ECO mode AUDI RS7 SPORTBACK 2016 Owner's Manual

Airbag system
(D Tips
If the capacitive passenger detection system
determines that the front passenger seat is
empty, the frontal airbag on the passenger
side will be turned off, and the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light will stay on.
Repair , care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are installed at many
different places on your Audi. Installing, remov­
ing, servicing or repairing a part in an area of the
vehicle can damage a part of an airbag system
and prevent that system from working properly
in a collision.
There are some important things you have to
know to make sure that the effectiveness of the
system will not be impaired and that discarded
components do not cause injury or pollute the
environment.
A WARNING
-Improper care, servicing and repair proce­
dures can increase the risk of personal injury
and death by preventing an airbag from de­
ploying when needed or deploying an airbag
unexpectedly:
- Never cover, obstruct, or change the steer­ ing wheel horn pad or airbag cover or the in­
strument panel or modify them in any way.
- Never attach any objects such as cup holders or telephone mountings to the surfaces cov­
ering the airbag units.
- For cleaning the horn pad or instrument
panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one mois­
tened with plain water. Solvents or cleaners could damage the airbag cover or change
the stiffness or strength of the material so
that the airbag cannot deploy and protect
properly.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts of the airbag system.
- All work on the steering wheel, instrument
panel, front seats or electrical system (in­
cluding the installation of audio equipment,
cellular telephones and CB radios, etc.)
must be performed by a qualified technician
150
who has the training and special equipment necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that you see your au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
- Never modify the front bumper or parts of
the vehicle body.
- Always make sure that the side airbag can
inflate without interference:
- Never install seat covers or replacement
upholstery over the front seatbacks that
have not been specifically approved by
Audi.
- Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags in­
flate.
- Damage to the original seat covers or to
the seam in the area of the side airbag
module must always be repaired immedi­
ately by an authorized Audi dealer.
- The airbag system can deploy only once. Af­
ter an airbag has been deployed, it must be
replaced with new replacement parts de­
signed and approved especially for your
Audi model version. Replacement of com­ plete airbag systems or airbag components
must be performed by qualified workshops
only . Make sure that any airbag service ac­
tion is entered in your Audi Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG RE­
PLACEMENT RECORD.
- For safety reasons in severe accidents, the
alternator and starter are separated from
the vehicle battery with a pyrotechnic circuit
interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupt­
er must only be performed by a qualified
technicians who have the experience, in­
formation and special tools necessary to perform the work safely.
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter is
scrapped, all applicable safety precautions must be followed.
~

Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with a front "Advanced
Airbag System" in compliance with United States
F edera l Motor Vehicle Safety Standard ( FMVSS)
208, as well as Canada Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard (CMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time
your veh icle was manufactured.
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle has
been certified to meet the "low-risk" require­
ments for 3- and 6-year old children on the pas­
senger side and small adults on the driver side.
The low risk deployment criteria are intended to
reduce the risk of injury through interaction with
the airbag that can occur, for example, by being
too close to the steering wheel and instrument
panel when the airbag inflates. In addition, the
system has been certified to comply with the
"s uppress ion " req uirements of the Safety Stand­
ard, to turn off the front airbag for infants up to
12 months who are restrained on the front pas­
senger seat in child restraints that are listed in
the Standard.
E ven though your vehicle is equipped with an Ad ·
vanced Airbag system, all children, especially
those 12 years and younger, should always ride
in the back seat properly restrained for their age
and size. The airbag on the passenger side makes
the front seat a potentially dangerous place for a
child to r ide. The front seat is not the safest place
for a child in a forward-facing child safety seat .
It
can be a very dangerous place for an infant or a
la rger child in a rearward-facing seat.
The vehicle's Advanced A irbag System has a ca ­
pac itive passenger detect io n system in the front
passenger seat cush ion that can detect the pres­
ence of a baby or a child in a child restraint sys­
tem on this seat .
The capacit ive passenger detection system regis­
ters the changes that result in an electrical field
when a child, a child restraint, and a baby blanket
are on the front passenge r seat. The change in
the measured capacitance due to the presence of
a child, a child restraint, and a baby blanket on
the front passenger seat is related to the child restraint system resting on the seat. The meas­
ured capacitance of a child restraint system var-
Child safety
ies depending on the type of system and specific
make and mode l.
T he elect rical capacitance of the various types,
makes, and models of child restra ints specified
by the U.S .National Highway Traff ic Safety Ad­
ministration (NHTSA) in the relevant safety
standard are stored in the Advanced Airbag Sys­
tem control unit together with the capacitances
typ ical of infants and a 1-year old child. When a
child restraint is used on the front passenger
seat w it h a typical 1 year-old infant, the Ad­
vanced Airbag System compares the capacitance measured by the capacitive passenge r detection
system with the data stored in the electronic con­
t rol unit.
Child restraints and Advanced front airbag
system
Regardless of the ch ild restraint that you use,
make sure that it has been certified to meet Safe­
ty Standards and has been cert ified by its manu ­
facturer for use w ith an airbag . Always be sure
that the child restraint is properly installed at
one of the rear seating positions. If in exception­
al circumstances you must use it on the front
passenger seat, carefully read all of the informa­
tion on child safety and Advanced Airbags and heed all of the applicable WARNINGS . Make cer­
tain that the chi ld and child restraint are correct­
ly recognized by the capac itive passenger detec­
t ion system in the front passenger seat, that the
front passenger a irbag is turned off, and that the
airbag status is always correctly s ignaled by the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light .
Many types and models of child restra ints have
been available over the years, new models are in­
troduced regularly incorporating new and im­
proved designs and older models are taken out of
production. Child restra ints are no t standardized.
Child restraints of the same type typically have
different weights and sizes and different "foot­
prints", the size and shape of the bottom of the
chi ld restraint that sits on the seat, when they
are installed on a vehicle seat. These differences
make it virtually impossib le to certify compliance
with the requirements for advanced a irbags w ith
each and every child restra int that has ever been ..,.
161

In extreme cases, EDL automatically switches off
to keep the brake on the braked wheel from over­
heating. The vehicle is still working correctly. EDL
will switch on again automatically when condi ­
tions have returned to normal.
Steering recommendation
The ESC helps to stabilize the vehicle by changing
the steering torque .
I n vehicles with dynamic steering*, ESC also
helps to stabilize the steering in critical situa ­
tions.
Selective wheel torque control
Selective wheel torque control is used when driv­
ing on curves. The front wheel on the inside of
the curve or both wheels on the inside of the
curve are braked selectively as needed. This al­
lows more precise driving in curves.
Automatic post-collision braking system
The "Automatic post-collision brak ing system"
can help to reduce the risk of sliding and of other
coll isions after an accident.
If the airbag control
module detects a collision above a certain vehicle
speed, the vehicle is braked by the ESC.
The vehicle does not brake automatically if:
- the driver presses the accelerator pedal, or
- the braking force generated by the pressed
brake pedal is greater than the brak ing force
that would be initiated by the system, or
- the ESC, the brake system or the vehicle electri­
cal system are not function ing .
Switching on /off
Intelligent Technology
A WARNING
-- The ESC and its integrated systems cannot
overcome the limits posed by natural physi­
cal laws. This is especia lly important on slip­
pery or wet roads. If the systems begin act­
ing to stabilize your vehicle, you should im­
mediately alter your speed to match the
road and traffic conditions. Do not let the
increased safety provided tempt you into
taking r isks. This cou ld increase your risk of
a collision .
- Please note the risk of a collision increases
when driving fast, especially through curves
and on slippery or wet roads, and when dr iv­
ing too close to objects ahead. The ESC and
its integrated systems cannot always pre­
vent collisions -there is still a risk of acci­
dents!
- Press the accelerator pedal carefully when
accelerating on even, slippery surfaces such
as ice and snow. The dr ive wheels can spin
even when these control systems are instal­
led and this can affect driving stability and
i n crease the risk of a collision .
(j) Tips
-ABS and ASR only function correctly when
all four wheels are equipped with identical
tires. Different tire sizes can lead to a reduc­
tion in engine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems de­
scribed are working.
£SC turns on automatically when you start the engine.
Fig. 175 Center console: OFF~ button
The ESC is designed to function in levels. Depend­
ing on the level that is se lected, the stabilization
function of the ESC is limited or switched off. The amount of stabilization control will differ de­
pending on the level.
The following examples are unusual situations
where it may make sense to switch sport mode on in order to allow the wheels to spin:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck ..,.
181

Intelligent Technology
- Driving in deep snow or on loose ground
ESC levels
- Driv ing with snow chains
Sport mode on ESC/ASR off Sport mode off or
ESC/ASRon
Beha vior
The ESC and ASR stabiliza- The stabiliza tion function is The f ull stabilization tune-
tion f unctions are limited not available ¢
,&. ESC and
tion of the ESC and ASR is
¢
&. . ASR are switched off . avai
lab le aga in .
Op eration Press the I B OFF I button Press and hold the !B OFFI Press the IB OFFI button
briefly . button longer than 3 sec- again.
onds.
I n d ica to r II turns on. II and lit turn on. II turns off or II and II
light s turn off .
Driver me s- Stabili zation cont rol (E SC): S tabilization control (E SC ):
Stabili zation cont rol
s age s Sport Warning ! Redu ced Off Wa
rning! Reduced sta - (ESC ): on
st abilit y
A WARNING
You should only switch sport mode on or
switch ESC/ ASR off if your driving abilities
and road conditions permit.
bility
- The stabilization function is limited when
sport mode is sw itched on. The driving
wheels co uld spin and the vehicle could
swerve , espec ially on s lick o r slippery road
s u rfaces.
- The re is no vehicle stab ilizat ion when ESC/
ASR a re swi tched off .
(D Tips
-ESC/ASR cannot be switched off or sport
mode cannot be switched on if the cru ise
control system* or the adaptive cruise con­
tro l* is switched on .
- If the rear spoiler system malfunct ions,
sport mode may not switch on or it may switch off ag ain automatically .
Braking
What affects braking efficiency?
New brake pads
During the first 250 miles (400 km), new brake
pads do not possess the ir full braking effect, they
have to be "broken in" first¢&, . The b reak-in pe­
riod can be considerably longe r fo r vehicles with
182
ceramic brake rotors* . You can compensate for
this slightly reduced braking power by pushing harder on the brake pedal. Avoid heavy braking
l oads during the break-in per iod.
Op erating c ondition s and dri ving habits
The brak es on today 's automobiles are still sub ­
ject to wear, depending large ly on operating con­
dit ions and driving habits ¢&, . On vehicles that
are either driven mostly in stop-and-go city traf­
fic or are driven hard, the brake pads shou ld be
checked by your authorized Audi dealer more of­
ten than specified in the
Warr ant y & Maint e­
nance booklet .
Failure to have your brake pads
i nspected ca n result in red uced b rake perfo rm­
ance.
On steep slopes, you should use the brak ing ef ­
fect of the engine . Th is way, you prevent unnec­
essa ry wea r on the brake system. If you must use
you r brakes, do not ho ld the brakes down contin­
u ous ly. P ump the brakes at intervals.
Operating noi se
Noises may occur when brak ing depending on the
speed, braking force and outside conditions such as temperature and h umid ity.
Due to the nature of the mater ials used in ceram­
i c brake rotors*, no ises may become more appa-
rent at low speeds. ..,.

The all wheel drive concept is designed for high
engine power. Your vehicle is exceptionally pow­
erful and has excellent driving characterist ics
both under normal driving conditions and on
snow and ice. Always read and follow safety pre­
cautions
¢ ,&. .
Winter tires
By using all wheel drive, your vehicle has good
forward motion with standard tires in winter con­ ditions . However, in winter we recommend using
winter or all season tires on all four wheels, be­
cause this will improve the braking effect.
Snow chains
If there are snow chain laws, snow chains must
also be used on vehicles with all wheel drive
¢ page 233, Snow chains .
Replacing tires
For vehicles with all wheel drive, only wheels with
the same rolling circumference should be used .
Avoid wheels with different tread depths
¢ page 225, New tires or wheels.
Offroad vehicle?
Your Audi is not an offroad vehicle -there is not
enough ground clearance. For this reason, avoid
difficult terrain.
A WARNING
-Also, in vehicles with all wheel drive, adapt
your driving style to the current road and
traffic conditions. Do not let the increased
safety provided tempt you into taking risks,
because th is increases the r isk of an acci­
dent.
- The braking ability of your veh icle is limited
to the tract ion of the wheels . In this way, it
is not diffe rent from a two wheel drive vehi­
cle. Do not be tempted to accelerate to a
high speed when the road is slippery this in­
creases the risk of an accident.
- Note that on wet streets, the front wheels
can "hydroplane" if driving at speeds that
are too high . Unlike front wheel drive
vehicles, the engine does not rev higher sud­
denly when the vehicle begins hydroplaning.
Intelligent Technology
For this reason, pay attention to the road
conditions reg a rd less of your speed to re­
duce the risk of an accident .
Rear spoiler
The extendable rear spoiler increases driving sta­
bility .
Fig. 176 Center console: button for t he rear spoiler
The rear spoiler retracts and extends. Var ious op­
erating modes (automatic or manua l mode) can
be activated .
Automatic mode (normal operation)
-Automatic deployment : At a speed of about 80
mph (130 km/h), the rear spoiler deploys auto­
mat ically .
- Automatic retraction: When speed drops be low
about SO mph (80 km/h), the rear spoiler re­
tracts automatically.
Manual mode
-Manual deployment: Tapping briefly on the
switch<=:>
fig. 176 deploys the rear spoiler.
- Manual retraction: At speeds up to about
10 mph (20 km/h), retract the rear spoiler by
pressing and holding the switch. At speeds be­
tween 10 mph (20 km/h) and 80 mph (130
km/h), retract the rear spoiler by tapping on
the switch.
Indicator lights
l'J /. Rear spoiler: malfunction!
The rear spoiler may not have extended due to a
malfunction . This could change the vehicle's driv­
ing character istics at high speeds . Do not exceed
85 mph (140 km/h). Drive to your authorized ..,.
185

Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and im­
proves your mileage.
11-Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed.
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consumption, engine wear, and does not disturb the environ­ment.
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and engine
noise increase disproportionately at high speeds.
If you drive at approximately three quarters of
top speed, fuel consumption will be reduced by
one half. Never drive faster than the posted
speed limit and weather conditions permit.
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling i t burns up fuel.
11-Shut the engine off when you are not driving
the vehicle.
11-Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the en-
gine run at idle .
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic
jams, when waiting for trains to pass at railroad crossings, or at traffic lights that have long waits
on red . Turning the engine off for just 30-40 sec ­
onds saves more fuel than is burned starting the
. . engine again.
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fully when it is running at idle. However, wear
and noxious emissions are especially high when
the eng ine is warm ing up. So you should drive
away as soon as you start the engine and avoid
running at high rpms while the engine is still
warming up.
CD Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after
starting.
If warning lights should come on to
indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces
heat, which could result in overheating or
other damage to the vehicle or other proper­
ty.
Driving and the environment
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel .
11-Have your vehicle serviced at regular intervals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
Audi dealer helps to ensure that it runs properly and economically. The condition of your vehicle
not only affects its safety and ability to hold its
value, it also affects
fuel consumption .
Check your oil each time you fill your tank.
The amount of oil used is related to engine load
and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new en­
gine to reach its lowest value after a certain mile­
age has been driven.
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 miles (5,000 kilometers) before you can properly as­
sess oil consumpt ion.
This also applies to fuel consumption and eng ine
output .
CD Note
-Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommenda­
tions in your Warranty
& Maintenance book­
let. Lack of proper maintenance as wel l as
improper use of the vehicle w ill impair the
function of the emission control system and
could lead to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Emission Control System unless ap­
proved by the manufacturer .
- Do not alter or remove any device, such as
heat shields, switches, ignition wires,
valves, which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Emission Control System and other important vehicle components.
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively high
on short trips .
11-Try to avoid driving short distances with a cold
engine. .,.
191

Cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro ­
tects the engine from freezing in the winter .
The cooling system is sealed and generally re­
q ui res little atte ntion .
The cooling system has been filled at the factory
with a permanent coolant which does not need to
be changed . The coolant consists of a mixture of
specially condit ioned water and the ma nufactur ­
er's glycol-based coolant additive G13 an tifreeze
with ant icor rosion additives
(50% for USA mod­
e ls;
60% fo r Canadia n models). This m ix tu re
bo th ass ures the necessa ry fros t prote ction and
protects metal componen ts in the engi ne's coo l­
ing system from corrosion and scaling .
It also
raises the boiling point of the coolant.
D o not red uce the con cen trat ion of the coolant in
the summer by adding p lain wa ter.
The propor­
tion of coolant additive mu st be at least 50 %
but not more than 60%
to maintain antifreeze
protection and cooling efficiency. If the coolant
frost protection is too low, the coolant could
freeze and damage the vehicle heating and en­
g ine cooling system .
For year-round driving, antifreeze is added at the
factory for temperatures down to:
- -3 1 °F ( -3 5 °C) USA
- -4 0 °F ( - 40 °C) Canada.
If yo u m ust add coo lant, use a m ixt ure of water
and coolant addit ive. Mixing the cool ant additive
with d istilled w ater is recommended .
_& WARNING
Before you che ck anythi ng in t he eng ine com­
pa rtment, a lways read and heed a ll WARN­
INGS
~ .& in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 203 .
(D Note
-Before winter se ts in, have the coo lant
checked to see if the coolant additive in your
vehicle is sufficient to meet the c limate con -
Checking and Filling
ditions. This is especia lly important if you
live in a region whe re the winter is extreme­
ly cold. If necessary, increase the propo rtion
of coolant addit ive to
60%.
- Whe n adding coolant additive to your cool­
ing system, remember :
- We recommend us ing o nly coola nt addi­
tive G 12++ or G13 (c hec k the label) for
y o ur vehi cle. Thi s coo lant ad ditive is av ail­
abl e at a uth orized Au di dea le rs. Ot her
types o f ant ifreeze ca n sign ifican tly re ­
d uce corrosion protection. The resu lting
cor ros ion can cause a loss of coolant and
se rious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant
to your vehicle's engine coolant . Adding ra­
diator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling system and could result in damage not cov ­
ered by your New Veh icle Limited War ra nty .
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a
quick glance .
Fig. 186 E ngine compar tmen t: cover on t he coo lant expan­
s io n t ank
Befo re you check anything in the engine compart­
me nt,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
~ .&. in Working in the engine compartment on
page 203.
" Park your veh icle on a leve l s u rface.
" Sw itch off the ig nit ion .
.. Read the eng ine coolant leve l from the coo lant
expansion tan k
r=;,fig. 186, r=;,page 205,
fig . 183.
W ith a cold eng ine, the coolant level ..,.
209

Checking and Filling
"' Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid
reservoir
¢ fig. 187, ¢page 205, fig. 183. The
brake fluid level must be between the "MIN"
and "MAX" markings.
The location of the brake fluid reservoir can be
seen in the engine compartment illustration
c>page205.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time
due to the automatic adjustment of the brake
pads. This is not cause for alarm.
If the brake fluid level falls considerably below
the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indicator
light
1111 (U.S. models)/ . (Canadian models)
will come on¢
page 14. Do not continue to oper­
ate the vehicle. The complete brake system
should be thoroughly checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or other qualified facility and the
cause corrected . If the brake fluid level is too
low, the brake warning/indicator light will illumi­
nate. Contact an authorized Audi dealer
immedi­
ately.
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experienced
technician.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air . If the
water content in the brake fluid is too high , cor­
rosion in the brake system may result after a pe­
riod of time. The boiling point of the brake fluid
will also decrease considerably and decrease
braking performance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every
two years.
Always use new brake fluid which con­
forms to Federal Motor Vehicle Standard "FMVSS
116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficult to reach,
therefore, we recommend that you have the
brake fluid changed by your authorized
Audi
dealer.
Your dealer has the correct tools, the
right brake fluid and the know-how to do this for
you.
212
A WARNING
-
- Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored
only in the closed original container out of
the reach of children!
- Brake failure can result from old or inappro­
priate brake fluid. Observe these precau­
tions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE speci­
fication
J 1703 and conforms to Federal
Motor Vehicle Standard 116. Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer to make
sure you are using the correct brake fluid.
The correct type of brake fluid is also indi­
cated on the brake fluid reservoir .
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use of
the brakes can cause a vapor lock if the
brake fluid is left in the system too long .
This can seriously affect the efficiency of
the brakes as well as your safety. This
could result in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehi­
cle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal of
brake fluid as well as the special tools re­
quired and the necessary expertise, we rec­
ommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by your authorized Audi dealer .
Battery
General information
Under normal operating conditions, the battery
in your Audi does not need any maintenance.
With
high outside temperatures or long daily
drives we recommend that you have the electro­
lyte level checked by a service facility. The elec­
trolyte level should also be checked each time
the battery is charged ¢
page 214.
Have the battery checked when you take your ve­
hicle in for service. You are well advised to re­
place a battery that is older than S years.

Occupant loading and distri­
but ion for vehicle normal load
for various design ated se ating
c a pa cit ies
Refer to the tire inflation pres­
sure label ¢
page 228, fig. 193
for the number of seating posi­
tions. Refer to the table ¢
table
on page 230
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 Audi Service Facility .
These facilities have the proper
knowledge and are equ ipped with
the required tools and replace­
ment parts .
.,,. New tires do not yet have the
opt imum adhesion properties.
Drive carefully and at moderate
speeds for the first 500 km w ith
new tires.
... use tires of the same construc­
tion, size (rolling circumference)
and the same tread pattern on
all four wheels.
;;:: .,,.Do not replace tires individually .
oi
~ At least replace both tires on the ....
~ same axle at the same time. N
"' ....
Wheels
.,,.Audi recommends that you use
Audi Original equipment 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 w ith a tire/r im combina­
tion that is different from what
was installed at the factory, con­ sult with an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Aud i Service
Facility before making a pur ­
chase¢
A -
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 damaged by
different tire speeds. For this rea­
son, in case of emergency, only use a spare tire* that is the same
circumference as the regular
tires.
,& WA RNING -
-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 .
225

Wheels
(D Tips
When using snow chains, it may be useful to
sw itch on sport mode
¢ page 181.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Aud i is factory-equipped with low aspect ra­
tio tires. These tires have been thoroughly tested
and been selected specifically for your model fo r
thei r supe rb perfo rmance, road feel and handling
unde r a va riety of d riving conditions . As k yo ur au­
thor ized Audi dealer for mo re de tails.
The low aspect ratio of these t ires is indicated by
a nume ra l of
55 or less in the tire's size desig na­
tion . The nume ra l rep resents the rat io of t he
tire 's sidewall he igh t in relat io n t o it s tread w idth
e xpresse d in percen tage. Convention al ti res have
a height/w idth ratio o f 60 o r more .
The performance of low -aspect-ratio tires is par ­
ticularly sensitive to improper inflation pres­
sure. It is therefore important that low a spect
ratio tires are inflated to the specified pre ssure
and that the inflation pressure is regularly
checked and maintained. Tire pressures should
be checked at le ast once a month and alwa ys
before a long trip¢
page 228.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect rat io tires can be damaged more easi ­
ly by impact with potholes, curbs, gullies or
ridges on the road, pa rt icu la rly if the t ire is un­
de rinflated.
In order to minimize the occurrence of impact
damage to the t ires of your ve hicle, we recom­
mend that you observe the fo llow ing precau­
tions:
- Always maintain recommended inflation pres ­
su res . Check your tire pressure every 2,000
miles (3,000 km) and add air if necessary .
- Drive caref ully on roads with potho les, deep
gul lies or r idges . The impact from drivi ng
through or over s uch obstacles can damage
you r tires. Im pact with a cu rb may also cause
damage to you r tires .
234
-After any impact, immed iate ly inspect you r
tires or have them inspected by the nearest au­
thorized Aud i dealer. Replace a damaged tire as
soon as possible.
- Ins pect your tires every 2,000 mi les (3,000 km)
for damage and wear . Damage is not always
easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of a ir and
underinfla tion, w hich could even tua lly cause
tire fa ilure . If yo u be lieve that a tire may have
been damaged, replace the tire as soon as pos­
sible.
- These tires may wear mo re quickly than others .
- Please also remember that, while t hese tires
delive r responsive hand ling, they may ride less
comforta bly and make mo re noise than o ther
choi ces.
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
A ll ti res are des igned for certain purposes. The
l ow aspect ratio, ultra h igh performance tires
o rigina lly ins talled on your veh icle are inten ded
f o r m ax imu m dr y and wet ro ad perfo rma nce and
handling . They a re not sui table for co ld, snowy or
i cy weather conditions . If yo u drive under those
c ir cu mstances, you should equip yo ur vehicle
with all-season o r winter tires, which offer better
tract ion under t hose conditions. We suggest you
use the recommended snow or a ll-season tires
spec ified for your vehicle, o r th e ir equiva le nt.
Re fer to
c:> page 233 for more detailed in forma­
tion regard ing winter tires.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wea r
- Tract io n AA AB C
- Tempe rature ABC
Quali ty g rades can be fo und whe re appli cab le on
t h e tire side wall between tread shou lder and
max imum section width
¢ page 218, fig. 190 .
For example : Tread wear 200 , Traction AA , Tem­
per atu re
A .
All passenge r ca r tir es mus t conform to Fede ral
Safety Req uiremen ts in add it io n to these grades . ..,.