wheel AUDI RS7 SPORTBACK 2014 Workshop Manual

190 Intelligent technology
differential lock (EDL), dynamic steering* and
selective whee l torque control. ESC is switch­
ed on all the t ime. In certa in situations when
you need less traction, you can switch off ASR
by pressing the button
[ill c> page 191,
fig. 180. Be sure to switch ASR on again when
you no longe r need less traction .
Anti-loc k br ak ing system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up
when braking. The vehicle can still be steered
even during hard brak ing. Apply steady pres­
sure to the brake pedal. Do not pump the ped­
al. A puls ing in the brake pedal ind icates that
the system is he lp ing you to b rake the vehicle.
B rake as sist sys tem
The brake assist system can decrease braking
d istance. It increases braking power when the
driver presses the brake pedal quick ly in emer ­
gency situations. You must p ress and hold the
b rake pedal until the situation is over. I n
vehicles w ith adaptive cru ise cont rol*, the
b rake assist system is more sens it ive if the
d istance detected to the vehicle ahead is too
smal l.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces engi ne power when the d rive
wheels begin to spin and ad apts the fo rce to
the road condit ions. This makes i t easier to
start, accelerate and drive up hills .
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The EDL brakes wheels that are spinning and
transfers the d rive powe r to the other d rive
wheel o r whee ls if the vehi cle is equipped wi th
a ll-w hee l drive* . This function is available up
to about 75 mph (120 km/h).
I n extreme cases, ED L automat ica lly swit ches
off to help keep the brake o n the braked whee l
from overheating . EDL wi ll switch on again au­
tomatically when conditions have returned to
norma l.
Dynamic steering*
On vehi cles w ith dy namic stee ring*, ESC helps
stabilize the steering i n critical s ituations.
Selective wheel torque control
T he sele ctive whee l torq ue con trol ope rates
when driving through c urves . The front whee l
on the inside of th e curve o r both wheels on
the inside of the curve are braked selectively
as needed. This minimizes sliding in the front
whee ls and allows for more precise driving
t hr ough curves. The appl icable system may
not act ivate when dr iv ing in wet or snowy con­
ditions .
,&. WARNING
-ESC, ABS, ASR, EDL, dy namic steeri ng*
and the select ive wheel torq ue con trol
c a nnot ove rcome the laws of physics.
T his is especially important on slippery
or wet roads.
If the systems begin acting
to stabilize your veh icle, yo u should im­
mediately change your speed to match
the road and traffic conditions. Do not
let the increased safety provided by
these systems tempt you to take r isks.
Doing so will increase the risk of a loss of
veh icle cont ro l, collision and ser ious per­
sonal injur ies.
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffic
and wea ther conditions. The risk of los­
ing con trol of t he vehicle increases when
d riving too fast, espec ially through
curves and on slippery or wet roads, and
when dr iving too close to vehicles up
ahead. ESC, ABS, the brake assist sys­
tem, ASR, EDL, dynam ic steering* and
the selective wheel torque contro l can­
not prevent collisions .
- Always accelerate with special care on
even, smooth su rfaces such as those that
are wet or covered with ice and snow .
The drive wheels can spin eve n w ith
these assistan ce systems that cannot al­
ways he lp to re duce the risk of loss of ve ­
h icle control.
(D Tips
- ABS and ASR o nly wo rk correctly when
all four wheels are equipped with identi­
cal tires. D iffe ren t tire si zes can lead to a
reduction in engine power.
-
...

Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating condit ions and d riv ing hab it s
The brakes on today's automobi les are sti ll
subject to wear, depending largely on operat­
ing conditions and dr iving habits
c:> A . On
vehicles that are either driven mostly in stop­
and-go city traffic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be checked by your author­
i zed Audi dealer more often than specified in
the
Warr ant y & Maint enan ce bookle t. Failure
to have your b rake pads inspected can res ult
i n red uced brake performance.
On steep slopes, you should use the brak ing
effect of the engine. This way, you p revent un­
necessa ry wea r on the brake system.
If you
must use yo ur brakes, do not ho ld the brakes
down continuously. Pump the brakes at in ter ­
va ls.
Moistu re or road salt
Unde r ce rtain conditions, for example, when
driving through wate r or very heavy rain, or
even after washing your vehicle, the braking
effect can be reduced d ue to moisture (or in
freezing conditions ice) on the brake pads . A
few careful brake app lications should dry
off
the brake pads or remove any ice coatings.
When you are driving at higher speeds with
the windshield wipers on, the brake pads will
briefly touch the brake discs in regular inter­
vals so as to improve reaction t ime when brak­
ing on wet surfaces . You the driver w ill not no­
tice anything .
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is dr iven on a salt-covered
road and the brakes are not used . Here too,
you should clean
off accumulated salt coat ing
from b rake discs and pads with a few careful
applications of the brake
c:> ,&. .
Cor ro sion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
Int ellig ent technolog y 193
the d iscs if the car is not driven regu larly or
only for short trips with litt le use of the
brakes.
If the brakes a re not used frequently, o r if cor­
rosion has formed on the discs, it is adv isable
to clean
off the pads and discs by braking
firmly a few times from a moderately high
speed
c:> ,&. .
Fault s in the brak e syste m
If you shou ld notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal trave l, then one of the two brake
circuits may have fai led ¢
A.
Low brake fluid lev el
Malfunctions can occu r in the bra ke system if
the b rake fluid level is too low. The brake flu id
level is monitored elec tronica lly.
Brake booster
The brake booster works with vacuum pres­
su re which is created only whe n the engine is
runn ing ¢,&. .
Brake lining we ar s tatus
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the open ings in the w heel. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed fo r thi s in­
spe ction ¢
page 2 54, Changing a wheel.
_& WARNING
-You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake system only if road conditions permit .
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may ca use an accident!
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gear or lower dr iving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often . Th is could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency.
- Do not " ride the brakes" by rest ing your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to b rake. This may cause the brakes to
•
•

194 Intelligent technology
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating
condit ions such as passing through wa­
ter, driving in heavy ra in or after wash ing
the vehicle, the effect iveness of the
brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice ca n
accumulate on the brake pads, linings ,
discs and d rums . Carefully apply brakes
for a test . B rakes wi ll dry a nd ice coat­
ings will be cleaned off after a few c are­
f ul brake app lications .
- Driv ing fo r an ex tende d pe riod of time on
salt-covere d roads w ithout us ing yo ur
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 could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the ent ire brake system .
- Failure of one brake c ircuit will impair
the braking capability res ulting in an in­
creased stopp ing distance. Avoid driv ing
the vehicle and have it towed to t he near­
est Au di dea le r o r q ualified w ork sh o p.
- Never let the vehicle ro ll to a stop w ith
the e ngine shu t off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
bra ke pedal must be p ressed conside ra­
bly harder to make up for the la ck of
booster assistance.
Electro-mechanical
power assist, dynamic
steering
The electro-mechanical power assist helps
the driver when steering .
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed .
Indicator lights and messages
• Steering defective! Stop the vehicle
If this indicato r light turns on and stays on
and t his message appears, the power steering
may have failed.
D o
not con tinue dr iv ing . See your author ized
Audi dealer or other qualified repair facility
for assistance .
'I-lj Steering: Sy stem fault You can continue
driving
If the indicato r light turns on and the mes­
sage appea rs, the stee ring may be more diffi­
cul t to move o r more sens itive th an usua l. The
stee ring wheel may a lso be at an ang le when
driving straight .
D rive slowly to you r authorized Aud i dea le r or
qualified wo rkshop to have the ma lf u nct ion
corre cted.
(:rij Dynamic st eering: Initializing
If this driver message appears and the indica­
tor light is f lashing on the instrument panel,
dynam ic steer ing* is being rei nitia lized . Afte r
sta rting the engine, the stee ring wheel will
move s ligh tly. Re- ini tiali zation mig ht be ne c­
essa ry if the stee ring wheel w as moved h ard
to the left and r ight wh ile the vehicle was not
moving . The display goes out as soon as initi ­
alization is complete.
D rive slowly to you r authorized Audi de aler or
qualified wo rkshop to have the ma lf u nct ion
corrected.
_& WARNING
Have t he dynamic stee ring * system mal ­
f u nction repa ired as soon as possible by an
a uthorized Audi dea ler or qua lified wor k­
shop - risk of acc ident !
(D Tips
If the . or (:rij indicator light on ly stays
on for a short time, yo u may continue driv­
i ng.
- The dynamic steering * stab ility systems
are not avai lab le in the event of a system
ma lf u nction.
- For add itiona l information on dynamic
steering *, refer to
c> page 96.

Driving with your
quattro
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driv­
en .
General information
With all-wheel drive, power is distributed to
all four wheels . This happens automatically
depending on your driving style and the road
conditions at the time . See also
t::;> page 189.
A center differential distributes the driving
power variably to the front and rear axle. It
works together with selective wheel torque
control, which activates when driving through
curves
t::;> page 190 . With the sport d ifferen­
tial*, power distribution to the rear wheels is
va riable and can be adjusted with drive select
¢page 96.
The all-wheel drive concept is designed for
hi gh engine power. Your vehicle is exception­
ally powerful and has exce llent dr iv ing charac­
teristics both under normal driving conditions
and on snow and
ice. Always read and follow
safety precautions
t::;> .& .
Winter tires
When driving in the w inter, your ve hicle with
all-wheel drive has an advantage, even with
regular tires. In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all-sea­
son t ires) for improved driveability and brak­
ing: these tires must be mounted on
all four
wheels. See also ¢ page 243, Winter tires.
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this normally a lso applies to vehicles
with a ll-wheel drive¢
page 244, Snow
chains.
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles w ith all-wheel drive must always
have tires of the same size. Also avoid tires
with different tread depths. For details see
page
t::;> page 239, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels .
Intelligent technology 195
Off•Road driving?
Your Audi does not have enough g round clear­
ance to be used as an off-road vehicle.
It is
therefore best to avoid rough tracks and un ­
even terrain as much as possible. Also refer to
¢page 199.
A WARNING
Always adjust your dr iv ing to road and traf­
fic conditions. Do not let the extra safety
afforded by all-wheel drive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
- Although the all-wheel drive is very ef­ fective, always remember that braking
capacity is lim ited by tire traction. You
should therefore not drive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippery road surfaces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to
drive too fast because the front wheels
could begin to slide on top of the water
(aquaplaning) . If this should occur, you
will have no warning from a sudden in­
crease in engine speed as with a front­
wheel drive veh icle. Always drive at
speeds which are su ited 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 conventiona l energy system
is not driven for a long period of tim e, the bat­
tery is discharged by idling current consumers
(e.g . immobilizer). In certain circumstances it
can resu lt in there being insufficient energy
available to start the eng ine.
Intelligent energy management in your vehi­
cle handles the distribution of e lectrica l ene r­
gy. Starting ability is markedly improved and
the life of the battery is extended .
ll>
•
•

204 Vehicle care and cleaning
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly again and let it
air dry. Remove any water residue using a
shammy .
Stubborn deposits such as bird droppings or
tree sap are best removed with plenty of wa­
ter and a microfiber cloth.
A WARNING
-Only wash the vehicle when the ignition
is off and follow the instructions from
the car wash operator to reduce the risk
of accidents .
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect your­
self from sharp metal components when
washing the underbody or the inside of
the wheel housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking ef­
fect may be delayed due to moisture on
the brake rotors or ice in the winter. The
brakes must be dried first with a few
careful brake applications .
(D Note
-If you wash the vehicle in an automatic
car wash, you must fold the exterior mir­ rors in to reduce the risk of damage to
the mirrors. Power folding exterior mir- rors* must only
be folded in and out us­
ing the power folding function.
- To prevent paint damage, do not wash
the vehicle in direct sunlight.
- To reduce the risk of damage to the sur­
face, do not use insect removing spong­
es, kitchen sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted vehicle compo­
nents :
- To reduce the risk of damage to the
surface, do not use polishing agents or
hard wax.
- Never use car wash cycles that apply
protective wax.
It can destroy the
matte finish effect.
- Do not place any stickers or magnetic signs on vehicle parts painted with matte finish paint. The paint could be
damaged when the stickers or magnets
are removed.
@) For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehicle in facilities specially
designed for that purpose. This will reduce
the risk of dirty water contaminated with
oil from entering the sewer system.
Cleaning and care information
When cleaning and caring for individual vehi­
cle components, refer to the following table.
The information contained there is simply rec­
ommendations. For questions or for compo- nents that are not listed,
refer to an author­
ized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop. Also
follow the information found in~& .
Cleaning exterior
Component Situation Solution
Wiper blades
D irty ~ page 49, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
Headlights/
Dirty Soft sponge with a mild soap solutiona>
tail lights
Sensors/
Dirty Sensors: soft cloth with a solvent-free cleaning product
camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth with an alcohol-free cleaning
solution
Snow/ice Hand brush/solvent-free de-icing spray
Wheels Road salt
Water
Brake dust Acid-free special
cleaning solution

228 Tire s and wheel s
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
tive ly small patch of rubber on each tire that
assures that all -impo rtant 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 mo re weight than they can safe ly han­
d le, avoiding damage from road hazards and
reg ularly inspecting t ires for damage includ­
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 separation and blowouts.
A voidin g damage
I f you have to drive over a curb or similar ob­
stacle, drive very s low ly and as close as possi ­
b le at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chem ica ls includ ing grease, o il,
gasoline and b rake fluid off the ti res.
Inspect the t ires regularly for damage (cuts,
cracks or b listers, etc.). Remove any fo reign
bod ies embedded in the treads.
St oring 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
install t hem.
When removed, the wheels or t ires should be
stored 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. New tire
s
New t ires have to be broken in¢&,. .
T he tread depth of new t ires may vary, accord­
ing to the type a nd make of t ire and the tread
pa tte rn .
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and r ims is often not readily
vis ible . If you notice unusual v ibrat ion or the
vehicle p ulls to one side, th is may ind icate
that one of the t ires has been damaged . Th e
t ir es m ust be checked immed iate ly by an au ­
tho rized Aud i dea le r or q uali fied wor kshop.
Unidirectional t ires
A un idirectional tire can be identified by ar­
rows on the sidewa ll, that po int in the direc­
t ion the t ire is designed to rotate. You must
fol low the specified d irection of rotation . This
is necessary so that these tires can develop
their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road no ise, wear and hydrop laning resistance.
For more information
¢page 259.
A WARNING
-New tires or tires that are old, worn or
damaged cannot provide maximum con­
trol and braking ability .
-
-New tires tend to be slippery and must
be broken in . To reduce the risk of losing
control, a co llision and ser ious personal
in jur ies, d rive w ith special ca re fo r the
fi rst 350 m iles (560 km).
- Driving with worn or damaged tires can
lead to loss of control, sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowou t and sudden de­
fl ation, c rashes and seriou s personal in­
juries . Have wo rn or damaged t ires re­
p laced immediate ly .
- T ires age even if they are not being used
and can fai l sudden ly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith specia l care and at low
speed.

-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
yo u are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when d riving, al­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and check the wheels and tires for dam­
age .
(D Note
Please note that summe r and wi nte r tires
are designed for the cond itions that are
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight means the comb ined weight (in excess of
those sta ndard items which may be rep laced)
of au toma tic transmission, power steer ing ,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that these
items are availab le as factory-installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not) .
Aspect ratio
means the rat io o f the height to the w idth of
the tire in percent . Numbers of 55 or lower in ­
dicate a low sidewall for improved steering re­
sponse and better overa ll handling on dry
pavement .
Bead
means the part of the t ire t hat is made o f
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the r im.
Bead separation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead .
Cord means the strands forming the plies in the
tire.
Tire s an d wheel s 229
typica l in those seasons . Aud i recommends
using winter tires during the winter
months . Low temperatures signif icant ly
dec rease the e lasticity of summer t ires,
which affects tract ion and brak ing ability.
If summer t ires are used i n very co ld tem ­
peratures, cracks ca n form o n the tread
bars , res ulting in perma nen t tire damage
that can cause loud driving noise and un­
bala nced ti re s. Audi i s not respon sible for
th is type of damage .
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the t ire p ress ure recommended by t he
vehicle manufacture r fo r a tire o f a des ignated
s ize t hat has not bee n driven for more than a
coup le o f miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire press ure
is m easured or adjusted.
Curb weight
me ans the we ight of a motor ve hicle with
st andard equipmen t incl ud ing the max imum
capacity of fuel, oi l, and coolant, air condi ­
tioning and additional weig ht of optiona l
equipment.
Extra load tire
means a t ire design to oper ate a t higher load s
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standa rd tire . Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "x l", "EXTRA LOAD", o r
"RF" on the sidewal l.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
me ans the load-ca rry ing capac ity of a single
axle system , measured at the tire -ground in­
te rfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ( "GVWR ")
mea ns the maximum total loaded we ight of
the ve hicl e. .,..
•
•

230 Tires and wheels
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs .
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry for a given inflation pressure. You
may not find this informat ion on all tires be­
cause it is not req uired by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a t ire at the max i­
mum permissible inflation pressure for that
tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity we ight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated. Also called
"maximum inflation pressure ."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the
number of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the total seating capacity of your vehicle .
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle.
Outer diameter
means the overa ll diameter of an inflated new
tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri­
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ­
ing elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands o r ribs .
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those insta lled
regular production options weighing over 5
lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory we ight, including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and special tr im .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumat ic tire in which the ply cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan­
t ia lly 90 degrees to the center line of the
tread .
Recommended inflation pressure
see<=> page 229, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at h igher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standa rd tire. Reinforced tires
may be identified as "XL" "xl" "EXTRA LOAD"
' ' '
or "RF" on the sidewa ll.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Rim diameter
means nom inal diameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you will have to
purchase new tires to match the new rim di­
ameter.
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width .
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
t read and bead.

Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at wh ich a tire is des igned to
be driven for extended periods of t ime . The
ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h) ¢
page 240 . You may
not find this information on all tires because
it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applica­ ble, is molded on the tire sidewall and indi­
cates the maximum permissible road speeds
¢ &. in Winter tires on page 243.
Tire pressure monitoring system
means a system that detects when one or
more of a vehicle's tires are underinflated and
illuminates a low tire pressure warn ing te ll­
tale .
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 princ ipal
grooves designed to give a visual indication of
the degrees of wear of the tread. See
¢
page 237, Tread Wear Indicator (TWI) for
more informat ion on measuring tire wear.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire information system developed by the
United States National Highway Traffic Safety
Admin istration (NHTSA) that is designed to
help buyers make relative comparisons among
tires . Th e U TQG is not a safety rating and not a
g ua ran tee that a tir e will las t for a prescribed
number of mi les (kilometers) or perform in a
certain way. It simply gives tire buyers addi ­
tional information to combine with other con-
Tires and wheels 231
siderations, such as price, brand loyalty and
dealer recommendations. Under UTQG, tires
are graded by the tire manufacturers in three
areas : treadwear, traction, and temperature
resistance. The UTQG informat ion 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 federa l standards. The next two
numbers or letters ind icate the plant where it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers
represent the week and year of manufacture.
For example,
DOT ... 2213 ...
means that the tire was produced in the 22nd
week of 2013. The other numbers are market­
ing codes that may or may not be used by the
tire manufacturer. This information is used to
contact consumers if a tire defect requires a
recall.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and luggage load p lus
150 lbs . (68 k ilograms) times the vehicle's to­
tal seating capacity as listed on the label lo­
cated on the driver's side B -pillar .
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is
determined by distributing 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 distributing to each ax le its
share of the curb weight, accessory weight,
and normal occupant weight (distr ibuted in
accordance with table below¢
page 232)
and dividing by two.
•
•

232 Tires and wheels
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seating
capacities
Designated seating capacity, Vehicle normal load , number Occupant distribution in a nor -
number of occupants of occupants mally loaded vehicle
4 2 2 i
n front
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
Fig. 195 T ire press ure label : located on driver's side B·
pillar
Tire pressure genera lly refers to the amount
of air in a t ire that it needs it to do its job and
safely carry the combined load of the entire
vehicle and its contents . Tire pressure is
measured in kilopasca ls (kPa), the i nterna·
tional measur ing unit and in pou nds pe r
squa re inc h (PSI). Tire pressure is based in
p art o n the vehicle's design and load limit -
the greatest amount of weight that the vehi·
cle can carry safe ly and the t ire size . The prop·
er tire pressure is freq uently referred to as the
"recommended cold tire inf lation pressure."
A ir in the tires expands when the tire heats up
because of internal frict ion when it flexes in
use . The t ire p ressu re is higher when the tire
has wa rmed up tha n when it is "cold ." It is the
in flat ion pressu re i n a "cold" tire that counts.
Therefore, you shou ld neve r let air ou t of a
warm tire to match " co ld tire infl ation pres­
sure" recommendations . The t ires wo uld then
be underinflated and could fail suddenly .
M ain taining p roper t ire pr essu re is one of the
most im po rt an t th ings you can do to he lp
avoid sudden tire failure. Underin fla ted t ires
a re a ma jo r cause of s udden tire failure. Keep·
i n g tires at the right pressure is also impor­
tant for safe and responsive vehicle handling,
-U'>
-
---------------------- ,;
•(=~= I: I::... 1)§ :l!: n-...,....,....,~ ...... ~-...,..., ..... _ ... U ........ ~-·~N.-..-.we..... .... lllt-
-AVANT ...,.
-...... .. _
-KPA. a PSI
- KPA.
a PSI
-KPA. a PSI
Fig. 196 Ti re pr essure labe l
SEE OWNEJICS MANUA1 FOA A,DOITl<>N.IU. INfORMATlON VOIR L£ MANUll DUPR0ftlET""" P"OUR i-t.US DE RENSEIGMEMENfS
traction, braking and load carrying. Tire pres­
sures are particularly important when the
vehicle is being driven at higher speeds, and
then especially when heavily loaded even
within the permissible load-carrying capaci­
ties approved for your vehicle .
The recommended tire pressures for your Audi
depe nd on the kind of tires o n your ve hicle
and the numbe r of passe ngers and/o r amount
of luggage you w ill be t ransporti ng .
The tire pressure label is located on the driv­
er 's side B-pillar . The tire pressure labe l lists
the recommended cold t ire inflat io n press ures
for the vehicle at its maximum capac ity
weight and tires t hat were o n your veh icle at
t h e time it was m anufactur ed .
If you wish to improve comfort wh en operat­
ing the vehicle at normal load (up to 2 occu­
pant s), you can ad just tire pre ssure s to tho se
specified f or normal vehicle load . Before op­
erating the vehicle at maximum load, you
mu st increase the ti re pressures to those
specified for maximum vehicle load
~ ,&. .
Bear in min d that the tire pressure mon itor ing
system ca n only moni to r the tire pressures .,.