AUDI A6 2021 Owner´s Manual

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Glossary of tire and loading
terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in
excess of those standard items
which 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 width of the tire in percent.
Numbers of 55 or lower indicate a
low sidewall for improved steer-
ing response and better overall
handling on dry pavement.
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 vehicle manufac-
turer for a tire of a designated
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 pres-
sure is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor ve-
hicle with standard equipment in-
cluding the maximum capacity of
fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi-
tioning and additional weight of
optional equipment.
Extra load tire
means a tire designed to operate
at higher loads and at higher in-
flation pressures than the corre-
sponding standard tire. Extra load
tires may be identified as “XL”,
“xl”, “EXTRA LOAD”, or “RF” on
the sidewall.
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Gross Axle Weight Rating
(“GAWR’”)
means the load-carrying capacity
of a single axle system, measured
at the tire-ground interfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(“GVWR”)
means the maximum total loaded
weight of the vehicle.
Groove
means the space between two ad-
jacent tread ribs.
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a
tire is rated to carry for a given in-
flation pressure. You may not find
this information on all tires be-
cause it is not required by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire at
the maximum permissible infla-
tion pressure for that tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle
weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
260
Maximum (permissible)
inflation pressure
means the maximum cold infla-
tion pressure to which a tire 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 vehicle up to the to-
tal seating capacity of your vehi-
cle.
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.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated
parallel cords.

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Production options weight
means the combined weight of
those installed regular production
options weighing over 5 lbs.
(2.3 kg) in excess of those stand-
ard items which they replace, not
previously considered in curb
weight or accessory weight, in-
cluding 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 259, 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
“XL”, “xl”, “EXTRA LOAD”, or “RF”
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 will have to pur-
chase new tires to match the new
rim diameter.
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between
rim flanges.
Sidewall
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 ratings
range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298 km/h) > table
on page 257. You may not find
this information on all tires be-
cause it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code,
where applicable, is molded on
the tire sidewall and indicates the >
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maximum permissible road
speeds. See also > A in General
information on page 256.
Tire pressure monitoring
system
means a system that detects
when one or more of a vehicle's
tires are underinflated and illumi-
nates a low tire pressure warning
telltale.
Tread
means that portion of a tire that
comes into contact with the road.
Tread separation
means pulling away of the tread
from the tire carcass.
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the
principal grooves designed to give
a visual indication of the degrees
of wear of the tread. See
=> page 265, Treadwear indicator
for more information on measur-
ing tire wear.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire information system devel-
oped by the United States Nation-
al Highway Traffic Safety Adminis-
tration (NHTSA) that is designed
to help buyers make relative com-
262
parisons among tires. The UTQG is
not a safety rating and not a guar-
antee that a tire will last for a
prescribed number of miles (kilo-
meters) or perform ina certain
way. It simply gives tire buyers
additional information to com-
bine with other considerations,
such as price, brand loyalty and
dealer recommendations. Under
UTQG, tires are graded by the tire
manufacturers in three areas:
treadwear, traction, and tempera-
ture resistance. The UTQG infor-
mation on the tires, molded into
the sidewalls.
U.S. DOT Tire Identification
Number (TIN)
This is the tire’s “serial number”.
It begins with the letters “DOT”
and indicates that the tire meets
all federal standards. The next
two numbers or letters indicate
the plant where it was manufac-
tured, and the last four numbers
represent the week and year of
manufacture. For example,
DOT... 2220...
means that the tire was produced
in the 22nd week of 2020. The
other numbers are marketing co-
des that may or may not beused >

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by the tire manufacturer. This in-
formation is used to contact con-
sumers if a tire defect requires a
recall.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and lug-
gage load plus 150 lbs. (68 kilo-
grams) times the vehicle's desig-
nated seating capacity.
Vehicle maximum load on the
tire
means that load on an individual
tire that is determined by distrib-
uting to each axle its share of the
maximum loaded vehicle weight
and dividing by two.
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individual
tire that is determined by distrib-
uting to each axle its share of the
curb weight, accessory weight,
and normal occupant weight (dis-
tributed in accordance with > ta-
ble on page 268) and dividing by
two.
Occupant loading and distri-
bution for vehicle normal load
for various designated seating
capacities
Refer to the tire inflation pressure
label > page 266, fig. 169 for the
number of seating positions. Re-
fer to the table > table on
page 268 for the number of peo-
ple that correspond to the vehicle
normal load.
New tires or wheels
Audi recommends having all work
on tires or wheels performed by
an authorized Audi dealer or au-
thorized Audi Service Facility.
These facilities have the proper
knowledge and are equipped with
the required tools and replace-
ment parts.
>New tires do not yet have the
optimal gripping properties.
Drive carefully and at moderate
speeds for the first 350 miles
(500 km) with new tires.
> Only use tires with the same de-
sign, size (rolling circumfer-
ence), and as close to the same
tread pattern as possible on all
four wheels.
> Applies to: RS models: Only use
tires with the same design, size
(rolling circumference), and the
same tread pattern on all four
wheels.
>Do not replace tires individually.
At least replace both tires on the
same axle at the same time.
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> Audi recommends using Audi
Genuine Tires. If you would like
to use different tires, please
note that the tires may perform
differently even if they are the
same size > A.
>If you would like to equip your
vehicle with a tire and rim com-
bination that is different from
what was installed at the facto-
ry, consult with an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility before making a
purchase > A.
Because the spare tire® is differ-
ent from the regular tires instal-
led on the vehicle (such as winter
tires or wide tires), only use the
spare tire* temporarily in case of
emergency and drive carefully
while it is in use. It should be re-
placed with a regular tire as soon
as possible.
Applies to: vehicles with all wheel
drive: All four wheels must be
equipped with tires that are the
same brand and have the same
construction and tread pattern so
that the drive system is not dam-
aged by different wheel speeds.
For this reason, in case of emer-
gency, only use a spare tire* that
264
is the same circumference as the
regular tires.


Z\ WARNING
—Do not use steel rims that are
17 inches or larger. Otherwise,
damage to the vehicle and an
accident could result.
—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.

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—Only use tires that are more —Inflation pressure that is too low
than six years old when abso- or high can increase tire wear
lutely necessary and drive considerably.
carefully when doing so. —Driving quickly through curves,
—Do not use run-flat tires on rapid acceleration, and heavy
your vehicle. Using them when braking increase tire wear.
not permitted can lead to ve- —Have an authorized Audi dealer
hicle damage or accidents. or authorized Audi Service Facili-
—If you install wheel covers on ty check the wheel alignment if
the vehicle, make sure they al- there is unusual wear.
low enough air circulation to —Have the wheels rebalanced if an
cool the brake system. If they imbalance is causing noticeable
do not, this could increase the vibration in the steering wheel.
risk of an accident. If you do not, the tires and other
vehicle components could wear

Tire wear and damage more quickly.
Treadwear indicator
Original equipment tires contain
treadwear indicators in the tread
pattern, which are bars that are
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high and are
spaced evenly around the tire per-
Fig. 167 Tire profile: ceadwene ce pendicular to the running direc-
tor tion > fig. 167. The letters “TWI”
Tire wear or triangles on the tire sidewall
indicate the location of the tread-
Check the tires regularly for wear. wear indicators.
The tires have reached the mini-
mum tread depth!) whenthey >

D Obey any applicable regulations in the
country where the vehicle is being oper-
ated.
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have worn down to the treadwear
indicators. Replace the tires with
new ones > A.
Tire rotation
Rotating the tires regularly is rec-
ommended to ensure the tires
wear evenly. To rotate the tires,
install the tires from the rear axle
on the front axle and vice versa.
This will allow the tires to have
approximately the same length of
service life.
For unidirectional tires, make sure
the tires are installed according to
the running direction indicated on
the tire sidewall > page 291.
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and rims can of-
ten occur in locations that are hid-
den. Unusual vibrations in the ve-
hicle or pulling to one side may
indicate that there is tire damage.
Reduce your speed immediately.
Check the tires for damage. If no
damage is visible from the out-
side, drive slowly and carefully to
the nearest authorized Audi deal-
er or authorized Audi Service Fa-
cility to have the vehicle inspect-
ed.
266


Z\ WARNING
Tread that has worn too low or
uneven tread depths on the
tires can reduce driving safety.
This can increase the risk of an
accident because it has a nega-
tive effect on handling, driving
through curves, and braking,
and because it increases the
risk of hydroplaning when driv-
ing through deep puddles.
Sem esa


B4H-0664


B8K-1151
DIMENSIONS | _ PRESSION DES PNEUS A FROID
a KPA, MM PSI
a KPA, MM PSI
as KPA, MM PSI



Sa
ArRcRe |
‘SPARE
ve secours | A



Fig. 169 Tire pressure label
The correct tire pressure for tires
installed at the factory is listed on»

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a label. The label is located on the
B-pillar > fig. 168, > fig. 169.
Use the tire pressure specified for
a normal vehicle load when the
vehicle is partially loaded > table
on page 268. If driving the vehi-
cle when fully loaded, you must
increase the tire pressure to the
maximum specified pressure > A.
Checking and 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.
>Refer to the sticker > fig. 169
for the correct tire pressure.
>Correct the tire pressure if nec-
essary.
>Store the new tire pressure in
the MMI > page 276 or
> page 278.
> Check the pressure in the spare
tire*. Always maintain the maxi-
mum temperature that is speci-
fied for the tire.


Z\ WARNING
Always adapt the tire pressure
to your driving style and the ve-
hicle load.
—Overloading can lead to loss of
vehicle control and increase
the risk of an accident. Read
and follow the important safe-
ty precautions in > page 269.
—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 increas-
es tire wear and has a negative
effect on driving and braking
behavior, which increases the
risk of an accident.

() Note
Replace lost valve caps to re-
duce the risk of damage to the
tire valves.
(*) For the sake of the envi-
ronment
Tire pressure that is too low in-
creases fuel consumption.
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Ncw dee em -])
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 any
differences, you should always
follow the tire pressure sticker
=> page 266, fig. 168.
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.














A6sedan: |245/45R19 102H 32 | 220 | 32 | 220 | 32 | 220 | 35 | 240
2.0L 255/40 R20 101Y 32 | 220 | 32 | 220 | 32 | 220 | 35 | 240
4-cylinder (555/40 R20 101H 32 | 220 | 32 | 220 | 33 | 230 | 36 | 250
255/35 R21 98Y 32 | 220 | 32 | 220 | 33 | 230 | 36 | 250
A6sedan: |245/45R19 102H 32 | 220 | 32 | 220| 35 | 240 | 36 | 250
3.0 liter 255/40 R20 101Y 32 | 220 | 32 | 220 | 35 | 240 | 36 | 250
6-cylinder (555/40 R20 101H 33 | 230 | 32 | 220 | 36 | 250 | 38 | 260
255/35 R21 98Y 33 | 230 | 32 | 220 | 36 | 250 | 38 | 260
S6sedan: | 255/40 R20101Y 35 | 240 | 32 | 220 | 39 | 270 | 41 | 280
2.9L 255/35 R21 98Y 39 | 270 | 36 | 250 | 44 | 300 | 45 | 310
6-cylinder
AGallroad: |245/45 R20 103Y 32 | 220 | 32 | 220 | 32 | 220 | 35 | 240
3.0L 235/50 R19 103H 32 | 220 | 32 | 220| 35 | 240 | 38 | 260
G-cylinder (345/45 R20 103H 32 | 220 | 32 | 220 | 35 | 240 | 38 | 260
245/40 R21 100Y 32 | 220 | 32 | 220 | 35 | 240 | 38 | 260

268