flat tire AUDI S6 2015 User Guide

248 Tires and wheels
Remember, your safety and
that of your passengers also de­ pends on making sure that load
limits are not exceeded . Vehicle
load includes everybody and ev­
erything in and on the vehicle.
These load limits are technical­
ly referred to as the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR"). The Gross Axle
Weight Rating ("GAWR") is the
maximum load that can be ap­
plied at each of the vehicle's
two axles. The Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating and the Gross
Axle Weight Rating are listed
on the safety compliance stick­
er label located on the driver's
side B-pillar. The tire pressure
label on your Audi lists the
maximum combined weight of
all of the occupants and lug­
gage or other cargo that the ve­
hicle can carry. For the location
of the tire pressure label
¢fig. 195.
.&_ WARNING
-
Overloading a vehicle can
cause loss of vehicle control,
a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and
even death. -Carry
ing more weight than
your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the ve­
hicle from handling properly
and increase the risk of a
loss of vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that
has been overloaded may not be able to stop the vehi­
cle within a safe distance.
-Tires on a vehicle that has
been overloaded can fail
suddenly causing loss of
control and a crash.
-Always make sure that the total load being transported
- inclu ding the weight of a
trailer hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer -
does not make the vehicle
heavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat­
ing.
A WARNING
-Incorrect tire pressures
and/or underinflation can lead to a serious or fatal ac­
cident.
-Inco rrect tire pressures
and/or underinflation cause
increased tire wear and can .,.

M N
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affect the handling of the
vehicle.
- Incorrect tire pressures
and/or underinflation can
also lead to sudden tire fail­ ure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation, caus ­
ing loss of vehicle control.
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the
tires originally installed on
your vehicle is listed on the tire pressure label located on driv­er's side 8-pillar .
The recommended tire pres­
sures are on the tire pressure
label and in the table
c> page 244, Cold t ire 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 miles (kilometers) at
low speeds during the previous
three hours . Air in the tires ex­
pands when the tire heats up as
a result of internal friction as it
flexes in use . The tire pressure
is higher when the tire has
warmed up than when it is "cold."
Tires and wheels 249
It is the inflation pressure in a
"cold" tire that counts. There­
fore, you should never let air out of a warm tire to match
"Cold tire inflation pressure"
re commendations
c> page 244 .
The tires would then be under­
inflated and could fail sudden­
ly.
The tire pressure label on your
Audi lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures at
maximum capacity for the new,
original equipment tires that
were on your vehicle at the time
it was manufactured. For the
location of the label
c> page 244, fig. 195.
Most tires lose air naturally
over time . They can also lo se
some air if you drive over a pot­ hole or hit a curb while parking.
It is usually not possible to see
whether the radial tires used
today are underinflated just by looking at them .
Therefore , be sure to check tire
pressures at least once a month
and always before going on a long trip. Make sure to take the
number of people and the .,.
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250 Tires and wheels
amount of luggage into ac-Never exceed the maximum in-
count when adjusting tire pres-flation pressure listed on the
sure for a trip -even one that tire sidewall for any reason.
you would not consider to be
Remember that the vehicle
"long." See
q page 2 52, Tires manufacturer, not the tire man-
and vehicle load limits for more ufacturer, determines the car-
important information. rect tire pressure for the tires
Always use an accurate tire on your vehicle.
pressure gauge when checking It is important to check the tire
and adjusting inflation pres- pressure when the tires are
sures. Check all of the tires and cold.
be sure not to forget the spare -Read the required tire pres-
tire. If the pressure in any tire is
sure from the tire pressure la-
too high when the tire is "cold,"
bel. The tire pressure label is
let air out of the tire slowly
located on the driver's side B-
with the edge of the tire gauge
pillar.
and keep checking the pressure
-Turn the valve stem cap coun-
until you reach the pressure
ter-clockwise to remove it
that is correct for the load (pas-
from the tire valve.
sengers and luggage) and kind
-Place the air pressure gauge
of driving you plan to do .
on the valve.
If the pressure in any tire is too -The tire pressures should only
low, note the difference be-
be checked and adjusted when
tween the pressure in the cold the tires are cold. The slightly
tire and the pressure you need
raised pressures of warm tires
and add the air that you need to must not be reduced.
reach the correct pressure for -Adjust the tire pressure to the
the vehicle load (passengers load you are carrying.
and luggage) for the tires on
-Reinstall the valve stem cap
your vehicle as listed on the on on the valve.
...
your vehicle and in this manual
and the kind of driving you plan
to do.

Tires and wheels 251
When should I check the tire -Incorrect tire pressure and/ •
pressure? or underinflation can cause • '
The correct tire pressure is es-increased tire wear and can
pecially important at high affect the handling of the
speeds . The pressure should
vehicle and stopping ability.
therefore be checked at least -Incorrect tire pressures
once a month and always be- and/or underinflation can
fore starting a journey. Do not also lead to sudden tire fail-
forget to check the tire pres- ure, including a blowout
sure for the spare wheel and sudden deflation, caus-
¢page 271. ing loss of vehicle control.
-The driver is responsible for
When should I adjust the
the correct tire pressures for ti re pressures?
Adjust the tire pressure to the all tires on the vehicle. The
applicable pressure values
load you are carrying. After
are located on a sticker on
changing a wheel
or replacing
the driver's side B -pillar.
wheels you have to adjust the
-Only when all tires on the
tire pressures on all wheels. In
vehicle are filled to the cor-
addition, you must then store
rect pressure, the tire pres-
the new tire pressures in the
sure monitoring system can
tire pressure monitoring sys-
work correctly.
tern
¢ page 267.
-The use of incorrect tire
.&, WARNING pressure values can lead to
Incorrect tire pressures and/ accidents or other damage.
or underinflation can lead Therefore it is essential that
sudden tire failure, loss of the driver observe the speci-
control, collision, serious per- fied tire pressure values for
sonal injury or even death. the tires and the correct
-When the warning symbol pressures for the function of
M (IJ appears in the instru-the tire pressure monitoring
N
0 ment cluster, stop and in- system. .,. <.J 'SI: ,....,
spect the tires. \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,

252 Tires and wheels
-Always inflate tires to the
recommended and correct
tire pressure before driving
off .
-Driving with underinflated tires bend more, letting
them get too hot resulting
in tread separation, sudden
tire failure and loss of con­
trol.
-Excessive speed and/over­ loading can cause heat
build-up, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
-If the tire pressure is too low or too high, the tires
will wear prematurely and the vehicle will not handle
well.
- If the tire is not flat and you
do not have to change a
wheel immediately, drive at
reduced speed to the near­
est service station to check
the tire pressure and add air
as required.
@ Note
Driving without valve stem
caps can cause damage to
the tire valves. To prevent
this, always make sure that
factory installed valve stem caps on all
wheels are secure­
ly mounted on the valve.
@) For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will also
increase the fuel consump­
tion.
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or weight that any vehi­
cle and any tire can carry. Ave ­
hicle that is overloaded will not
handle well and is more diffi­
cult to stop. Overloading can not only lead to loss of vehicle
control, but can also damage
important parts of the vehicle
and can lead to sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout and
sudden deflation that can cause
the vehicle to crash.
Your safety and that of your
passengers also depends on
making sure that load limits are
not exceeded. Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and every­
thing in and on the vehicle.
These load limits are technical­
ly referred to as the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR "). .,..

254 Tires and wheels
to carry will prevent the ve­
hicle from handling properly
and increase the risk of the loss of vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may
not be able to stop the vehi­
cle within a safe distance.
-Tires on a vehicle that has
been overloaded can fail
suddenly, including a blow­
out and sudden deflation,
causing loss of control and a
crash.
-Always make sure that the total load being transported
- including the weight of a
trailer hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer -
does not make the vehicle heavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat­
ing.
Determining correct load
limit
Use the example below to cal­
culate the total weight of the
passengers and luggage or oth­
er things that you plan to trans­
port so that you can make sure
that your vehicle will not be overloaded.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OC­
CUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX LBS" on your ve­
hicle's placard (tire inflation
pressure label)
~ page 244,
fig. 195.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and pas­
sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and pas­
sengers from
"XXX" kilo­
grams or
"XXX" pounds
shown on the sticker
~ page 244, fig. 195.
4. The resulting figure equals
the available amount of car­
go and luggage load capaci­
ty. For example, if the
"XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs.
and there will be five 150 lbs. passengers in your vehi­
cle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load ca­
pacity is 650 lbs. (1400-750
(5
X 150) = 650 lbs.)
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo .,..

258 Tires an d whee ls
No . Description
® Load index and speed rat-
ing
(J) U.S . DOT tire identifica-
tion number
® Audi Original tire
® Sever snow conditions
@ Tire ply composition and materials used
@ Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and
temperature grades
@ Maximum permissible in-
flation pressure
T he tires and rims are essential
parts of the vehicle's design .
The tires and rims approved by
Audi are specially matched to
the characteristics of the vehi­
cle and can make a major con­
tribution to good road holding and safe handling when in good
condition and properly inflated
c::> ,&. .
We recommend that a ll work
on tires and wheels be per­
formed by an authorized Audi
deale r. They are familiar with
r ecommended p rocedures and
have the necessary special too ls
and spare parts as well as the proper facilities for disposing of
the old ti res.
Autho rized Audi dealers have
the necessary information
about technical requirements
for installing or changing tires
and rims .
Replacing tires and wheels
Tires sho uld be replaced at
least in pairs and not individu­
ally (for example both front
tires or both rear tires togeth­
er).
B e sure to read and heed the in ­
formation to the tire pressure
monitoring system
c::> page 267.
Always buy replacement radial
tires that have the same specifi­
cations as the tires approved
f or your vehicle by Audi. Re­
placeme nt tires m ust always
have the same load rating spec­
ification as the orig inal equip­
ment or approved optional tires
listed in the table
c::> page 244.
Audi-app roved spec ificat io n
tires are specially matched to
your vehicle and its load limits ,
and can contribute to the im -
portant roadholding, driv ing .,.

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tires because they meet the highest standard s regarding
safety and driving characteris­
tics when used correctly. Your
authorized Audi dealer will
gladly provide you with more
information.
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of plies indicates
the number of layers of rubber­
coated fabric in the tire. In gen­
eral, the greater the number of
plies, the more weight a tire
can support. Tire manufactur­
ers also must indicate the ma­
terials in the tire, which include steel, nylon, polyester, and oth­
ers.
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the max­
imum load in kilograms and
pounds that can be carried by
the tire.
Tire quality grading for
treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and tem­ perature grades¢
page 263.
Tires and wheels 261
Maximum Permissible
Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest
amount of air pressure that
should ever be put in the tire under normal driving condi­
tions.
A WARNING
- Using incorrect or unmatch­
ed tires and
I or wheels or
improper tire and wheel
combinations can lead to
loss of control, collision and
serious personal injury.
-Always use tires, rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifications of original
factory-installed tires or
other combinations that have been specifically ap­
proved by the vehicle manu­
facturer.
-Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail
suddenly, especially at high speeds. Tires that are more
than 6 years old can only be
used in an emergency and
then with special care and at lower speeds.
-Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not
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262 Tires and wheels
sure of their "previous histo-
and sudden deflation and
ry." Old used tires may have loss of control.
been damaged even though -Temperature grades apply
the damage cannot be seen to tires that are properly in-
that can lead to sudden tire flated and not over or un-
failure and loss of vehicle derinflated.
control. -For technical reasons it is
-All four wheels must be fit- not always possible to use
ted with radial tires of the wheels from other vehicles -
same type, size (rolling cir- in some cases not even
cumference) and the same wheels from the same vehi-
tread pattern. Driving with cle model.
different tires reduces vehi- -If you install wheel trim
cle handling and can lead to discs on the vehicle wheels,
a loss of control. make sure that the air flow
-If the spare tire is not the to the brakes is not blocked.
same as the tires that are Reduced airflow to the
mounted on the vehicle -for
brakes can them to over-
example with winter tires -
heat, increasing stopping
only use the spare tire for a distances and causing a col-
short period of time and lision.
drive with extra care. Refit -Run flat tires may only be
the normal road wheel as used on vehicles that were
soon as safely possible. equipped with them at the
- Never drive faster than the
factory. The vehicle must
maximum speed for which have a chassis designed for
the tires on your vehicle are run flat tires. Incorrect use rated because tires that are of run flat tires can lead to
driven faster than their rat- vehicle damage or acci-
ed speed can fail suddenly. dents. Check with an au-
-Overloading tires cause heat thorized Audi dealer or tire build-up, sudden tire fail -specialist to see if your vehi -
ure, including a blowout cle can be equipped with
..

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run flat tires. If run flat tires
are u sed , they must be in­
stalled on all four wheels. Mixing tire types is not per­
mitted.
(D Note
-For technical reasons, it is not generally possible to
use the wheel rims from
other vehicles. This can hold
true for wheels of the same
vehicle type.
- If the spare tire is different
from the tires that you have mounted on your vehicle
(for example winter tires or
wide profile tires), then use
the spare tire for a short pe­ riod of time only and drive
with extra care. Replace the
flat t ire with the tire match­
ing the others on your vehi­
cle as soon as possible.
- Never drive without the
valve stem cap. The valves
could get damaged .
@) For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accord­
ance with the local require­ ments.
Tires and wheels
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wea r
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature AB C
Quality g rades ca n be foun d where applicab le
on the t ire s ide wall between t read sho ulder
and maximum section width
c> page 257,
fig. 199 .
For example : Tread wear 200, Traction AA,
Temperat ure A .
All passenge r ca r tir es must con form to Feder ­
a l Safety Re quirements in add ition to these
grades.
Tread wear
T he tread wear g rade is a c omp arat ive rating
based on the wear ra te of the tire when tes te d
u nder con tro lled conditions o n a specifie d
government test course .
F o r example, a tire gr aded 1S 0 wo uld wear
one a nd one h alf ( 11/ 2) times as well on the
governmen t course as a ti re g raded 100 .
T he re lative perfo rman ce of tires depe nds
up on the actu al c ondition s of the ir u se, how ­
ever, and m ay depa rt s ignificantly from t he
no rm due to va ria tions i n driving ha bits, se rv ­
ice p ractices and differences in road c haracter­
istics and cl imate.
Traction
T he trac tio n gr ad es, from hig hest to lowes t,
a re AA, A, Ban d
C. Those g rades represe nt the
ti re 's ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured u nder cont rolled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of aspha lt
and concrete. A t ire mar ked C may have poor
traction performance
c> ,&. .
Temperature
The temperature gr ades are A (the highest),
B, and C, represent in g the tire's resistance to
the generation of heat and its ab ility to d issi­
pate heat when tested un der controlled condi­
tions on a specif ied indoo r labo rato ry test
whee l.
263
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