt
and other mater ials remain on the veh icle
body, the more lasting their destr uctive ef­
f ects w ill be . Hig h temperatures ca used by ex ­
pos ure to intense su nlight i ntens ify the c orro­
s ive effect, particular ly when hum id ity is high
as wel l.
U nder certa in circumstances,
weekly washing
may be necessary. Unde r other cond itions, a
monthly washing and waxing may be ade­
quate .
After the winter, the unders ide of the vehicle
sho uld be thoroughly washed, preferab ly in a
professional ca r wash.
A WARNING
-A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other info rma tion
c::> page 20 0.

Automatic car wash
The vehicle can be washed in almost any
modern automatic car wash .
The vehicle paint is so durable that the vehicle
can normally be washed without problems in
an automatic car wash. However, the effect on
the paint depends to a large extent on the de­
sig n of the fac ility, the filte ring of the wash
water, the type of wash and care mater ial , etc.
If the paint has a dull appearance afte r go ing
through the car wash or is scratched, bring
this to the attention of the operator immedi­
ately. If necessary, use a different car wash.
Before going through a ca r wash, be s ure to
take the usual precautions such as closing the
windows and the roof . Factory installed an­
tennas must not be removed.
If you have installed additional accessories on
the vehicle -such as spoilers, roof rack, etc. -
it is best to ask the car was h operator if these
should be removed .
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 200.
(D Note
Before washing the vehicle in an automatic
car wash, p lease make sure to retract the
exterior m irrors to prevent them from be­
ing damaged.
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehi­
cle by hand.
~ Before you start washing, make sure yo u
have read and understood the WARNINGS
¢ A in General information on page 200 .
~ First soak all dried dirt until it is soft, then
rinse it off .
~ As you clean your veh icle, start with the
roof and work your way down to the bottom,
us ing a sponge , a sponge glove o r a clean
brush.
Cleaning and protec tion 20 1
~ Rinse the sponge or the sponge g love often,
flushing it clean eac h time .
~ Use spec ia l car shampoo only for very per­
sistent d irt .
~ Rinse the car thoroughly with water.
~ Use a chamois leather to gently w ipe the ex-
ter ior d ry .
U se a separate sponge for cleaning the
whee ls, door sills and other regions exposed
to road dirt . In this way, you w ill not scratch
the pa int wit h coarse particles imbedded in
the sponge the next time you wash the car.
&_ WARNING
- Do not clean the underside of the chas ­
sis, fenders, wheel covers, or o ther ha rd
to reach pa rts without protect ing you r
hands and arms. You may cut yourself on
sharp-edged metal parts .
-Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 200.
(D Note
- N ever try to remove dirt, mud or dust if
the s urface o f the veh icle is dry . Never
use a dry cloth or sponge, since this
co uld scratch your vehicle's paint or win ­
dows.
- Never wash your car in bright s unlight .
Drops of wate r act as magnifying lenses
and may damage yo ur paint .
- When you wash yo ur car in the winter: if
you rinse yo ur vehicle with a hose, be
careful not to aim the stream of water
directly at locks, or at door or hatch
openings -they can freeze shut .
- Never use sponges designed to
remove
insects, or any k itche n scou ring sponges
or s imilar products. They can damage
your paint finish .
- You should remove debris (such as in­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regu lar bas is, for exampl e w hen refuel­
ing your veh icle . Never use a dry cloth o r
sponge to clean t he headlights. On ly use
wet cloths o r sponges to prevent
scratches. It is best to use soapy water.
-
•
•

Cast (light) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care.
~ Wash the wheels with a sponge or hose
brush every other week.
~ For deep cleaning afterwards, use only a
dedicated
aci d-fr ee cast alloy wheel cleaner.
~ Rub a coat of liqui d wax onto the r ims every
t hr ee month. Be sure to reach and treat a ll
parts of the r im.
To preserve the decorat ive appearance of the
cast alloy whee ls, some special care is neces­
sary. I n add it ion to road d ir t and sa lt, b rake
dust is a lso cor ros ive. If left on for too long,
b rake dus t ca n cause pitting.
Use only specia l
acid-free cleaners formulated
fo r alloy rims. Safe products are available at
your author ized Audi dealer. Never leave the
cleane r on the rims longer than specif ied on
the label. If not rinsed
off promptly, the acid
contained in some cleaners can attack the
threads on the whee l bolts.
Never use abras ive or metal polishing clean­
ing agents.
If the protective coating has been
chipped, e .g. by kicked up road dirt, touch it
up as soon as possib le.
A WARNING
- Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency
q page 188. Test the
brakes carefully each time you wash the
vehicle .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
q page 200.
Body cavity sealing
-
The body cavity sealing does not need to be
checked.
All body cavities which co uld be affected by
corrosion have been thoro ughly protected at
the factory.
This sea ling does not require any inspection or
addit ional treatment . If any wax should seep
out of the cav ity when the ambient tempera-
Cleaning and protec tion 205
ture is high, it can be removed with a p lastic
scraper and a suitable solvent.
A WARNING
Solvents can be dangerous.
- Benzine is flammab le and toxic. If you
use benzine fo r removing the wax, keep
sparks, flame and lighted cigarettes
away. Never dump benz ine on the
ground, i nto open streams or down sew­
age drains.
- Be sure to observe all safety and environ­
mental regulations. Follow all instruc­
tions on the container.
- Always read a nd heed all WARNINGS and
other information
q page 200.
Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time.
The lower body she ll of your Audi is also thor­
oughly protected against corros ion.
Any damage to the unde rcoat ing caused by
road hazards sho uld be repaired prompt ly .
A WARNING
Too much undercoating i n the wrong p la­
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additiona l undercoating or
r u stproof ing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields. While driving, the substance used fo r undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
q page 200.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and other co rrosive materials w ill
damage the mate rial in the exhaust tail pipes
i f th ey a re not clea ned regularly. Do not clea n
the tail pipes with wheel cleane r, pa int polish,
c h rome pol ish or o ther ab ras ive cleane rs .
Clean the tail pipes with ca r care products
that are suitable fo r stainless steel. •
•

210 Cleaning and protec tio n
Cor ro sion pr ote cti on
The engine compa rtment and transmiss ion
hav e been corrosion-protect ed at th e factory.
Good ant i-corrosion t reatme nt is very impor­
tant, particularly in the winter. If the veh icle
is frequently driven on sa lt treated roads , the
enti re engin e compartment and pl enum panel
should be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
wint er and retreated to pr eve nt salt damag e.
At the same t ime, the underside of the vehicle
should be washed as well.
If the engine compartment is cleaned at any
t ime with gr eas e re moving solutions
1>, or if
you have the engine washed, the anti -corro­
sion treatmen t is almost always removed as
well. It is therefore essential to have a long­
lasting corrosion protection reapplied to all
surfaces, seams, joints and components in the
engine compartment .
_& WARNING
Be aware: The engine compartment of any
motor vehicle is a potentially ha zardous
area .
- Before working in the engine compart­
ment, be s ure to read the in formation
Q page 216.
-Before reaching into the front plenum
pane l, always remove the ignition key .
Otherw ise, the windshield wiper system
cou ld unintentionally be switched on,
poss ibly causing personal injury from the
moving wiper linkage.
- Never reach into the area around or
touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary fan is temperature controlled and can switch
on suddenly -even when the ignit ion is
off .
- Do not wash, wax or dry the engine w ith
the engine running . Moving or hot pa rts
cou ld injure you .
- Do not clean the underside of the chas­ sis, fenders , wheel covers, or other hard
1l Use only th e correct clean in g so lu ti on s. Ne ver use ga s­
o lin e or diesel fue l.
to reach parts without protecting your
hands and arms . You may cut yourself on
sharp-edged metal parts.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
Q page 200.

Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle .
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle . Tires are,
however, one of the most important parts of a
vehicle, particularly considering the compara­
tively small patch of rubber on each tire that
assures that a ll- important contact between
you, your vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, mak ing
sure that your vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry more weight than they can safely han­
d le, avoiding damage from road hazards and
r eg ularly inspect ing t ires for damage i nclud­
ing cuts, slashes irregu la r wear and ove rall
condition are the most important things that
you can do to he lp avoid sudden tire failure in­
cluding tread separat ion and blowouts.
A vo idin g damage
If you have to drive over a curb or similar ob­
stacle, drive very slow ly and as close as possi ­
b le at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chemicals includ ing grease, o il ,
gasoline and brake fluid off the t ires .
I nspect the t ires regularly for damage (cuts,
cracks or b listers, etc.). Remove any fo reign
bod ies embedded in the treads.
Storing tires Mark tires when you remove them to indicate
the direction of rotation . Th is ensures you to
be ab le to mount them correctly when you re­
i nstall them .
When removed, the wheels or t ires should be
sto red in a cool, dry and preferably dark place .
Store tires in a vertical pos ition if they are not
mounted on rims, in a horizontal pos it ion if
they are mounted on rims .
Tires an d wheel s 231
New tires
New ti res have to be broken in¢& .
The tread depth of new t ires may vary, accord­
ing to the type a nd make of t ire and the tread
patte rn.
H idden damage
Damage to tires and r ims is often not readily
visible . If you notice unusual v ib rat ion or the
vehicle pulls to one s ide, th is may ind icate
that one of the t ires has been damaged . T he
ti res m ust be chec ked immed iate ly by an au­
thorized Audi dea le r or q ua lified wor kshop .
Unidirectional tires
A un idirectional tire can be identified by ar­
rows on the sidewa ll, that po int in the direc­
tion the t ire is designed to rotate. You must
f ol low the specified di rection of rotation . T his
is necessary so that these tires can develop
their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road noise, wear and hydrop laning resistance.
For more information ¢
page 258.
A WARNING
New tires or t ires that are o ld, worn or
damaged cannot provide maximum con­
trol and braking ability .
-
-New tires tend to be slippery and must
also be broken-in. To reduce the risk of losing control, a collision and serious
personal injuries, drive w ith special care
for the first 350 miles (560 km).
- Driving with worn or damaged tires can
lead to loss of control, sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
fl ation, cras hes and se riou s personal in­
juries . Have worn or damaged t ires re­
placed immediate ly.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fai l sudden ly, especially at hig h
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith special care and at low
speed.
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