tire pressure AUDI A6 2016 User Guide

Wheels
"XL" "xl" "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF" I I I
on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire
or a tire and tube assembly upon
which the tire beads are seated.
Rim diameter
means nominal diameter of the
bead seat . If you change your
wheel size, you w ill have to p ur­
chase new tires to match the new rim diameter .
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nomina l distance between
rim flanges.
S idewall
means that portion of a tire be­
tween the tread and bead .
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire is
designed to be driven for extend ­
ed periods of time. The rat ings
range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298 km/h)
¢ table
on page 232.
You may not find
this information on all tires be ­
cause it is not requ ired by law.
23 6
The speed rating letter code,
where applicable, is molded on
the tire sidewall and ind icates the
maximum permissible road
speeds
¢ .&. in Winter tires on
page 246.
Tire pressure monitoring system*
means a system that detects
when one or mo re of a vehicle's
tires are underinflated and illum i­
na tes a low tire pressure warning
te lltale .
Tread
means that portion of a tire that
comes into contact w ith the road .
Tread separation
means pulling away o f the tread
from the t ire carcass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the
principal grooves designed to give
a visua l indication of the deg rees
of wear of the tread. Se e
¢ page 240, Treadwear indicator
for more information on measur­
ing tire wear.

different tire speeds. For this rea­son, in case of emergency, only
use a spare tire* that is the same
circumference as the regular
tires.
&_ WARNING -
-Only use tire/rim combina­ tions and suitable wheel bolts
that have been approved by
Audi. Otherwise, damage to
the vehicle and an accident could result.
-For technical reasons, it is not possible to use tires from oth­
er vehicles - in some cases,
you cannot even use tires from
the same vehicle model.
-Make sure that the tires you
select have enough clearance
to the vehicle. Replacement
tires should not be chosen
simply based on the nominal
size, because tires with a dif­
ferent construction can differ
greatly even if they are the
same size. If there is not
enough clearance, the tires or
the vehicle can be damaged and this can reduce driving
safety and increase the risk of
an accident.
Wheels
-Only use tires that are more
than 6 years old when abso­ lutely necessary and drive
carefully when doing so.
-Do not use run-flat tires on
your vehicle. Using them when
not permitted can lead to ve­
hicle damage or accidents.
- If you install wheel covers on
the vehicle, make sure they al­ low enough air circulation to
cool the brake system. If they
do not, this could increase the
risk of an accident.
Tire wear/damage
Fig. 194 Ti re profi le: T readwear indica­
tor
Tire wear
Check the tires regularly for wear.
-Inflation pressure that is too low
or high can increase tire wear
considerably.
-Driving quickly through curves,
rapid acceleration and heavy
braking increase tire wear. .,.
239

....
through water, when driving
through curves and when brak­ing, which increases the risk of
an accident.
Tire pressure
Fig. 195 Driver's side B -pillar : tire pres­
sure label
;;; ~
,---------------.,. ,,
- KPA. -PSI
- KPA. -PSI
- KPA. -PSI
Fig. 196 Tire pressure label
The correct tire pressure for tires
mounted in the factory and for
the spare tire* is indicated on a la­
bel. The label is located on the 8-
pillar
c:> fig. 195, c:> fig. 196.
Use the tire pressure specified for
a normal vehicle load when the
vehicle is partially loaded
c:> table
~ on page 243. If driving the vehi­
~
~ cle when fully loaded, you must Ln
"' \0 ....
Wheels
increase the tire pressure to the
maximum specified pressure
c:> &. -
Checking/correcting tire
pressure
.,,.Check the tire pressure at least
once per month and also check it before every long drive .
.,,.Always check the tire pressure
when the tires are
cold. Do not
reduce the pressure if it increas­
es when the tires are warm .
... check the label
c:> fig. 196 for
the correct tire pressure based on vehicle load.
.,,.Correct the tire pressure if nec­
essary .
... vehicles with Tire Pressure Mon­
itoring System*: store the modi­
fied tire pressure in the Infotain­
ment system
c:> page 250.
.,,.Check the pressure in the emer­
gency tire*/spare t ire*. Always
maintain the maximum temper ­
ature that is specified for the
tire .
_& WARNING
Always adapt the tire pressure
to your driving style and vehicle
load.
-Overloading can lead to loss of vehicle control and increase
the risk of an accident. Read
241

Wheels
and follow the important safe­
ty precautions in
q page 243,
Tires and vehicle load limits.
-The tire must flex more if the
tire pressure is too low or if
the vehicle speed or load are
too high. This heats the tire up
too much. This increases the
risk of an accident because it
can cause the tire to burst and
result in loss of vehicle con­
trol.
-Incorrect tire pressure in­
creases tire wear and has a
negative effect on driving and
Tire pressure table
Please note that the information
contained in the following table
was correct at the time of print­ ing , and the information is sub­
ject to change. If there are differ­
ences between this information
and the tire pressures specified
on the label on the driver's side B­
pillar, always follow the specifica ­
tion on the B-pillar label
q page 241, fig. 195.
242
braking behavior, which in­
creases the risk of an accident.
(D Note
Replace lost valve caps to re­
duce the risk of damage to the
tire valves.
@ For the sake of the environment
Tire pressure that is too low in­
creases fuel consumption.
(D Tips
Audi recommends using the
tire pressure specified for a normal load
q table on
page 243
or for a full load
when the vehicle is partially
loaded.
Make sure that the tire designa­
tion on your tire matches the des­
ignation on the tire pressure label
and the tire pressure table.
The following table lists recom­
mended tire pressures in cold
tires according to the load and
the size of the tires installed. ..,

Wheels
Model/ Tire designation Tire pressure
Engine Normal load Maximum load
(up to 3 people)a)
front rear front rear
PSI
A6: 225/55 Rl 7 97H 2.0L All Season
32
4 cylinders 245/45 Rl8 l00H XL
All Season
33
255/40 Rl9 l00H XL
All Season 33
255/40 Rl9 l00Y XL
High Performance
32
255/35 R20 97V XL
High Performance
35
A6: 225/55 Rl 7 97H
3.0L All Season
35
6 cylinders 245/45 Rl8 l00H XL
All Season
35
255/40 Rl9 l00H XL
All Season
35
255/40 R19 l00Y XL
High Performance
36
255/35 R20 97V XL
High Performance
39
56: 255/40 Rl9 l00Y XL
4.0L High Performance 39
8 cylinders
255/35 R20 97V XL
High Performance
44
a) 2 people in the front, 1 person in the rear
A WARNING
Please note the important safe­
ty precautions regarding tire pressure
c::> page 241 and load
limits
c::>page 243.
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or weight that any vehicle
kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
220 29 200 35 240
38 260
230 32 220 35 240 38 260
230 32 220 35 240 38 260
220 32 220 33 230 36 250
240 32 220 38 260 41 280
240 32 220 38 260
41 280
240 32 220 38 260 41 280
240 32 220 38 260 41 280
250 33 230 39 270 42
290
270 36 250 44
300 46 320
270 35 240 42 290 44 300
300 39 270
46
320 48
330
and any tire can carry. A vehicle
that is overloaded will not handle
well and is more difficult to stop.
Overloading can not only lead to loss of vehicle control, but can al­
so damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden
tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation that can
cause the vehicle to crash.
243

-Tires on a vehicle that has
been overloaded can fail sud­
denly, including a blowout and
sudden deflation, causing loss
of control and a crash.
-Always make sure that the to­ tal load being transported -
including the weight of a trail­
er hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer - does not make the vehicle
heavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
Determining correct load
limit
Use the example below to calcu­
late the total weight of the pas­
sengers and luggage or other
things that you plan to transport so that you can make sure that
your vehicle will not be overload­
ed.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCU ­
PANTS AND CARGO SHOULD
NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
LBS "on your vehicle's placard
(tire inflation pressure label)
¢ page 241, fig. 195.
Wheels
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 passengers
from "XXX" kilograms or "XXX"
pounds shown on the sticker
¢ page 241, fig . 195 .
4. The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For ex­
ample, if the "XXX " amount
equals
1400 lbs. and there will
be five
150 lbs . passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage
load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5 X 150) = 650
lbs .)
5. Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely ex­ ceed the available cargo and
luggage load capacity calculat­
ed in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your ve­
hicle. Consult this manual to
determine how this reduces ..,
245

~ Check and correc t the seating of the snow
chains if necessary after driving a few feet. Fol­
l ow the instructions from the manufacturer .
~ Note the maximum permitted speed when driv­
ing with snow chains. Do not exceed 30 mph
(SO km/h) .
Snow chains not only improve the
driving in win­
ter road cond itions, but also the
braking.
Use of snow chains is on ly permitted with certain
rim/tire combinations due to tec hnical reasons .
Check with an authorized Audi dealer or author­ ized repair facility to see if you may use snow
cha ins.
You must remove the chains when driving on roads that are
free of snow. When roads are free
of snow, snow chains can impair handling and
damage the t ires, and the chains w ill quickly be
destroyed .
A WARNING
Using incorrect snow chains o r installing snow
chains incorrect ly can result in loss of vehicle
c ont rol, w hic h in cr eases the risk of a n acci ­
de nt.
- Snow cha ins can damage the rims/wheel
covers* if the cha ins come into d irect con­
tact wi th them . Remove the whee l cove rs*
first. Use coated snow cha ins.
- Usi ng snow chai ns tha t add more than 0.4
i nch (10.5 mm) of he igh t ca n severely dam­
age the wheel ho usings and othe r vehicle
components .
- Do no t install and use s now chains if there is
a mal funct ion in the adaptive air suspen ­
sion*, because the vehicle height wi ll be
very low. If you d rive with snow chains any­
way, the wheel ho usings and othe r vehicle
components can be severely damaged.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Aud i is factory -equipped with low aspect ra­
tio tires . These t ires have been tho rough ly tested
and been se lected specifically for yo ur model fo r
Wheel s
their superb performance, road fee l and handling
u nder a variety of driving conditions . Ask your au­
thorized Audi dea le r fo r more detai ls.
T he low aspect rat io o f th ese tires is indicated by
a n umeral of
55 or le ss in the tire's size des igna­
tion . The numera l represents the ratio of the
t ir e's s idewall height in relation to its tread w idth
expressed in percentage. Conventiona l tires have
a he ight/width ratio of 60 or more.
The performance of low-aspect- ratio tires is par­
ticularly sen sitive to imprope r inflat ion pres­
s ure. It is the refore important that low aspect
rat io tires are inflated to the speci fied pre ssure
and that the inflation pressure i s regularly
checked and m aintain ed. Tir e pr essures should
be checked at least once a month and always
b efor e a long trip
~ page 241.
What you can do to avo id tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more eas i­
ly by impact w ith po tholes, curbs, gullies or
ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is un ­
deri nflated.
In orde r to m in imize the occurrence of impact
damage to t he tires of yo ur vehicle , we recom ­
me nd that you observe the following pre ca u­
t ions:
- Always ma intain recommended inflat ion pres­
sures. Check yo ur tir e pressure every 2,000
m iles (3 ,00 0 k m) and add air if necessary.
- Dr ive ca refully on roads w it h potholes, deep
gullies o r ridges. T he impact from dr iving
t hrough or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impac t wi th a curb may a lso ca use
damage to your tires.
- Afte r any impac t, immed iate ly inspect yo ur
t ires or have them inspected by the nearest au ­
thorized A udi dealer. Rep lace a damaged tire as
soon as possible.
- Inspect your tires every 2,000 m iles (3,000 km)
for damage and wear. Damage is not a lways
easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of air and
underinflation, wh ich could eventually cause
tire fa ilure. If you believe that a tire may have
been damaged, replace the tire as soon as pos -
sible . .,.
247

.... N
0 CJ ' M I.Cl ......
_& WARNING
Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and not over or underinflat­
ed .
Tire pressure monitoring
system
CD General notes
Each t ire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and inflat­
ed to the inflation pressure recommended by the
veh icle manufac turer on the vehicle placard or
tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inf lation pressure la­
be l, you should determine the proper tire infla­
tion pressure for those tires).
As an added safety feature, your veh icle has been
equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire press ure te ll­
tale when one or more of your tires is significant­ l y under-inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure tellta le illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure. Driving on a s ignifi­
cantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to over­
heat and can lead to t ire failure. Unde r-inflation
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's handling and stop­
ping ability .
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and i t is the driver's re­
sponsib ility to ma inta in correct tire pressure,
even if under -inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illum inat ion of the TPMS low tire pres­
sure telltale.
Your veh icle has also bee n eq uipp ed w ith a TPMS
mal function indicator to indicate when the sys­
tem is not operating properly. The TPMS mal ­
function indicator is combined w ith the low tire
pressure tellta le. When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for approxi­
mately one minute and then remain cont inuously
illuminated . This sequence will continue upon
Wheels
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as the mal ­
function exists .
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated ,
the system may not be able to detect or signal
low tire pressure as intended. TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons, including the
i nsta llation of replacement or alternate tires or
whee ls on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS ma lfunction telltale after replac ing one or
more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure
that the replacement or a lternate tires and
whee ls allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
If the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
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 mo/function .
Fig. 197 Instrume nt cluste r: indicator light with message
Us ing the ABS sensors, the tir e pressure monitor­
ing system compares the tire tread circumfer­
ence and vibration characteristics of the individu­
al tires. If the press ure changes in one or more
tires , this is indicated in the instrument cluster
display with an indicator light
ti] and a message.
If only one tire is affected, the location of that
tire will be indicated.
T he tire press ures must be stored in the Infotain­
ment system again each time the pressures
change (switching between partial and full load
pressure) or after changing or replacing a tire on
your vehicle¢
page 250. The tire pressure moni­
toring system only monitors the tire pressure you have stored. Refer to the tire pressure label for ..,.
249

Wheels
the recommended tire pressure for your vehicle
¢ page 241, fig. 196.
Tire tread circumference and vibration character­
istics can change and cause a tire pressure warn­
ing if:
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too low.
- the tire has structural damage .
- the tire was replaced or the tire pressure was
changed and it was not stored¢
page 250.
-the spare tire* is installed.
Indicator lights
IE Loss of pressure in at least one tire¢&. .
Check the tires and replace or repair if necessary.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires and
store the pressure again in the Infotainment sys­
tem ¢
page 250 .
mm (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
pressure: System malfunction!.
Ifmm appears
after switching the ignition on or while driving
and the
IE indicator light in the instrument clus­
ter blinks for approximately one minute and then
stays on , there is system malfunction . Try to
store the correct tire pressures¢
page 250. If
the indicator light does turn off or turns on again
after a short period of time, drive to your author­
ized Audi dealer or qualified repair facility imme­
diate ly to have the malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
- If the ti re pressure indicator appears in the
display, reduce your speed immediately and
avoid any hard steering or braking maneu­
vers. Stop as soon as possible and check the
t ir es and their pressure .
- The driver is responsible for maintaining the
correct tire pressure. You must check the
t ir e pressure regularly.
- Under certain conditions (such as a sporty
dr iv ing style, winter cond itions or unpaved
roads), the tire pressure mon itoring system
indicator may be delayed.
- Do not use run-flat tires on your vehicle. Us­
ing them when not permitted can lead to
vehicle damage or accidents.
250
(D Tips
-The tire pressure monitoring system can al­
so stop working when there is an ESC mal­
function.
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The tires with the identification "AO" or
"RO" ¢
page 2 38 have been matched with
your Audi tire pressure monitoring system.
We recommend that you use these tires.
Storing tire pressures
If the tire pressure changes or a tire is replaced,
it mus t be confirmed in the Infotainmen t sys­
tem.
... Make sure before storing that the tire pressures
of all four tires meet the specified values and
are adapted to the load ¢
page 241.
... Switch the ignition on .
... Select: the
I CARI function button > (Car)* Sys­
tems
contro l button > Servicing & checks >
Tire pressure monitoring > Store tire pressures
> Yes, store now.
(D Tips
Do not sto re the tire pressures if snow chains
a re installed.

-The spare tire is intended on ly for tempora­
ry and short-term use. It shou ld be replaced
as soon as possible with the normal wheel
and t ire.
- After mounting the compact spare tire, the
tire pressure must be checked as soon as
poss ible. The t ire pressure of the compact
spare tire m ust be 4.2 bar; otherwise, you
risk having an accident.
- Do not drive faster than SO mph (80 km/h).
You risk hav ing an accident .
-Avoid full-throttle accelerat ion, heavy brak­
ing, and fast cornering . You risk having an
acc ident.
- Never drive us ing more than one spare
wheel and tire . You risk having an acc ident.
- Normal summer or winter tires must not be
mounted on the compact spare wheel rim .
- For technical reasons, the use of tire chains
on the spare tire is not perm itted. If it is
necessary to drive with t ire chains, the spare
wheel m ust be mounted on the front axle i n
the even t of a flat in a rea r tire. The new ly
avail able front wheel m ust then be insta lled
in place of the rear wheel with the flat tire .
Installing the tire chain before mounting
the wheel and tire is recommended .
- Loose items in the passenger compartment
can cause ser ious personal injury during
hard braking or in an acc ident. Never store
the inflatable spare t ire or jack and too ls in
the passenger compartment.
Replacing wheels
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your own
and your passenger's safety when changing a
wheel.
• After you experience a tire failure , pull the car
well away from moving t raff ic and try to reach
level ground before you stop¢ A-
• All passengers sho uld leave the car and move
to a safe location (fo r instance, be hind the
guardrail) ¢
A.
• Engage the parking b rake to prevent yo ur vehi­
cle from roll ing unintentionally ¢
A-
Em ergenc y ass is tanc e
• Move selecto r lever t o po sit ion P ¢ A .
• If you are towing a trai ler, unhitch the trailer
from yo ur vehicle .
• Take the
jack and the spare tire out of the lug­
gage compartment
¢page 251, ¢page 252.
A WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured while
changing a whee l if you do no t follow these
safety precaut ions:
- If you have a flat tire, move a safe distance
off the road. Turn off the eng ine, turn the
emergency f lashers on a nd use other wa rn­
ing devices to alert other motorists.
- Make sure that passenge rs wait i n a safe
p la ce away from the vehicle and well away
fr om the road and t raff ic.
- To help preven t the veh icle from moving
suddenly and possib ly slipping off the ja ck,
always fu lly set the park ing brake and bloc k
the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel be­ ing changed. When one front whee l is lifted
off the ground, placing the Automatic
Transmission in P (Park) wi ll
not prevent the
veh icle from moving.
- Before you change a wheel, be sure the
ground is level and firm. If necessary, use a
sturdy board under the jack.
- Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack
and the replaced tire in the luggage com­
partment
¢ page 131.
(!) Tips
Before changing the wheel, you must activate
the jacking mode, so that the automat ic con­
tro ls for the Adaptive Air Suspension* do not
make it more difficult to lift the vehicle with
the jack ¢
page 255.
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel , follow the sequence
described below step -by -step and in exactly that
order .
l. Activate the vehicle jack mode*¢ page 255. .,.
253