warning AUDI S7 2012 Owners Manual

236 Tires and wheels
change. In the event of discrepancies, the tire
pressure labe l is located on the driver's side B­
p ill ar a lways takes precedence.
The table below lis ts the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures for the Audi model covered
by your Owner's Literature at the vehi ­
cle's capacity weight and the tire sizes instal­
l ed on the respective models as orig inal
equipment, or as a factory option.
I Engine Tire designation
Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear I
(displace-
normal load full load normal load full load
ment in
li-condition condition condition condition
I
ter) PSI II kPA PSI JI kPA PSI II kPA PSI II kPA :
6-cylinder 235/55
Rl 7 99Y
3.0 High Performance 32
220
35 240 29 200
38 260
255/45 Rl8 99H '
32 220 35
240
29 200 38 260 All Season I
255/45 Rl8 99Y
32 220 35 240 29 200 38 260
High Performance
255/40 Rl9100H XL
35 240
38 260
30 2 10 41
280 All Season
255/40
Rl9100YXL
36 250 38 260 32 220 41 280
High Performance
265/35 R20 99Y XL '
36 250 38 260 32 220 41 280
High Performance .. • .. .. .. .. ..
XL= reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xl, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire side­
wall.
The correct tire pressure for the spore wheel is
loc ated on a label on the driver's side B-pillar.
Because technical changes may be made to
vehicle equ ipment dur ing the model year, a l­
ways compare the tire size designation on the
tire pressure labe l on your vehicle w ith the
tires on your vehicle . Make sure that the tire
size information on the vehicle label is the
same as the size of the ti res on the vehicle.
This is especially important if the vehicle be­
longs to someone else or you bought the vehi­
cle with different rims/tires or you bought the
vehicle as a previously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on making sure that load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
vehicle . These load limits are technically refer­
red to as the vehicle's Gross 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 ax les .
T he Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance sticke r label located on the
driver's side B-pillar. The tire pressure labe l on
your Audi lists the maximum combined
weight of all of the occupants and luggage or
other cargo that the vehicle can carry . For the
location of the tire pressure label
¢fig. 176 .
A WARNING
-Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve-
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se­
r ious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more weight than your veh icle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of a loss of vehicle con­
trol.

-The brakes o n a vehicle t hat has been
overloaded may not be a ble to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance.
- 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 -including the we ight of
a tra ile r hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer - does not make the veh i­
cle heav ier than the veh icle's Gross Vehi­
cl e Weight Rating.
A WARNING
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
fla tion can lead to a serious o r fatal acci­
dent.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
fla tion cause increased tire wea r and can
affect the handling of the vehicle .
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can also lea d to sud den tire fa il­
ure, incl uding a blowo ut 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 Lobel located on driver's side 8-pil­ lor.
The re commended t ire press ures a re o n the
tire pressure label and in the tab le
c=> page 235, Cold tire inflation pressure. This
means that the pressure must be checked and
adj usted when the tire has not been driven for
more than a couple of m iles (kilometers) at
low speeds during the previous three hours .
A ir i n the tires expands when the tire heats up
as a result of inte rnal fr iction as it flexes in
use. The t ire p ress ure is higher w hen the tire
h as wa rmed up th an when it is "cold."
It is the inflat io n pressu re in a "cold" tire that
counts. Therefore, you shou ld never let air out
of a warm t ire to ma tch "Cold tire in flation
p ressu re" recommend ations
c::> page 235. T he
Tire s an d wheel s 237
tires wo uld then be unde rinflated and co uld
fail suddenly.
T he tire pressure label on your Aud i lis ts the
re commended co ld tire inflation pressures at
maximum capacity for the new, orig inal
equipment tires that were on your ve hicle at
the time it was manufactured. For the loca­
tion of the labe l
c::> page 235, fig. 176.
Most tires lose air naturally over t ime. They
can a lso lose some air if yo u drive over a pot­
ho le or hit a curb while par king. It is usually
not possible to see whether the rad ia l tires
u sed today are underinflated just by looking
at them .
There fore, be sure to check t ire p ress ures at
l east once a month and always before going
on a long tr ip. Make sure to take the n umber
of peop le and the amount of luggage into ac ­
count when adjust ing tire pressure for a tr ip -
even one that you wou ld not conside r to be
"long." See
c::> page 239, Tires and vehicle
food limits
f or mo re import ant inform ation .
Always use an accurate ti re pressu re gauge
when checking and ad justing inflation pres­
s ur es. Check a ll of t he tires and be s ure not to
forge t the spare tire.
If the pressure in any t ire
is too high when the ti re is "cold," let air out
of the ti re s low ly with the edge of the tire
gauge and keep checking the pressure until
you reach the pressure that is correct for the
load (passengers and luggage) and k ind of
driv ing 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 ve hicle load (passengers and luggage) for
the tires on you r veh icle as listed on the on
you r vehicle and in this ma nual and the kind
of d rivi ng you plan to do .
Never exceed th e maximum inflation pr es­
sure listed on the tire sidewall for any rea­
s on.
•
•

238 Tire s and whee ls
Remember that the vehicle manufacturer, not
the tire manufacturer, determines the correct
tire pressure for the t ires on your vehicle.
I t is important to check the tire pressu re when
the tires are cold.
- Read the requ ired t ire pressure from the tire
pressure label. The tire pressure labe l is lo ­
cated on the drive r's side 8-p illar.
- T urn the valve stem cap counter-clockwise
to remove it from the tire valve.
- Place the air pressu re gauge on the valve.
- The tire pressures should only be checked
and adjusted when the tires are cold. The
sl ightly raised p ressures of warm tires must
not be reduced.
- Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying.
- Re install the va lve stem cap on the valve .
When should I check the ti re pres sure ?
The correct tire pressure is especially impor­
tant at high speeds. The pressure should
therefore be checked at least once a month
and always before start ing a jou rney. Do not
fo rget to check the tire pressure for the spare
wheel
<=? page 253.
When should I adju st the tire p re ss ure s?
Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carry ing . After changing a wheel
or replacing
wheels you have to adjust the tire pressures
on all wheels. In addition, you must then
sto re t he new ti re press ures in the t ire pres­
sure mon itor ing system* ~
page 249.
_8 WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinf la­
tion can lead sudden tire failure, loss of
contro l, collision, ser ious persona l injury
or even death.
- When the warning symbo l
RI] appears in
the instrument cluster, stop and inspect
the tires .
- Incorrect tire pressure and/or underinfla­
t ion can cause increased t ire wear and
can affect the handling of the veh icle and
stopp ing ability. -
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
f lation can a lso lead to s udden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
flation, caus ing loss of veh icle control.
- The driver is responsible for the correct
tire pressures for all tires on the veh icle.
The applicable pressure values are locat­ ed on a sticker on the dr iver's s ide 8-pil­
lar.
- Only when all tires on the vehicle are fil­ led to the correct pressure, the t ire pres­
sure mon itor ing* system can work cor­
rectly.
- The use of incorrect t ire pressure va lues
can lead to acc idents or other damage.
Therefore it is essential that the drive r
observe the spec ified tire pressure values
for the tires and the correct pressures for
the function of the ti re press ure monitor­
ing system*.
- Always inflate tires to the recommended
and correct tire press ure before driving
off.
- Driving with underinflated tires bend
more, letting them get too hot resulting
in tread separation, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
- Excessive speed and/overloading can cause heat build-up, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
- If the tire pressure is too low or too high,
the t ires will wear prematurely and the
veh icle w ill 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 nearest service sta­
tion to check the t ire p ress ure and add
air as req uired .
Q) Note
Driving without valve stem caps can cause
damage to the tire valves. To prevent this,
always make sure that factory insta lled
valve stem caps o n all whee ls are sec urely
mounted on the valve.

@ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will a lso increase the
fue l consumption .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or
weight that any vehicle and any t ire can carry.
A vehicle that is overloaded w ill not handle
well and is more difficult to stop. Overload ing
can not only lead to loss of vehicle control, but can a lso damage importan t pa rts of the
ve hicle and can lead to s udden tire failure, in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the veh icle to crash.
Your safety and that of yo ur passenge rs a lso
depends on making s ure that load limits are
not exceeded . Vehicle load includes everybody
and everything in and on the vehicle. These
load limits are technica lly referred to as the
vehicle's
Gross Veh icle We ight R ating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic
vehicle, all factory insta lled accessories, a full
tank of f ue l, oil, coolant and other fluids plus
maximum load. The maximum load includes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is intended to carry ("seating capacity") with an
assumed weight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each
passenger at a des ignated seat ing pos ition
and the total we ight of any l uggage in the ve­
hi cle. If you tow a trailer, the weight of the
trailer hitch and the tong ue weight of the
loaded trailer must be included as part of the
vehicle load.
The
Gro ss Axl e W eight R ating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be app lied at each
of the vehicle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating a re listed on the
safety compliance sticker labe l located on the
driver's side B -pillar . Your A udi has 4 seating
positions, 2 in the front and 2 in the rear for
total seating capacity of 4. Each seating pos i­
tion has a safety belt¢
page 128, Safety
belts .
Tire s an d wheel s 239
The fact that there is an upper limit to your
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the total weight of whatever is being car ­
ried in the vehicle ( includ ing the weight of a
trailer hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded tra iler) is lim ited. The more passen­
gers in the vehicle or passengers w ho are
heavier than the standard we ights assumed
mean that less we ight can be ca rried as lug­
gage.
The tire pressure label on your Aud i also lists
the maximum combined weight of a ll of the
occupants and luggage or other cargo that
the ve hicl e can carry . For t he locat ion of the
label¢
page 235, fig . 176.
.&_ WARNING ~
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve -
h icle contro l, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more weight than your vehicle
was designed to carry wi ll prevent the
veh icle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of the 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.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been over load­
ed can fail suddenly, including a blowout
and sudden deflation, causing loss of
control and a crash .
- Always make sure that the total load be­
ing transported -includ ing the weight of
a t railer hitch and the tongue we ight of a
loaded trailer - does not ma ke t he vehi­
cle heavier than the vehicle's G ross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
Determining correct load limit
U se th e exa mple below to cal­
c ulat e the total weight of the
pa ssen ger s a nd lu ggag e or ot h-
e r thin gs that you pl an t o .,..
•
•

242 Tires and wheels
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of con­
trol, a crash and serious personal injury!
- Never drive a vehicle when the tread on
any tire is worn down to the wear indica­
tors.
- Worn tires are a safety hazard, they do
not grip well on wet roads and increase
your risk of "hydroplaning" and loss of control.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause tire damage, such as grease, oil, gasoline
and brake fluid away from tires.
- Tires age even if they are not be ing 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 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.
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in .
Fig. 180 Tir e specificat ion codes on the s idewall of a
t ire
No. Description
(!) Passenger car tire (where applicable)
@ Nominal width of t ire in millimeters
@ Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
© Rad ial
® Rim diameter code
@ L oad index and speed rating
(J) U.S. DOT tire identification number
@ Audi Original tire
@ Sever snow conditions
@ T ire ply composition and materials
used
Maximum load rating
Treadwear, traction and temperature
grades
Maximum permissible inflation pres­
sure
T he tires and rims are essential parts of the
vehicle 's design . The tires and rims approved
by Audi are spec ially matched to the charac­
teristics of the vehicle and can make a major .,..

24 4 T ire s and wheel s
T up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
U up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/ h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
1l
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)ll
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)ll
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)l)
Your veh icle is norma lly fac to ry equipped with
tires , which possess excellent driving charac­
teristics and give yo ur Audi opt imum driving
comfort . An e lectronic speed limit er
c:> page 28 wi ll normally prevent your vehicle
from go ing faster th an the tire speed rating
c:> & .
U.S . DOT Tir e Identification Numb er (TIN )
a nd tire manufacture d ate
This is the t ire's "serial number". It begins
with the letters "DOT" and indicates that the
tire meets all federal standards . The next two
numbers or letters indicate the p lant whe re it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers r epresent the week and year of manufacture.
F or example, the numbers 2211 mean the ti re
was p roduced in the 22nd week of 2011. The
other numbers are marketing codes that may
or may not be used by the ti re manufacturer .
T his informat ion is used to contact consumers
if a tire defect requires a recall.
Aud i Original tire
Tires wi th the ident ification "AO" or "RO" have
been specially matched with your Audi . We
recommend using only these tires because
they meet the highest standards regard ing
safety and driving character istics when used
correctly . Your authorized Audi dealer will
gladly prov ide you with more information .
Tire ply composition and materials u sed
The number of p lies ind icates the number of
layers of rubber-coated fabric in the t ire. In
general, the greater the number of plies, the mo re weight a tire can support . Tire manufac -
ll F t· "t h . or ires w 1 a m ax im um s pee d ca pabil ity ove r
1 4 9 mp h (240 k m/h) , tir e man ufactur ers somet imes
use the letters " ZR."
turers also must indicate the materials in the
tire, which include stee l, nylon, po lyester, and
others .
Maximum Load Rating
Th is number ind icates the maximum load in
k ilograms and po unds that can be carr ied by
the tire .
Tire quality grading for treadwear,
traction , and temperature resistance
Tre ad wear, traction and tempera ture grades
c:> page 245 .
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest amount of a ir
pressure tha t should ever be put in the tire
u nder norm al driv ing cond it ions .
_& WARNING
= -
-Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
combinations can lead to loss of control
coll is ion and serio us personal in jury.
'
- Always use ti res, rims and whee l bolts
that meet the specifications of original factory-insta lled tires or other comb ina­
tions that have been specifically ap­ proved by the vehicle manufacturer.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fai l sudden ly, especially at hig h
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 lower
speeds.
- Ne ver mo unt used tir es on your veh icle if
you are not sure of the ir "p revio us histo­
ry." O ld used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire fa ilure
and loss of vehicle control.
- All fo ur whee ls must be fitted with radial
tires of the same type, size (rolling cir­ cumference) an d the same tread pattern . ..,_

24 6 T ire s and whee ls
Tra ction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. T hose grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance
c:> .&. .
Te mp eratu re
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and
C, representing the t ire's resistance to
the generation of heat and its ability to dissi­
pate heat when tested under con trolled condi­
tions on a specified i ndoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure
c:> ,& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Veh icle Safety Stand­
ard No .
109 . Grades Band A represent h igher
l eve ls of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the m inimum required by law.
.&_ WARNING
T he traction grade assigned to this t ire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydrop laning o r peak traction
characteristics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is es­
tablished for a t ire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible tire fa ilu re.
-
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice . At temperatures below 45 °F
(7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments
may require true w inter o r "snow" t ires, those
with very deeply cut tread . T hese tires should
o n ly be used in pairs and be installed on a ll
f o ur wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
ti res that are the same size and construction
type as the othe r tires on yo ur vehicle.
If your vehicle is equ ipped w ith all-whee l
drive*, t his w ill improve traction during win ter
driv ing, even with the standard tires . Howev ­
er, we strongly recommend that you always
equip all four wheels on your vehicle w ith cor­
rect ly fitted winter tires or all-season t ires,
when winter road condit ions are expected.
This also improves the veh icle 's brak ing per­
formance and reduces stopping d istances .
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on all fo ur whee ls .
Ask your au thorized A udi dealer or qualified
workshop for permit ted
winter ti re size s. Use
only radial winter tires .
Winter tires lose their effec tivenes s whe n the
tread is wo rn down to a depth o f
0.157 inch
(4 mm) .
Only d rive w ith w inter t ires under w inte r co n­
ditions. S umme r tir es handle bette r whe n
there is no snow o r ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °C) .
If you have a flat ti re, see notes on spare
whee l
c:> page 242 .
Please always remember that winter tires may
have a lowe r speed rating than the tires o rigi­
nally i nstalled on your vehi cle at the time it
was ma nufactu red. P lease see
c:> page 243,
Speed rating (Letter code)
for a lis ting o f the
speed rating lette r codes and the max imum
speed at which the tires can be driven . ..,.

The speed rating letter code (c::> page 233) is
on the side wall of the tire
c::> page 242 .
A WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than your vehicle's max­
imum speed . Always know the maximum
speed before driving off. Never drive faster
than the speed permitted for your specific
winter tires . This will cause damage to the
tires leading to an accident and serious
personal injury to you and your passen­
gers.
A WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your vehicle
were designed can cause tire failure in­ cluding a blowout and sudden deflation,
loss of control, crashes and serious per­
sonal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately.
- Winter tires have maximum speed rating
that may be lower than your vehicle's
maximum speed .
- Never drive faster than the speed for
which the winter or other tires installed
on your vehicle are rated .
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and
traffic conditions. Never let the good ac­
celeration of the winter tires and all-wheel
drive tempt you into taking extra risks . Al­
ways remember :
- When braking, an all-wheel drive vehicle
handles in the same way as a front drive
vehicle.
- Drive carefully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot help under black ice conditions.
@l For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather condi­
tions permit. They are quieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumption.
-
Tires and wheels
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the front
wheels , and only to certain tire sizes. Ask your
authorized Audi dealer on which tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
If you are going to use snow chains, then you
must install them on the front wheels at
least.
The snow chains must have low-profile links
and must not be thicker than 0.4 inch
(10,S mm) , including the lock.
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putting snow chains on your vehicle
c::> (]) . For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are avail­
able from authorized Audi dealers.
A WARNING ,..__
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi­
cle or installing them incorrectly can in­
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes . Always make sure to follow the in­
structions provided by the snow chain manufacturer .
- When driving with snow chains never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains .
- Always observe local regulations.
(D Note
- Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con­
tact with the wheel rim, can scratch or
damage it. Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered . Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces­
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow chain manufacturer when doing so. ..,.
247
•
•

248 Tire s and whee ls
Where snow chains are mandatory oncer­
tain roads, this normally also applies to ve­
hicles with a ll-wheel drive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque .
The design of whee l bolts is matched to the
factory insta lled rims . If different rims are fit­
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the r ight
length and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted
securely and that the brake system functions
correctly .
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a different vehicle -even if it
is the same model
r=> page 275.
A WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel
bolts can become loose caus ing loss of
cont ro l, a co llision and serious persona l in­
Jury .
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hubs clean so the
wheel bolts can turn easily and be prop­
er ly t ightened .
- Never grease or oil the wheel bo lts and
the threads in the wheel hubs. They can
become loose while d riving if greased or
oiled, even if tightened to the specified
torque.
- Only use wheel bolts that belong to the
rim being installed.
- Never use different whee ls bolts on your
vehicle.
- Always maintain the co rrect tighten ing
torq ue fo r the wheel bo lts to reduce the
risk of a wheel loss . If the tightening tor­
que of the wheel bo lts is too low, they
can loosen and come out w hen the veh i­
cle is moving. If the tighteni ng torque is
too high, the whee l bolts and threads can be damaged and the whee
l can be­
come loose.
@ Note
The specified torque for the whee l bolts is
90 ft lb (120 Nm) with a tolerance of± 7,4
ft lb(± 10 Nm) . Torque whee l bolts diago­
nally. After changing a whee l, the torque
must be checked as soon as possible with a
torque wrench -preferably by an author­
i zed Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-eq uipped w it h low aspect
ratio tires. These tires have been tho roughly
tested and been se lected specifically fo r your
model for their superb perfo rmance, road fee l
and handling under a variety of driving condi ­
t ions . Ask your author ized A udi dealer for
more details.
T he low aspect ratio of these tires is ind icated
by a numera l of
55 or less in the tire's s ize
designation. The numera l represents the ratio
of the tire's sidewa ll height in relation to its
tread width expressed in percentage. Conven­
t iona l tires have a he ight/w idth ratio of 60 or
more .
The performance of low-aspect -ratio tires is
particularly sens iti ve to imp roper inflation
pre ssure. It is therefore important that low
a spect ratio tires ar e inflat ed to the specified
pre ssure and that the inflation pressure i s
r e gularly ch ecked and maintain ed. Tire pre s·
sure s should be checked at lea st once a
m onth and alw ays bef ore a long trip
r=> page 237, Checking tire pressure .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be d amaged more
easily by impact with potholes, curbs, gull ies
or ridges on t he road, particularly if the tire is
u nd eri nflated.

250 Tires and wheels
When the malfunction indicator is illuminat­
ed, the system may not be able to detect or
signal low tire pressure as intended . TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of rea­
sons, including the installation of replace­ ment or alternate tires or wheels on the vehi ­
cle that prevent the TPMS from funct ioning
properly . Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more t ires or
wheels on your veh icle to ensure that the re­
p lacement or a lternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
Tire pressure indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: with tire p ressure mo nitoring syste m
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig. 181 Display : underinflatio n warning
Fig. 182 Display : Syste m mal functio n
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni­
toring system compares the tire tread circum­
ference and vibration characteristics of the in­
d ividual tires.
If the pressure decreases in one
or more tires, th is is indicated in the instru­
ment cluster with a warning symbol
'9] and a
message ¢
fig . 181.
The tire pressure monitoring system must be
reset via MMI each time the pressures are ad- justed
(e.g. when switching between partial
and full load pressure) or after changing or re­
placing a tire on your vehicle ¢
page 251. You
can find the recommended tire pressures for
your vehicle on the label on driver 's side B-pil­
lar ¢
page 235 .
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac­
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too
low,
- the tire has structural damage,
- the tire pressure was changed, wheels rotat -
ed or replaced but the TPMS was not reset
¢page 251.
Warning symbols
'9] Loss of pressu re in at least one tir e ¢ & .
Check the tire or tires and replace or repa ir if
necessary. The indicator light
'9] in the instru­
ment cluster also illuminates
¢page 11.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS via MMI.
••MIS, ( Ti re Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
pressure! System malfunction .
If IIMIS, appears after switching the ignition
on or while driving¢
fig. 182 and the indica­
tor light
'9] in the instrument cluster blinks
f or approximately one minute and then stays
on, there is a system malfunction . See your
authorized Audi dea ler as soon as possible .
A WARNING
--If the tire pressure indicator appears in
the instrument cluster display, one or more of your tires is significant ly under­
inflated. Reduce you r speed immediately
and avoid any hard steer ing or braking
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and
check the tires and their pressures. In­
flate the tire pressure to the proper pres­
sure as indicated on the vehicle's tire
pressure label¢
page 235. Driving on a
significantly under- inflated tire causes
the tire to overheat and can lead to tire
failure. Under-inflation also is likely to