tire pressure AUDI S8 2015 Owners Manual

,....,
N ,....,
N
0 J:
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
Error messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Trailer hitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Homelink 131
Universal remote control . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Safety fir st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Dri ving Safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Gene ral notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Proper occupant seating posit ions . . . 134
Driver and passenger side footwell . . . 138
Pedal area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Stowing luggage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Report ing Safety Defects . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Ge neral notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Why safety be lts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 4
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 46
Safety bel t pre tens io ners . . . . . . . . . . 1 49
Airbag system ........... .. .. . .
Impo rtant th ings to know .. .. .. .. . .
Fr ont airbags . ........... .. .. .. . .
M on itoring the Advanced Airbag
System .... .. .. ... . .... ... .. .. . .
Knee airbags . .. .. ..... ... .. .. .. . .
Side airbags .. ........... .. .. .. . .
Side curta in a irbags ....... .... .. . .
Child Safety ............... .. . .
Important things to know .. .. .. .. . .
C hi ld safety seats ... ...... .... .. . .
Install ing a child safety seat .. .. .. . .
L ATC H Lower ancho rages and tethe rs
for ch ild ren . ............. .... .. . .
Addit ional Information
Audi pre sense ..... ... .. .. .. . .
P reven tat ive passenger p rotection
Vehicle operat ion ..... .. .. .. . .
Intelligent technology .. .. .. . .
Not ice about da ta re cor ded by the
E vent Data Recorder and veh icle 151
1
51
1 55
16 1
166
168
171
174
174
180
184
187
193
194
194
196
196
control mod ules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) . 197
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Table of contents 3
El ectromechanical power assist,
dynamic steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Driv ing with your q uattro . . . . . . . . . . 202
Energy management ............. . 202
Driving and environment . . . . . 205
The first 1,000 miles (1,500 km) and
afterwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Catalytic co nverter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Diesel particulate filter . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Sh utting down vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Avoid damaging the vehicle . . . . . . . . . 20 7
Drivi ng throug h wate r on roads . . . . . 20 7
Oper ate yo ur vehicle economically an d
min imize poll ution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Drivi ng with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Trai ler towing tips . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . 212
Vehicle care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Vehicle care and cleaning . . . . . 214
Genera l information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Car washes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Cleaning and care information . . . . . . 215
Fuel supply and filling your
fuel tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
220
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Diesel fue l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Fuel tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Se lective cata lytic reduction . . . . . . . . 225
Checking and filling . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Engine hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
En gine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
E ngine o il . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
E ngine cooling sys tem . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
B ra ke fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Windsh ie ld/headlight washer
conta iner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Tire pressure monitor ing system . . . . 263
•
•

the drive select mode. Adaptive cruise control
also responds to the driving behavior of the
veh icle ahead in a more conservative or sporty
manner.
E ngin e soun d*
The sound of the engine is adapted to the se­
l ected mode and ranges from subtle to sporty.
(D Note
- Make sure there is eno ugh clea rance
above and below the veh icle when park­
i ng. The height of the vehicle can change
once it is parked due to temperature
fluctuations, changes to the load cond i­
tions and changes to the dr iv ing modes,
which can affect clearance.
- When transporting the veh icle on a car
carrier, tra in, ship or by other means, on­
ly tie the veh icle down at the running
surface of the tires, which is the outer
circumference. Secur ing the vehicle at
the axle components, s uspension struts
or tow ing eyes is not pe rm itted because
the pressure in the air suspension stru ts
can cha nge during transport . The vehicle
may not be sec ured s ufficient ly if this
happens.
- If you a re going to tow a trailer, you
must activate the trailer operation mode
C? poge210.
@ Tips
- In some models, the maximum vehicle
speed can only be reached in the
auto
and dynami c modes.
- Se lecting the
d ynamic mode results in
sporty shifting characteristics . The S
gear position engages automatically.
- In vehicles that have dynamic steering*,
operating noise is heard when starting or
stopping the engine. Th is does not indi­
cate a problem.
Audi dri ve sele ct 109
-In ve hicles w ith sport differentia l*, the
dynamic mode is deactivated when tow­
ing a trailer.
Selecting the driving mode
You con choose between Comfort, Auto, Dy­
namic and Individual.
F ig. 116 MMI: Drive select
.,. To select the mode, se lect the following in
the MMI:
I CARI function button > C om fort ,
Auto , Dynamic or Individu al.
You can change the driving mode when the ve­
hicle is stationary or wh ile driving. If traffic
permits, after changing modes, briefly take
your foot off the accelerator pedal so that the recently selected mode is also activated for
the engine.
comfort -provides a comfort-oriented ve hicle
setup a nd is suited for long drives on h igh­
ways .
auto -provides an overall comfortable yet dy­
namic dr iving feel and is suited for every day
use .
dy nami c -gives the driver a sporty driving fee l
and is suited to a sporty driv ing style.
indi vidual -¢page 110.
A WARNING
Pay attention to traffic when operating
Audi drive select to prevent potential risk
of an accident.

,....,
N ,....,
N
0 J:
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need
to read and observe for your own safety, the
safety of your passengers and others . We have
summarized here what you need to know
about safety belts, airbags, ch ild restra ints as
well as child safety. You r safety is for us
priori­
ty number 1.
Always observe t he information
a nd warn ings in th is se ct ion - for yo ur own
safety as well as that of your passengers .
The information in this se ction applies to all
model ve rsion s of your veh icle . Some of the
feat ures descr ibed in th is sec tions may be
standa rd equipment on some models, or may
be optional equipment on others . If you are
not sure, ask yo ur authorized Aud i dea ler.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
st ruct ions and heed the WARNINGS i n
this Manual. It is in your interest and in
the inte rest of you r passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owne r's Liter­
at ure in your Audi when you lend or sell
yo ur vehicle so that this important info r­
mation will always be ava ilable to the
dr iver and passenge rs.
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy
so that you can find i t eas ily if you have
ques tion s.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint syst em and work togeth er to help
redu ce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations .
Your safety and the safety of your passenge rs
should not be left to chance. Advances in
t echnology have made a var iety o f fea tures
avai lable to he lp red uce the risk of i njury in an
Dr iving Safel y 133
accident . The following is a list of just a few of
the safety features in yo ur Audi :
- sophis tic ated s afety be lts fo r driver and a ll
passenger sea ting posit ions,
- s afety bel t prete nsio ners ,
- safety belt force lim ite rs fo r the front sea ts,
- safety belt he ight adjustment systems for
the front seats ,
- front airbags,
- knee airbags for the front seats - side airbags in the front seats and outer rea r
seats,
- side c urtain airbags ,
- specia l LATCH anchorages for child re-
straints,
- he ad restr aints for each sea ting pos it ion,
- adj ustab le steeri ng colum n.
These ind iv idual safety features, can work to­
ge ther as a system to he lp protect you and
you r passenge rs in a wide rang e of accide nts .
T hese features canno t wo rk as a system if
they are not always cor re ct ly adjus ted and co r­
re ct ly used.
Safety is everybody's responsibil ity!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody 's job! Vehicle and occu ­
pant safety always depends on the informed and careful driver .
For yo ur safety and the safety of your passen ­
gers,
before d riving always:
.. Make s ure that all lig hts and signa ls are op­
erating correctly .
.,. Make sure that the tire pressure is correct .
.. Make s ure that all w indows are clean and a f­
ford good vis ibility to the outs ide .
.,. Se cure all luggage a nd o ther items caref ully
I::!) page 70, I::!) page 74 .
.. Ma ke s ure that no thing can inte rfere wi th
the peda ls .
.. Adj ust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height.
.. Instruct passengers to adjust the head re-
straints according to the ir height . .,.. •
•

140 Driving Safely
-Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rat­
ing or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
specified on the safety compliance stick­
er on the left door jamb. Exceeding per­
missible weight standards can cause the
vehicle to slide and handle differently.
- Please observe information on safe driv­
ing
q page 133.
A 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.
A 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, on the
Left side of the Luggage compartment.
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
¢ page 249.
Tie-downs
The luggage compartmen t is equipped wi th
four tie-downs to secure luggage and o ther
items.
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo p rop­
erly ¢
page 139 , 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

.... N .... N
0 J:
'SI: .... \!) 1.1'1
.... 1.1'1 ,....,
Trailer load distribution Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely
in place to prevent it from shifting forward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢ .&. in Driving instructions on page 212.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard ­
er . It is important that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load .
Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the label located on the driver's
side B-pillar (visible when the door is open).
Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufac­
turers' specifications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer
lights are working properly.
Safety chains Be sure trailer safety chains are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve­
hicle . Leave enough slack in the chains to per­
mit turning corners . When you install safety
chains, make sure they will not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separation from the hitch .
Adjusting the Audi drive select Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface
be­
fore
hitching up the trailer and before adjust ­
ing the tongue weight. The vehicle must be in
auto or comfort driving mode and not raised
¢page 108, ~CD .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info ­
tainment, select:
ICARI function button> low­
er control button .
Trailer towing 211
If you must drive under poor road conditions,
you can raise the vehicle
after coupling the
trailer or
after adjusting the tongue weight
¢ page 110.
@ Note
- Changes in temperature or load can af­
fect the height of the vehicle.
- Always select auto or comfort mode.
Otherwise, the tongue load specified for
your vehicle will no longer be applicable.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
core and consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the following:
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car it­
self is not loaded .
.,. Be especially careful when passing other
vehicles.
.,. Observe speed limits.
.,. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed .
.,. Always apply brakes early .
.,. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car re­
sults in a highly unstable distribution of
weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at very
low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and con­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and permissi­
ble, while keeping the trailer as light as possi­
ble under the circumstances . Whenever possi­
ble , transfer some cargo to the luggage com­
partment of the tow vehicle while observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations .
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig. Do not .,.
•
•

,....,
N ,....,
N
0 J:
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abus ed parts of a motor vehicle .
Tires may be the least ap preciated and most
a b used parts of a motor vehicle . T ires are,
however, one of the most important parts of a
vehi cle, particularly considering the compara­
tively small patch of rubber on eac h tire that
assures that a ll- important contact between
you, you r vehicle and the road.
Ma intaining the correct tire pressure, mak ing
sure that your vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry mo re weight than they can safe ly han­
d le, avoiding damage from road ha za rds and
r eg ularly inspec ting t ires for damage i nclud­
ing cuts, slashes irreg ular wear and ove ra ll
condition are the most important things that
you can do to he lp avoid s udden tire failure in­
cluding tread separat ion and b lowouts.
Avoiding damage If you have to d rive ove r a curb or similar ob­
stacle, drive very slow ly and as close as possi ­
b le at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chemicals incl ud ing grease, o il ,
gasoline and brake fluid off the t ires .
I nspect the t ires regularly for damage (cuts,
cracks or b listers, e tc.). Remove any fo reign
bod ies embedde d in the t reads.
Storing tires Mark t ires when you remove them to indicate
the direction of rotation . T his ensures you to
be ab le to mount them correctly when you re­
in stall them .
When removed, the whee ls or t ires should be
sto red in a cool, d ry and preferably dark place .
Store tires in a vertical pos ition if they are not
mounted on r ims, in a horizontal pos it ion if
they are mounted on rims .
Tires an d wheel s 245
New tires
New tires h ave to be broken in ¢ & .
The tread depth of new t ires may va ry, accord­
ing to the type a nd make of t ire and the tread
pa tte rn.
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and r ims is ofte n not readily
visible . If you notice unusual v ib rat io n or the
vehicle p ulls to one s ide, th is may ind icate
that one of the t ires has been damaged . T he
tir es m ust be che cked immed iate ly by an au­
t horized Audi dea le r or q ua lified wor kshop .
Unidirectional tires
A un idirec tional tire can be identified by ar­
rows on the s idewa ll, that po int in the direc­
tion the t ire is desig ned to rotate. You mus t
f ol low the specified d irection o f rotation . T his
is necessary so that these tires can develop
their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road noise, wear and hydrop laning resistance.
For more information
¢ page 275.
A WARNING
New tires or t ires that are o ld, worn or
damaged can not provide maximum con­
trol and braking ability .
-
-New tires tend to be slippery and must
be broken in. To reduce the r isk of losing
contro l, a co llision and ser ious personal
in ju ries, d rive with special ca re fo r the
fi rst 350 m iles ( 560 km).
- Driving with worn or damaged tires can
le ad to loss of control, sudde n tire fail ­
ure, including a blowout and sud den de­
fla tion, c ras hes and se riou s personal in­
juries . Have wo rn or d amaged t ires re­
placed immediate ly.
- Ti res age even if they are no t being used
an d can fai l sudden ly, especially at hig h
spee ds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith special care and at low
speed.
•
•

24 6 T ire s and whee ls
- Never mount used tires on yo ur 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.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when driving, 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 summer and winter
tires are designed for the cond itions that
a re typ ica l in those seasons. Aud i recom­
mends using w inter t ires d uring the win-
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means t he comb ined weight (in excess of
those standard items which may be rep laced)
of automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that these
items are available as factory-installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not).
Aspect ratio
means t he ratio of the height to the width of
the tire in percent. Numbers of 55 or lower in­
d icate a low sidewall for improved steer ing re­
sponse and better overall handling on dry pavement .
Bead
means the pa rt of the tire t hat is made of
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the r im.
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means t he strands forming the plies in the
tire. ter months.
Low tempe ratu res signifi­
cantly decrease the elasticity of summer
tires, which affects traction and braking ability. If summer tires are used in very
co ld temperatures, cracks can form on
the tread bars, resu lting in permanent
tire damage that can cause loud driving noise and unbalanced tires. Aud i is not
responsib le for this type of damage.
- Burn ished, polished or chromed rims
must not be used in winter weather. The
surface of the rims does not have suff i­
c ien t corrosion protect io n for this and
cou ld be pe rmanently damaged by road
salt or simi lar substances. This damage
is not covered by war ranty.
Cold tire inflat ion pre ssure
means the t ire press ure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer for a tire o f a des ignated
size that has not been driven for more than a
coup le of miles (ki lometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire press ure
is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor vehicle w ith
standard equipment including the maximum
capacity of fuel, o il, and coolant, air cond i­
tion ing and additional weight of optiona l
equipment.
E x tra load tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standard tire. Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or
"RF" on the sidewall.
Gross A xle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
means the load-carrying capacity of a single
axle system, measured at the tire-ground in -
terfaces.
IJ>,

,....,
N ,....,
N
0 J:
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1"1 ,...., 1.1"1 ,....,
Tires and wheels 24 7
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR") Ply
means the maximum total loaded weight of
the vehicle .
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ri bs.
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry for a given inflat ion pressure . You
may not find this informat ion on all tires be­
cause it is not requ ired 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) Accesso ry weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production opt ions we ight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum co ld inf lation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated . Also called
"maximum inflation press ure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs . (68 kilograms) times the
number of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the tota l seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a veh icle.
Outer diameter
means the overall 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 e levations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs. means a layer of
rubber-coated parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those installed
regular production opt ions we ighing over 5
lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standa rd items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and spec ial trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which the ply cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan­
tially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread.
Recommended inflation pressure
see ~ page 246, Cold tire inflation pressure .
Reinforced tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads
and at higher inflation pressures than t he cor­
responding standard tire. Reinforced tires
may be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD",
or "RF" on the sidewal l.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a t ire and
tube assembly upo n which the tire beads are
seated .
Rim diamete r
means nominal diameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you wi ll have to
purchase new tires to match the new r im di­
ameter .
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a t ire between the
tread and bead .
•
•

248 Tires and wheels
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at wh ic h a tir e is des igned to
be d riven for extended per io d s of t ime. The
ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h)
¢ page 257. You may
not find this in format ion on all tires because
it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, w here a pplica­
b le, is molded on the tire s idewa ll and indi­
cates the maxim um permissible road speeds
¢ &. in Winter tires on page 261.
Tire pressure monitoring sy stem*
means a system tha t d etects when one or
mo re of a vehicle's t ires are under inflated and
i llum inates a low t ire p ress ure warn ing te ll­
tale.
Tread
means t hat port ion of a tire tha t comes into
con tact w it h t he road.
Tread separation
means pull ing away of the t read from the t ire
car cass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means t he projections withi n the pr inc ipal
g rooves designed to give a v isua l ind ication of
the deg rees of wea r of the tre ad . See
¢
pag e 255, Tread W ear Indicator (TWI) for
mo re inf ormat io n on measu ring tire we ar.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire i nfo rmation system developed by the
United States Nat io nal Highway Traffic Safety
Admin istration (N HTSA) that is designed to
h e lp buye rs make re lative compa risons among
tires. The UT QG i s no t a safety r ating and no t a
g uar antee t hat a t ire will las t fo r a presc ribed
n umber of m iles (kilome ters) or pe rform in a
certain way. It s imply gives ti re bu ye rs addi­
tional information to combine with other con -s
iderations, such as p rice , brand loya lty and
dealer recommendations. Un der UTQ G, tires
are grade d by the t ire manufacturers in three
areas : treadwea r, 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 "se ria l numbe r" It begins
with the letters "DOT" and ind icates that the
t ire meets all federa l standards . The next two
numbers or letters ind icate the plant where it
was ma nufactu red, and the last four numbe rs
r eprese nt the week and year of ma nufact ure.
Fo r exampl e,
DOT ... 2214 ...
means that the tire was produced in t he 22nd
wee k of 2014. The ot her numbers are market­
ing codes that may or may not be used by the
t ire manufacturer. This information is used to
contact consumers i f a tire defect requires a
r ecall .
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus
150 lbs. (68 k ilograms) times the vehicle's to­
ta l seating capacity as listed on the label lo­
cated on the driver's side B-pilla r.
Vehicle maximum lo ad on the tire
means that load on an individua l tire that is
determined by distributing to eac h axle its
share of the maxim um loaded vehicle weight
and divid ing by two .
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individua l t ir e that is
determined by distributing to eac h ax le its
share of the curb weight, accessory weight,
and normal occ upant weig ht (d istr ibuted in
accorda nce wit h tab le below ¢
page 249)
and divid ing by two .

.... N .... N
0 J:
"". .... I.O
"' ....
"' ....
Tires and wheels 249
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
in front
5 3 2 in front, 1 in back seat
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
Fig. 208 Tire pressure label: located on driver 's side B­
pillar
Tire pressure generally refers to the amo unt
of air in a tir e 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 kilopascals (kPa), the interna ­
tional measuring unit and in pounds per
squa re inch (PSI). Tire pressure is based in
part on the vehicle's design and load limit -
the greatest amount of weight that the vehi­
cle can carry safely and the tir e size. The prop­
er tire pressure is frequent ly referred to as the
"recommended cold tire inflation pressure ."
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
because of internal friction when it flexes in
use. The tire p ressure is higher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold." It is the
inflation pressure in a "cold" tire that counts.
Therefore, you should never let air out of a
warm tire to match "cold tire inflation p res­
sure" recommendations. The tir es would then
be underinflated and could fail suddenly .
Maintaining proper tire pressure is one of the
most important things you can do to help
avoid sudde n tire failure . Underinflated tire s
are a major cause of sudden tire failure. Keep­
in g tires at the right pressure is also impor-
-"' --~ -- ,e
• (:::=~. ~: I =: I :,.. I)( ::: ) l3 n,........,..,.__...,~ ........ ....,_...... • ... _ .. , ....................................... ..,_ "" ..
-""u
--
-...........
- KPA. a PS I
- KPA.
a PSI
-KPA. a PSI
Fig. 209 Tire pressure label
tant for safe and respons ive ve hicle hand ling,
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
depend on the kind of tires on your vehicle
and the number of passengers and/or amount
of luggage you will be transporting.
The tire pressure label is located on the driv­
er's side B-pillar. The tire pressure labe l lists
the recommended cold tire inflat ion pressures
for the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and tires that were on your veh icle at
the time it was manufactured.
If you wish to improve comfort when operat­
ing the vehicle at normal load (up to 2*/3
occupants), you can adjust tire pressures to
those specified for normal vehicle load. Be­
fore operating the vehicle at maximum load,
you must increase the tire pressures to those specified for maximum vehicle load
¢ ,&. . IJi,,-