flat tire AUDI A6 2016 Owners Manual

-Objects fal ling from the roof of a vehicle can
cause a crash and personal injury.
- Only mount the roof rack on the designated
locations on the roof
c:> fig. 67.
-The roof rack system must be installed ex­
act ly according to the instructions provided .
- When driving with a roo f rack system,
changes to the center of gravity and wind
resistance can change the vehicle handling
and lead to a collision. Always adapt your
dr iv ing and your speed to the current condi­
t ions.
- Your vehicle warranty does not cover any
damages to the vehicle caused by using roof
racks or mounting structures not approved
by Audi for your vehicle . The same applies to
damage result ing from incorrect roof rack
i nstallation.
-Always check the roof rack mount ings and
hardware before each t rip and dur ing a tr ip
to make sure everyt hing is securely tight­
ened.
If necessary, ret igh ten the mo unt ings
and c hec k the en tire system from time to
time.
- After mounting a roof rack system, or when
you transport objects on the roof of your ve ­
hicle, the height of the vehicle is naturally
increased . Be careful when driving under
l ow bridges or in parking garages for exam­
ple. This could cause damage to the load
and even the vehicle itself.
- Make s ure the open rear lid and the sun­
roof* do not come into contact with the roof
rack.
Loading the roof rack
Always distribute loads evenly. Make sure any­
thing on the roof rack is securely tied down.
~ Always distribute the loads on the roof rack
evenly .
~ Always attach items to the roof rack securely
before you drive off.
The maximum perm iss ible roof weight is
220 lb
( 100 kg ).
The roof weight is the total of the
Seat s and sto rage
weight o f the roof rack, the attachments and the
cargo you are carrying. You must a lso not exceed
the max imum load weight for the roof rack you
are using.
When using a roo f rack system which has a lower
load carrying capacity, you must not use up the
total max imum permissible load carry ing capac i­
ty specified above. Instead, you should load the
roof rack system only to the maximum capacity
specified by the manufacturer of the roof rack
system .
A WARNING
= -Weak, damaged or imprope r straps used to
secure items to the roof rac k can fail d uring
hard brak ing o r in a co llision and cause seri ­
ous persona l injury.
- Make sure the roof r ack is installed exactly
as specified above
c:> page 62.
- Always use suitable mounting straps fo r se­
cur ing items to the roof rac k to he lp prevent
items from shifting o r flying forward .
- Items on the roof rack mus t always be se ­
curely mounted.
- The use of a roof rack can negative ly affect
the w ay a vehicle hand les. Cargo tha t is
large, heavy, b ulk y, long or flat wi ll have a
grea ter negat ive infl uence on the vehicle's
aerodynamics, center of gravity and overa ll
handling. Always drive slowly, avoid sudden
braking and maneuvers when transporting
cargo on the roof of your vehicle.
- Never exceed the max imum permissib le
load carrying capacity of the roof of your ve­
h icle, the permiss ible axle weights and the
perm iss ible total we ight of your vehicle
c:> page 2 70, Weights .
@ For the sake of the environment
As a result of the increased wind res istance
created by a roof rack, your vehicle is using
fuel unnecessarily . So remove the roof rack
after using it .
63

Driving sa fe ty
-Never lea ve yo ur vehicle unattended espe­
c ially w ith the rear lid left open. A child
could crawl into the vehicle through the lug­
gage compartment and close the rear lid be­
coming trapped and unable to get out . Be­
ing t rapped in a vehicle can lead to se rious
persona l injury.
- Never let children play in or aro und the veh i­
cle.
- Never let passe ngers ride i n the luggage
compartmen t. Veh icle occupants m ust al­
ways be prope rly restrained in one of t he ve­
hicle's seating posi tions.
- A ir c irculat ion hel ps to reduce window fog­
ging . Stale air escapes to the outside
th ro ugh vents i n the t rim panel. Be su re to
k eep these sl ots free and open.
- T he t ire pressu re mus t cor respond to the
l oad. The tire p ressure is shown on the tire
pressure l abe l. T he tire p ressure label is lo­
cated on the driver 's s ide B-pi llar . The tire
pressure labe l lists the recommended cold
tire inflation p ressures for the vehicle at its
maximum capacity weight and the t ires that
were on your vehicle at the t ime it was man­
ufactured. For recommended tire pressures
for normal load cond itions, please see chap­
ter ¢
page 242 .
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with four
tie-downs to secure luggage and other items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo properly
¢ page 131, Loading the luggage compartment .
In a collision, the laws of p hysics mean that even
sma ller items that are loose in the vehicle will
become heavy missiles that can cause ser ious in­
jury . Items in t he ve hicle possess energy wh ich
vary with vehicle speed and t he weight of the
item . Veh icle speed is the most s ignifica nt facto r.
For examp le, in a frontal collision at a speed of
30 mph (48 km/h) , the forces act ing o n a 10-lb
(4 . 5 kg) object are abo ut 20 times the normal
weight of the item . T his means that the weight
132
of the item would s udden ly be about
200 lbs . (90 kg) . You can imagine the inj uries
that a 200 lbs . (90 kg) item flying freely through
the passenger compartment could cause in a col­
li sion like th is.
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to
secure items to tie-downs can fail dur ing hard
b raking or in a collision and cause ser ious per­
sonal injury.
- Always use suitable mo unt ing straps and
pro perl y secure i tems to the tie-downs in
t he l uggage comp artmen t to help preven t
items from shi fting o r flying forwa rd as dan ­
ge rous miss iles .
- W hen the rear sea t bac krest is folded down,
a lways use suitable mo unti ng straps and
pro per ly secure items to the tie -downs in
the l uggage compa rtment to help prevent
items from flying forward as dangerous
m iss iles into the passenger compartment.
- Never attach a child safety seat tether strap
to a tie-down.
-
Reporting Safety Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If you belie ve that your vehicle
has a defect which could cause a
crash or could cause injury or
death, you should immedi ately in­
form the National Highway Traffic Safet y Administration (NHTSA) in
a ddition to notifyin g Audi of
Ame rica, Inc.
If NHTSA re ceives s imilar com­
plaints, it m ay open an in vestiga­
tion , and if it finds that a safety
defe cts exist s in a group of
v e hicles, it m ay order a re call and ..,.

Trailer mod e
Tire pr essure
When tow ing a tra iler, inflate the tires of you r
veh icle to the cold tire pressure listed under "Fu ll
load" on the label located on the driver's side B ­
pillar (visib le when the door is open) . Inflate
trai ler tires to trailer and tire manufacturers'
specifications.
Light s
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working proper ly.
Safet y chains
Be sure t railer safety chains are properly connect­
ed from the trailer to the h itch on the veh icle.
L eave enough slack in the chains to permit turn­
ing corners . When yo u install safety chains, make
sure they wi ll not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains shou ld cross under the trailer tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the hitch .
Adjusting the Audi d rive select
Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface bef ore
hitching up the t railer and bef ore adjust ing the
tongue we ight . The vehicle must be in
auto or
comf ort driving mode and not raised
r::!> page 100, r::!> 0 .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info­
tainment, select:
ICARI function button > Lower
control button .
I f you m ust dr ive under poor road condit ions, you
can ra ise the vehicle
afte r coup ling the t rai ler or
after adjusting the tongue weight r:!> page 102.
(D Note
-Changes in tempe rature or load can affect
the he ight of the vehicle.
- Always se lect
auto or comfort mode. Othe r­
wise, the tongue load spec ified for yo ur ve­
hicle w ill no longer be applicable .
200
· Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration .
To obtain the best possible hand ling of veh icle
and trailer, please note the following:
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself
is not loaded .
.,. Be especially careful when passing other
vehicles .
.,. Observe speed limits .
.,. Do not dr ive at the maximum permissible
speed.
.,. Always app ly brakes ea rly.
.,. Monitor the temperat ure gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trai ler with an empty car results
i n a h ighly unstab le distribution of weight . If this
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steer ing contro l.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle shou ld be loaded
to the extent possible and permissib le, wh ile
k eeping the trailer as l ight as poss ible under the
c ircu mstances . Wheneve r possib le, transfer
some ca rgo to the luggage compartment of the
tow vehicle while observing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the mo re diff icu lt i t be ­
comes fo r the driver to con trol the r ig . Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or wind
cond itions are unfavorab le -particularly when
go ing downh ill.
Reduce vehicle speed
i mmed iatel y if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of swaying.
Do not tr y
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits . In some areas, speeds for
vehicles towing trailers are lower than for regular
vehicles .
Always apply bra kes early. Whe n driving down -
hill, shift into a lower gear to use the engine .,..

Wheels
Wheels and Tires
General information
.,.Check your tires regularly for
damage (punctures, cuts, cracks
and bulges). Remove foreign ob­
jects from the tire tread.
.,. If driving over curbs or similar
obstacles, drive slowly and ap­
proach the curb at an angle.
.,.Have faulty tires or rims re­
placed immediately.
"'Protect your tires from oil,
grease and fuel.
.,.M ark tires before removing
them so that the same running
direction can be maintained if
they are reinstalled.
"'Lay tires flat when storing and
store them in a cool, dry location
with as little exposure to light as
possible.
(D Note
-Please note that summer and
winter tires are designed for
the conditions that are typical in those seasons. Audi recom­
mends using winter tires dur­
ing the winter months. Low
temperatures significantly de­ crease the elasticity of summ­
er tires, which affects traction
Wheels
and braking ability. If summer
tires are used in very cold
temperatures, cracks can form
on the tread bars, resulting in
permanent tire damage that
can cause loud driving noise
and unbalanced tires.
-Burnished, polished or
chromed rims must not be
used in winter driving condi­
tions. The surface of the rims
does not have sufficient corro­
sion protection for this and
could be permanently dam­ aged by road salt or similar
substances.
Tire designations
Fig. 193 T ir e designations on the side -
wall ,..
231

® Mud and snow capability
"M/5" or "M+S" indicates the tire
has characteristics that make it
suitable for driving on mud and
snow .
& indicates a winter tire .
@ Composition of the tire cord
and materials
The number of plies indicates the
number of rubber ized fabric lay­
ers in the t ire. In general : the
more layers, the more weight a
tire can carry . Tire manufacturers
must also specify the materials
used in the ti re . These incl ude
stee l, nylon, polyester and other
materials .
@Maximum permitted load
This number indicates the maxi­
mum load in kilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry .
@ Uniform tire quality grade
standards for treadwear,
traction and temperature resistance
Treadwear , traction and tempera­
ture ranges¢
page 248.
@ Running direction
The arrows indicate the running
direction of unidirectional t ires .
You must always follow the speci- fied running direction
¢
page 258.
€3) Maximum permitted
inflation pressure
Wheels
This number indicates the max i­
mum pressure to which a tire can
be inflated unde r normal operat­
ing conditions.
Glossary of tire and loading
terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined we ight (in
excess of those standard items
wh ich may be replaced) of auto­
matic transmission, power steer­
ing, power brakes, power win­
dows, power seats, radio, and
heater, to the extent that these
items are available as factory-in ­
stalled equipment (whether in­
stalled or not).
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to
the w idth of the tire in percent .
Numbers of 55 or lower indicate a
low s idewall for improved steer­
ing response and better overall
handling on dry pavement . .,.
233

Wheels
Bead
means the part of the tire that is
made of steel wires, wrapped or
reinforced by ply cords and that is
shaped to fit the rim .
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond
between components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the
plies in the tire.
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recom­
mended by the vehic le manufac­
turer for a tire of a des ignated
size that has not been driven for more than a couple of miles (kilo­
meters) at low speeds in the
three hour period before the tire pressure is measured or adj usted.
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor ve­
hicle w ith standard equipment in ­
cluding the maximum capacity of
fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi ­
tioning and additiona l weight of
op tional equipment.
E x tra load tire
means a tire des igned to operate
at higher loads and at h igher in -
234
flation pressures than t he corre­
spond ing standa rd tire. Extra load
tires may be identified as "XL",
"xl" , "EXTRA LOAD" , or "RF" on
the sidewall.
Gross A xle Weight Rating
("GAWR ")
means the load-carrying capacity
of a single axle system , measured
at the ti re-gro und interfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR")
means the max imum total loaded
weight of the vehicle .
Groove
means the space between two ad­
jacent tread ribs .
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load tha t a
tire is rated to carry for a given in­
flation pressure. You may not find
this informat ion on all ti res be­
cause it is not required by law .
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire at
the maximum permissible infla­
tion p ressure for that ti re .
Maximum loaded vehicle
weight
means the sum of: ...

(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options we ight
Ma ximum (permissible)
inflation pressure
means the maximum cold infla­
tion pressure to which a t ire may
be inflated. Also called "maxi ­
mum inflation pressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms)
times the number of occupants
seated in the veh icle up to the to­
tal seating capacity of your vehi­ c le.
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 be­
tween the exteriors of the side­
walls of an inflated tire, including elevations due to labeling, deco ­
rations, or protective bands or
ribs .
Wheels
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated
parallel cords .
Production options weight
means the combined weight of
those installed regular production
options weighing over 5 lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard
items which they replace, not pre­
viously considered in curb weight
or accessory weight, including heavy duty brakes , ride levelers,
roof rack, heavy duty battery, and
special trim .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which
the ply cords that extend to the beads are laid at substantially 90
degrees to the centerline of the
tread.
Recommended inflation
pressure
see ~ page 234, Cold tire infla­
tion pressure .
Reinforced tire
means a tire designed to operate
at higher loads and at higher in­
flation pressures than the corre­ sponding standard tire. Rein ­
forced tires may be identified as
235

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.

Wheel s
Occupant loading and distri­
bution for vehicle normal load
for various designated seat ing
capacit ies
Refer to the tire inflation pres­
sure label ¢
page 241, fig . 196
for the number of seating posi­
tions . Refer to the table¢
table
on page 243
for the number of
people that correspond to the ve­
hicle normal load .
New tires or wheels
Audi recommends having all work
on tires or wheels performed by
an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized repair facility . These fa ­
cilities have the proper knowl­
edge and are equipped with the
required tools and replacement
parts.
.,. New tires do not yet have the
optimum adhesion properties .
Drive carefully and at moderate
speeds for the first 350 miles (500 km) with new tires .
.,. Use tires of the same construc­
tion, size (rolling circumference)
and as close to the same tread pattern as poss ible on all four
wheels .
238
.,.Do not replace tires individually .
At least replace both tires on the
same axle at the same time.
.,. Audi recommends that you use
Audi Original equipment tires . If
you would like to use d ifferent
tires, please note that the tires may perform differently even if
they are the same size ¢
,&.
.,. If you would like to equip your
vehicle with a tire/rim combina ­
tion that is different from what
was installed at the factory, con­
sult with an authorized Audi dealer or authorized repair facili­
ty before making a purchase
~ & -
The spare tire* is different from
the regular tires installed on the
vehicle -for example, if winter
tires or wide tires are installed -
then only use the spare tire* tem­
porarily in case of emergency and
drive carefully while it is in use. It
should be replaced with a regular
tire as soon as possible.
On
all wheel drive vehicles, all
four wheels must be equipped
with tires that are the same brand and have the same construction
and tread pattern so tha t the
drive system is not damaged by

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