tire pressure AUDI A6 2015 Owner's Manual

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The "GVWR" includes the
weight of the basic vehicle, all
factory installed accessories, a
full tank of fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids plus maximum
load. The maximum load in­
cludes the number of passen­
gers that the vehicle is intend­
ed to carry ("seating capacity")
with an assumed weight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each pas­
senger at a designated seating
position and the total weight of
any luggage in the vehicle. If
you tow a trailer, the weight of the trailer hitch and the tongue
weight of the loaded trailer
must be included as part of the
vehicle load.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of
the vehicle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rat­ ing and the Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the safety
compliance sticker label locat­
ed on the driver's side B-pillar.
Your Audi has 5 seating posi­
tions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rear for total seating capacity
of 5. Each seating position has
Tires and wheels 253
a safety belt¢ page 136, Safe­
ty belts.
The fact that there is an upper
limit to your vehicle's Gross Ve­
hicle Weight Rating means that
the total weight of whatever is being carried in the vehicle (in­
cluding the weight of a trailer
hitch and the tongue weight of
the loaded trailer) is limited.
The more passengers in the ve­
hicle or passengers who are
heavier than the standard
weights assumed mean that less weight can be carried as
luggage.
The tire pressure label on your
Audi also lists the maximum combined weight of all of the
occupants and luggage or other
cargo that the vehicle can carry.
For the location of the label
¢ page 244, fig. 195.
A WARNING
-
Overloading a vehicle can
cause loss of vehicle control,
a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and
even death.
-Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed
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254 Tires and wheels
to carry will prevent the ve­
hicle from handling properly
and increase the risk of the loss of vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may
not be able to stop the vehi­
cle within a safe distance.
-Tires on a vehicle that has
been overloaded can fail
suddenly, including a blow­
out and sudden deflation,
causing loss of control and a
crash.
-Always make sure that the total load being transported
- including the weight of a
trailer hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer -
does not make the vehicle heavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat­
ing.
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 Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OC­
CUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX LBS" on your ve­
hicle's placard (tire inflation
pressure label)
~ page 244,
fig. 195.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and pas­
sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and pas­
sengers from
"XXX" kilo­
grams or
"XXX" pounds
shown on the sticker
~ page 244, fig. 195.
4. The resulting figure equals
the available amount of car­
go and luggage load capaci­
ty. For example, 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. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo .,..

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"' rl
"' rl
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight 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. Consult this manual
to determine how this re­
duces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
.,.Che ck the tire sidewall
(¢ page 257, fig. 199) 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 in­
cluding proper installation and
balancing, correct tire pressure and driving style.
Fig . 197 Tire tread: tread wear indi­
cators (TWI)
Tires and wheels 255
Fig. 198 Rotating tires for more even
wear
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The original tires on your vehi­
cle have
1/16 inch (1.6 mm)
high "wear indicators"
¢ fig. 197 running across the
tread. Depending on the make,
there will be six to eight of
them evenly placed around the
tire. Marks on the tire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other
symbols) indicate the positions
of the tread wear indicators.
Worn tires must be replaced.
Different figures may apply in
other countries
¢ & .
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes
premature wear and can cause
sudden tire blow-out. For this
reason, tire pressure must be
checked at least once a month
¢ page 249.

258 Tires an d whee ls
No . Description
® Load index and speed rat-
ing
(J) U.S . DOT tire identifica-
tion number
® Audi Original tire
® Sever snow conditions
@ Tire ply composition and materials used
@ Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and
temperature grades
@ Maximum permissible in-
flation pressure
T he tires and rims are essential
parts of the vehicle's design .
The tires and rims approved by
Audi are specially matched to
the characteristics of the vehi­
cle and can make a major con­
tribution to good road holding and safe handling when in good
condition and properly inflated
c::> ,&. .
We recommend that a ll work
on tires and wheels be per­
formed by an authorized Audi
deale r. They are familiar with
r ecommended p rocedures and
have the necessary special too ls
and spare parts as well as the proper facilities for disposing of
the old ti res.
Autho rized Audi dealers have
the necessary information
about technical requirements
for installing or changing tires
and rims .
Replacing tires and wheels
Tires sho uld be replaced at
least in pairs and not individu­
ally (for example both front
tires or both rear tires togeth­
er).
B e sure to read and heed the in ­
formation to the tire pressure
monitoring system
c::> page 267.
Always buy replacement radial
tires that have the same specifi­
cations as the tires approved
f or your vehicle by Audi. Re­
placeme nt tires m ust always
have the same load rating spec­
ification as the orig inal equip­
ment or approved optional tires
listed in the table
c::> page 244.
Audi-app roved spec ificat io n
tires are specially matched to
your vehicle and its load limits ,
and can contribute to the im -
portant roadholding, driv ing .,.

Tires and wheels 259
characteristics, and safety of This contains the following in-•
the vehicle. The table formation: • '
(¢ page 244) lists specifica-p Indicates the tire is for pas-
tions of the tires approved for senger cars (where applica-
the Audi models covered by ble)
your Owner's Literature .
255 Nominal tire width in mm
The tire pressure label located of the tire from sidewall
on driver's side B-pillar edge to sidewall edge. In
( ¢
page 244~ fig. 196) lists the
general, the larger the num-
specifications of the original ber, the wider the tire
equipment tires installed on
40 Height/width ratio in per-
your vehicle at the time it was cent (aspect ratio)
manufactured.
R Tire construction: Radial
Federal law requires tire manu-
19 Rim diameter code (in in-
facturers to place standardized ches)
information on the sidewall of
100 Load rating code
all tires ¢
fig. 199. This infor-H Speed rating letter code
mation identifies and describes
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD" or
the fundamental characteris- "RF
") Indicates that the tire
tics, the quality grade of the is a "Reinforced" or an "Extra
tire and also provides a tire Load" tire
identification number for safety
M+S (or "M/5") Indicates that
standard certification and in the tire has some mud and
case of a recall. snow capability
Tire specifications The tires could also have the in-
Knowledge of tire specifications formation of direction of rota-
tion
c:::> page 238.
makes it easier to choose the
correct tires
. Radial tires have
Tire manufacturing date
the tire specifications marked
The manufacturing date is also
M on the sidewall, for example: indicated on the tire sidewall N
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255/40 R 19 100 H XL (possibly only on the inner side 'SI: ,...., \!)
of the wheel): 1.1'1 .... ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,

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tires because they meet the highest standard s regarding
safety and driving characteris­
tics when used correctly. Your
authorized Audi dealer will
gladly provide you with more
information.
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of plies indicates
the number of layers of rubber­
coated fabric in the tire. In gen­
eral, the greater the number of
plies, the more weight a tire
can support. Tire manufactur­
ers also must indicate the ma­
terials in the tire, which include steel, nylon, polyester, and oth­
ers.
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the max­
imum load in kilograms and
pounds that can be carried by
the tire.
Tire quality grading for
treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and tem­ perature grades¢
page 263.
Tires and wheels 261
Maximum Permissible
Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest
amount of air pressure that
should ever be put in the tire under normal driving condi­
tions.
A WARNING
- Using incorrect or unmatch­
ed tires and
I or wheels or
improper tire and wheel
combinations can lead to
loss of control, collision and
serious personal injury.
-Always use tires, rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifications of original
factory-installed tires or
other combinations that have been specifically ap­
proved by the vehicle manu­
facturer.
-Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail
suddenly, especially at high speeds. Tires that are more
than 6 years old can only be
used in an emergency and
then with special care and at lower speeds.
-Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not
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26 6 T ire s and whee ls
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque .
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the
factory installed rims. If different rims are fit­
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the right
length and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted
secure ly and that the brake system functions
correctly .
In ce rtain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a different vehicle -even if it
is the same mode l
~page 294.
_& WARNING
Improperly tig htened o r maintained whee l
bolts can become loose ca using loss of
contro l, a co llision and serious persona l in­
jury.
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hubs clean so the
wheel bolts can turn easily and be prop­
erly t ightened.
- Never grease or oil the wheel bo lts and
the threads in the wheel hubs. They can
become loose while driving if greased or
oiled, even if tightened to the specif ied
torque.
- Only use wheel bolts that belong to the
rim being installed.
- Never use different wheels bolts on your
vehicle.
-Always maintain the correct tighten ing
torque for the wheel bolts to reduce the
risk of a wheel loss. If the tightening tor­
que of the wheel bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the veh i­
cle is moving. If the tightening torque is
too high, the whee l bolts and threads
can be damaged and the wheel can be­
come loose.
@ Note
The spec ified torq ue fo r the wheel bo lts is
90 ft lb (120 Nm) w ith a toleran ce of± 7,4
ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bo lts diago- nally
. After changing a whee l, the torque
must be checked as soon as possible with a
torque wrench -preferably by an author­
i zed Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equ ipped w ith low aspect
r atio tires . These tires have been tho roughly
tested and been se lected specifically for your
model for their superb perfo rmance, road fee l
and hand ling under a variety of d riving cond i­
tions . As k your au thor ized A udi dealer for
more de tails .
T he low aspect ratio of these t ires is ind icated
by a numera l of
55 or less in the tire's s ize
designation. The nume ra l represen ts the ra tio
of the tire's sidewall height in relation to its
tread width expressed in percentage . Conven­
tiona l tires have a he ight/width ratio of 60 or
more.
The performance of low- aspect-r atio tires is
p ar ticu la rly s ens iti ve to improper infl ation
p re ss ure. I t is th erefore im portant th at low
as pect ratio tires are inflated to the specified
pressure and that the inflation pressu re is
r e gularl y che cked and mainta ined. Tir e pre s­
su res should be ch ecked at least onc e a
month and alwa ys bef ore a long trip
~ page 249, Checking tire pressure.
What you can do to a void tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more
easily by impact w it h potholes, curbs, gull ies
o r r idges on the road, pa rticularly if the tire is
u nderinfla ted .
In order to minimize the occurrence of impact
damage to the tires of you r vehicle, we recom­
mend that you observe the follow ing p recau ­
tions:
- Always ma inta in recommended inflation
pressures. Check your tire pressure eve ry
2,000 miles (3,000 km) and add air if neces­
sary .
- Dr ive carefully on roads with potholes, deep
gullies o r ridges. The impact from dr iv ing ..,.

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thro ugh or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may a lso
cause damage to your tires .
- After any impact, immediately inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest
authorized Audi dea ler. Replace a damaged
t ire as soon as possible.
- Inspect yo ur tires every 2,000 miles (3,000
km) for damage and wear . Damage is not al­
ways easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of
air and underinflation, wh ich could eventu­
ally cause tire fa ilure . If you be lieve that a
t ire may have been damaged, replace the
t ir e as soo n as possible.
- T hese tires may wear more quickly than oth­
ers .
- Please also remember that, while these tires deliver respons ive handling, they may ride
less comfortably and make more no ise than
othe r cho ices .
Reduced perf ormance in winter /cold
season condition s
All t ires are des igned for certain pu rposes.
The low aspect ratio, ultra hig h pe rformance
tires orig inally installed on your veh icle are in ­
tended for maximum dry and wet road per ­
formance and handling . They are not s uitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather conditions. If
you dr ive under those circumstances, you
should equip your vehicle with all-season or
winter tires, which offer better traction under
those cond itions . We suggest you use the rec­
ommended snow or all-season tires specified
fo r your ve hicle, or their equ ivalent.
Refer to¢
page 264 for mo re deta iled infor ­
mat io n regarding winter t ires .
Tire pressure
monitoring system
U) General notes
Each t ire, includ ing the spare (if provided),
should be checked month ly when cold and in­
flated to the inflation pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacture r o n the vehicle
p lacard or tire inflation pressure label. (If yo ur
Tire s an d wheel s 267
vehicle has tires of a different size than the
size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire in­
flat ion pressure labe l, you sho uld determine
the proper t ire inflation press ure for those
tires).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) that illum inates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
ti res is significant ly under-inflated. According­
ly, when the low tire pressure telltale illumi­
nates, you shou ld stop and check you r tires as
soon as possib le, and inflate them to the
proper pressu re. Driving on a sign ifican tly un­
der -infla ted ti re causes the tire to overhea t
and can lead to tire fai lure . Under-inflation al ­
so reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle 's hand ling and
stopp ing ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute
for proper tire maintenance, and it is the driv­ er's respons ibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not
reached the level to tr igger illuminat ion of t he
TPMS low tire pressu re tellta le.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to ind icate when
the system is not operating properly. The
TPMS ma lfunction indicator is combined with
the low t ire pressure telltale . Whe n the sys­
tem detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash fo r approximate ly one m inute and then
r em ain continuously illum ina ted . Thi s se­
quence will continue upon s ubsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunction exists .
When the malfunction indicato r is illum inat­
ed, the sys tem may no t be ab le to detec t or
s ignal low tire pressure as in tended . TPMS
malfu nctions may occur for a var iety of rea ­
sons, incl uding the insta llation of rep lace­
ment or a lternate tires or wheels on the vehi­
cle that prevent the TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after rep laci ng one or more tires or
whee ls on your vehicle to ensu re that the re­
placement o r alternate tires and wheels a llow
the TPMS to con tinue to funct ion p ro perly .
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268 Tires and wheels
Tire pressure indicator appears
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig. 200 Display : und erinflatio n warn ing
Fig. 201 Display: Syste m malfunction
Using the ABS sensors , the tire pressure moni­
toring system compares the tire tread circum­
ference and vibration characteristics of the in­
dividual tires.
If the pressure decreases in one
or more tires, this is indicated in the instru­
ment cluster with a warning symbol
[9] and a
message ¢
fig. 200.
The tire pressure monitoring system must be
reset via MMI each time the pressures are ad­
justed (e. g. when switching between partial
and full load pressure) or after changing or re­
placing a tire on your vehicle¢
page 269 . The
TPMS indicator only monitors the tire pres­
sure that you have previously stored. You can
find the recommended tire pressures for your vehicle on the label on driver's side 8-pillar
¢page 244.
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac­
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too
low, -
the tire has structural damage,
- th e tire pressure was changed, wheels rotat-
ed or replaced but the TPMS was not reset
¢page 269.
- the spare tire* is mounted .
Warning symbols
[9] Loss of pressure in at least one tire¢&. .
Check the tire or tires and replace or repair if
necessary. The indicator light
[9] in the instru­
ment cluster also illuminates
¢page 12.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS via MMI.
Ill (Tire Pressure Monitoring System ) Tire
pressure! System malfunction . Iflll appears
after switching the ignition on or while driving
¢
fig. 201 and the indicator light [9] in the in­
strument cluster blinks for approximately one
minute and then stays on, there is a system
malfunction . Attempt to store the correct tire
pressure ¢
page 269. If the indicator light
does not turn off or if it turns on shortly
thereafter, immediately drive your vehicle to
an authorized Audi dealer or authorized repair
facility to have the malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
- If the tire pressure indicator appears in
the instrument cluster display, one or
more of your tires is significantly under­
inflated. Reduce your speed immediately
and avoid any hard steering or braking
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and
check the tires and their pressures. In­
flate the tire pressure to the proper pres ­
sure as indicated on the vehicle's tire
pressure label¢
page 244 . Driving on a
significantly under-inflated tire causes
the tire to overheat and can lead to tire
failure. Under-inflation also is likely to
impair the vehicle's handling and stop­
ping ability.
- The driver is responsible for maintaining the correct tire pressures. You must
check the tire pressures regularly. ..,

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-Under certain cond itions (such as a spor­
ty driving style, w inter condit ions or un­
paved roads), the pressure monitor
indicator may be delayed.
- Ask your author ized Audi dealer if run­
flat tires may be used on your veh icle.
- The tire pressure monitoring system may
stop working when there is an ESC mal­
funct ion.
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The tire pressure monitoring system on
your Audi was developed using t ires with
the "AO" or "RO" identification on the
tire sidewall
c> page 257. We recom­
mend using these t ires.
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels are ro­
tated or changed, the TPMS must be reset via
MMI.
"' Before storing the new tire pressures, check
that the current pressures on all four t ires
correspond to the specified values and
adapt the p ress ures to the current load
c> page 244.
"'Switch on the ignition.
"' Se lect in the MMI:
!CAR ! func tion button>
(Car )* sys tems contro l button > Servicin g &
checks > Tire pre ssure mon ito ring > Store
tire pre ssure s> Y es, sto re now .
Do not store the tire p ress ure if the re a re
snow chains on the tire. Otherwise, a sys­
tem ma lf u nction may occu r.
Tires an d wheel s 269
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