load capacity AUDI RS7 SPORTBACK 2014 Owners Manual

-When installing the roof rack, make sure it
is only mounted on the designated locations
on the roof¢
fig. 64 .
-We recommend that you keep the installa­
tion instructions for your roof rack system
together with your Owner's literature in the
vehicle.
Wh en should th e roof rack be remov ed ?
- Before going through an automatic car wash
(it is best to ask the car wash operator for
advice).
- When not in use, to reduce fuel consump­
tion, wind noise and to guard against theft.
8_ WARNING
- Use of an unapproved roof rack or incor­
rect mount ing of an approved roof rack
can cause the roof rack or the items at­
tached to it to fall off the roof onto the road.
- Objects falling from the roof of a vehicle
can cause a crash and personal injury .
- Only mount the roof rack on the desig­
nated locations on the roof¢
fig. 64 .
-The roof rack system must be installed
exactly according to the instructions pro­
vided .
- When driving with a roof rack system,
changes to the center of gravity and wind
resistance can change the veh icle han­
dling and lead to a collision . Always
adapt you r driv ing and your speed to the
c u rrent conditions.
(D Note
- Your vehicle warranty does not cover any
damages to the vehicle caused by using
r oof racks or mount ing structures not
approved by Audi for your vehicle . T he
same applies to damage resulting from
incorrect roof rack installa tion.
- Always check t he roof rack moun tings
and hardware before each trip and dur­
i ng a trip to make sure everything is se­
curely tightened . If necessary, retighten
the mount ings and check the entire sys­
tem from t ime to t ime.
S eat s an d sto rage 63
-After mounting a roof rack system, or
when you transport objects on the roof
of your vehicle, the heig ht of the veh icle
is naturally increased. Be careful when
dr iving under low bridges or in parking
garages for example. This cou ld cause
damage to the load and even the vehicle
itself .
- Make sure the open rear lid and the sun­
roof* do not come into contact w ith the
roof rac k.
Loading the roof rack
Always distribute loads evenly. Make sure
anything on the roof rack is securely tied
down.
"' Always distribute the loads on the roof rack
even ly.
"' Always attach items to the roof rack securely
befo re you dr ive off.
The maximum permissible roof weight is
220 l b (100 kg) . The roof weight is the total
of the we igh t of the roof rack, t he attach­
ments and the cargo you a re carry ing . You
must a lso not exceed the max imum load
weight for the roof rack yo u are using .
When using a roof rack system which has a lower load ca rrying capacity, you must not use
u p the tota l maximum permissible load car ry­
ing capacity specified above . Instead, you
sho uld load the roof rack system only to the
max imum capacity specified by the manufac ­
turer of the roof rack system.
8_ WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to the roof rack can fail
du ring hard b raking o r in a coll is ion and
cause ser ious persona l injury.
- Make sure the roof rack is installed exact­
ly as specif ied above ¢
page 62.
- Always use su itable mount ing straps for
secur ing items to the roof rack to help
prevent items from sh ifting or flying for­
ward.

64 Seats and storage
-Items on the roof rack must always be
sec urely mo unted.
- The use of a roof rack can negative ly af­
fect the way a vehicle handles. Cargo
that is large, heavy, bulky, long or flat
will have a greater negative inf lue nce on
the vehicle's aerodynamics, center of gravity and overall handling . Always
dr ive slowly, avo id sudden braking and
maneuvers when tra nsporting cargo on
the roof of you r vehicle.
- Never exceed the maximum perm iss ible
load carryi ng capacity of the roof of yo ur
vehicle, the perm issib le axle weights and
the permiss ible total weight of your veh i­
cle
¢ page 270, Weights .
@ For the sake of the environment
As a res ult of the increased w ind resist­
ance crea ted by a roof rack, your ve hicle is
using fue l unnecessarily . So remove the
roof rack after using it .
Luggage compartment
Loading luggage compartment
Luggage items must be stowed securely.
Fig . 65 Place heavy obj ects as far forwar d as po ssible .
Note the following to prese rve the vehicle's
good hand ling cha ra c te ris tic s .
.. Distribute the load as evenly as possible .
.. Place heavy objects as far fo rward as possi­
ble
¢ fig . 65 .
.. Secure luggage items wi th the cargo ne t* or
with non -elast ic retain ing s traps to the t ie­
down r ings*
¢ page 66.
A WARNING """-iiiiiiiii
- Loose objects i n the l uggage compa rt-
ment can slide about suddenly and a lter
the vehicle's ha nd ling characteristics .
- Loose objects i n the passenge r compart­
ment can fly forward during abrupt ma ­
ne uvers or accidents and inju re occu­
pants .
- Always sto re objects in the luggage com­
partment and use s uitable straps, partic­
ularly w it h heavy objects.
- When you t ransport heavy objects, al­
ways remember that a change in the cen­
ter of gravity m ay result in a change in
the vehicle's hand ling c harac teristi cs.
- Follow all warnings ¢
page 123, Driving
Safely.
(D Tips
The t ire pressure mus t be adj usted to the
l oad -see the t ire p ressure sticker located
o n the dr iver's side 8-pilla r.
Luggage compartment cover
The luggage compartm ent cover consists of
two parts .
• • Fig. 66 Cover in th e open rear lid
F ig . 67 Cover be hind th e r ear bench seat

130 Driving Safely
&_ WARNING
-
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, always keep the rear lid closed while driving .
- Never transport objects larger than
those fitting completely into the luggage
area because the rear lid cannot be fully
closed.
- If you absolutely must drive with the rear
lid open, observe the following notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power roof*,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
&_ WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­
dows, the power roof* and the rear lid are
securely closed and locked to reduce the
risk of injury when the vehicle is not being
used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es­
pecially with the rear lid left open. A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out . Being trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious personal injury.
- Never let children play in or around the
vehicle .
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment . Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions.
(D) Tips
- Air circulation helps to reduce window fogging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure
to keep these slots free and open .
-
-The tire pressure must correspond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the
tire pressure label. The tire pressure la­
bel is located on the driver's side B-pillar.
The tire pressure label lists the recom­ mended cold tire inflation pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
For recommended tire pressures for nor­
mal load conditions , please see chapter
r::!) page 232.
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 prop­
erly ¢
page 129, Loading the luggage com­
partment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess en­
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.
For example , in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10-lb (4.5 kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item. This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be about 200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the
injuries that a 200 lbs . (90 kg) item flying
freely through the passenger compartment
could cause in a collision like this.
&_ WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur­
ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
- Always use suitable mounting straps and properly secure items to the tie-downs in ..,.

Intelligent technology Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu­
facturers for the express purpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or crash
event. EDR's are sometimes called "crash re­
corders".
Some state laws restrict the retr ieval or down­
loading of data stored by EDR's that were in­
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
Although your vehicle is not equipped with an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of electron­
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for examp le, engine function, emis­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record
vehicle-related data during norma l vehicle op­
eration for diagnostic and repair purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually recorded over a very limited period of
time and stored when a system fault or other
condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as we ll as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only be read and downloaded with special equip­
ment.
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of
skidding and loss of veh icle control. It works
only when the engine is running. ESC detects
Intelligent technology 189
certain difficult driving situations, including
when the vehicle is beginning to spin (yaw)
out of control and helps you to get the veh icle
back under control by se lectively braking the
wheels, and/or reducing engine power and
providing steering ass istance to help hold the
vehicle on the driver's intended course. The in­
dicator light
JjJ in the instrument cluster
blinks when ESC is taking action to help you
control the vehicle.
ESC has limitations .
It is important to remem­
ber that ESC cannot overcome the laws of
physics.
It will not always be able to help out
under all conditions you may come up against.
For example, ESC may not always be able to
help you master situations where there is a
sudden change in the coefficient of friction of
the road surface. When there is a section of dry road that is suddenly covered with water,
slush or snow, ESC cannot perform the same
way it would on the dry surface. If the vehicle
hydroplanes (rides on a cushion of water in­
stead of the road surface), ESC will not be
able to help you steer the vehicle because con­
tact with the pavement has been interrupted
and the vehicle cannot be braked or steered .
During fast cornering, particularly on winding
roads, ESC cannot always deal as effectively
with difficult driving situations than at lower
speeds.
Always adjust your speed and driving style to
road, traffic and weather conditions. ESC can­
not override the vehicle's physical limits, in­
crease the available traction, or keep a vehicle
on the road if road departure is a result of
driver inattention. Instead, ESC improves the
poss ibility of keeping the vehicle under con­
trol and on the road dur ing extreme maneu­
vers by usin g the driver 's steering inputs to
help keep the vehicle going in the intended di­
rection. If you are traveling at a speed that
causes you to run off the road before ESC can
provide any assistance, you may not experi­
ence the benefits of ESC.
ESC includes and/or works together with the
anti- lock brake system (ABS), brake assist sys -
tem, anti-slip regu lation (ASR), electronic
Ill>
•
•

-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 .,.

Tires an d wheel s 233
you have stored. The system does not recog ­
nize the load condition of your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the ti re pressu re monitor­
ing sys tem w ill be impaired if you store no r­
mal load pressures but then operate the vehi ­
cle at its maximum load¢,& .
See the illustration ¢
fig. 195 for the location
of the label on dr iver's side B-pillar (color of
the actual labe l and exact location on the ve­
hicle wi ll vary slig htly) .
Note that the fo llowing tab le is accurate at
the t ime o f go ing to press and is subject to
Model/ Tire de
signation
c h ange. In the event of discrepancies, the ti re
pressure label is located on the driver's side B­
pillar always takes precedence .
T he table below lists the recommended cold
ti re inflat ion pressures for the Audi mode l
covered by your Owner's Literat ure at the vehi­
cle's capacity weight and the t ire sizes instal­
l ed on the respective models as orig inal
equipment, or as a factory option.
Tire pressure
Engine normal load condition full load condition
(up to 2 occupants )
front r ear front rear
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
RS 7 275/35 R20 102V XL
36 2S0 30 210 39 270 39 270 Sportback: High P erformanc e
4.0 lit er
275 /30 R21 98V XL
a -cy linder
High Performance
41 280 38 260 45 310 4S 3 10
X L = r einfor ced or extra load tir e. It ma y al so appear a s xl , EXTRA LOAD, or RF on th e tire side -
w all.
Because tec hnical changes may be made to
ve hicl e equ ipment dur ing the model yea r, a l­
ways compare the tire s ize designation on the
tire pressure label on your vehicle with the
tires on your vehicle . Make s ure that the tire
size information on the vehicle label is the
same as the s ize of the t ires on the vehicle.
This is especially important if the vehicle be­
longs to someone else or you bought the veh i­
cle with different rims/tires or you bought the
veh icle as a previously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on mak ing sure that
load limits are not exceeded . Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
ve hicl e. These load limits are technically refer­
r ed to as the vehicle's G ross Vehicle We ight
Rating ("GVWR"). The Gross Ax le Weight Rat­
ing ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can
be applied at each of the vehicle's two axles .
The Gross Vehicle We ight Rating and the G
ross Ax le Weig ht Rating are listed on the
sa fety comp liance sticke r label lo cated on the
driver's side B-pillar . The tire pressu re labe l on
your A udi lists the maximum combined
weight of all of the occ upants and luggage o r
other cargo that the veh icle can carry. For the
location of the t ire pressure label ¢
fig. 195.
A WARNING
-Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve-
h icle contro l, a crash or other accide nt, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more we ight than your veh icle
was des igned to carry will prevent the
veh icle from handling properly a nd in­
crease the risk of a loss of vehicle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
veh icle w ith in a safe distance.
•
•

234 Tire s and wheel s
-Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly causing loss of con­
trol and a crash.
- Always make sure that the tota l load be­
ing transported does not make the vehi­
cle heavier than the veh icle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
A WARNING
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­ flation can lead to a serious or fatal acci­
dent .
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation cause increased tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can also lead to sudden tire fa il­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
flation, causing loss of vehicle control.
Checking tire pressure
-
The correct tire pressure for the tires original­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressure label located on driver's side 8-pil­
lar.
The recommended t ire pressures are on the
tire pressure label and in the tab le
~ page 232, Cold tire inflation pressure . This
means that the pressure must be checked and
adjusted when the tire has not been driven for
more than a couple of mi les (kilometers) at
low speeds during the previous three hours.
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
as a result of internal fr iction as it flexes in
use . The tire pressure is higher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold."
It is the inflat ion pressure in a "cold" tire that
counts. Therefore , you should never let air out
of a warm t ire to match "Cold tire inflation
pressure" recommendations
~ page 232. The
tires would then be under inflated and cou ld
fail suddenly.
The tire p ressure label on your Audi l ists the
recommended cold t ire inflat ion pressures at
maximum capacity for the new, original equipment tires that were on your vehicle at
the time it was manufactured. For the loca­
t ion of the labe l
~pag e 232, fig. 195.
Most tires lose air naturally over t ime . They
can a lso lose some air if you drive over a pot­
ho le or hit a curb while parking. It is usually
not possible to see whether the rad ial tires
used today are underinflated just by looking
at them.
Therefore , be sure to check tire pressures at
l east once a month and always before going
on a long trip. Make sure to take the number
of people and the amount of luggage into ac­
count when adjusting tire pressure for a trip -
even one that you would not consider to be
"long ." See ~
page 235, Tires and vehicle
load limits
for more important info rmation .
Always use an accurate tire pressure gauge
whe n checking and adjusting inflat ion p res­
sures . Check al l of the tires . If the pressure in
any ti re is too high when the tire is "cold," let
air o ut of the tire slowly with the edge of the
t ire gauge and keep checking the pressure un­
ti l you reach the pressure that is correct for
the load (passengers and luggage) and kind of
driving you plan to do.
If the pressure in any ti re is too low, note the
difference between the pressure in the co ld
tire and the pressure you need and add the air
that you need to reach the correct pressure for
the vehicle load (passengers and luggage) for
the tires on your vehicle as listed on the on
your vehicle and in this manual and the kind
of driving you plan to do.
Ne ver ex cee d th e ma ximu m in fl ation pr es­
sure l isted on th e tir e side wall for any re a­
son .
Remember that the vehicle manufacturer, not
the tire manufacturer, determines the correct
t ire pressure for the tires on your vehicle.
It is important to check the tire pressure when
the tires are co ld.
- Read the required tire pressure from the t ire
pressure labe l. The tire pressure label is lo -
cated on the driver's side B-pillar .
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