256 T ire s and w heel s
the function of the tire pressure monitor-
ing system*.
- Always inflate tires to the recommended
and correct tire pressure before driving
off.
- Driving with under inflated tires bend
more, letting them get too hot resu lting
in tread separation, sudden t ire fail ure
and loss of control.
- Excess ive speed and/overloading can
cause heat bui ld-up, sudden t ire failure
and loss of control.
- If the t ire pressure is too low or too high,
the tires will wear prematurely and the
vehicle will not hand le we ll.
- If the t i re is not flat and you do not have
to change a wheel immed iate ly, dr ive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta-
t ion to check the tire pressure a nd add
air as required.
0 Note
Driving without va lve stem caps can cause
damage to the t ire valves. To prevent this,
always ma ke sure that facto ry installed
valve stem caps on all wheels a re secu re ly
mou nte d on t he valve.
@) For the sake of the environment
Unde rinflated tires will a lso increas e the
fue l cons umption .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amo unt of load or
weight that any vehicle and any t ire can carry .
A vehicle that is overloaded will not handle
well and is more difficult to stop. Overloading
can not only lead to loss of vehicle contro l,
but can also damage import a nt parts of the
ve hicle and can lead to sudde n tire failure, in-
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation that
can cause t he veh icle to crash .
Your safety and that of your passengers a lso
depends on making sure that load limits are
not exceeded . Vehicle load includes everybody
and everyth ing in and on the vehicle. These
load limits are technically referred to as the
vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes t he weight of the basic
vehicle , a ll factory installed accessories, a full
tank of fuel, oil, coo lant and other f luids plus
maximum load. The max imum load incl udes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is
intended to carry ("seat ing capac ity") with an
assumed we ight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each
passenger at a designated seating posit ion
and the total weight of a ny luggage in the ve-
hicle. If you t ow a trai le r, the we ight of t he
t railer hitc h a nd the t ongue we ight of the
loaded tra iler mus t be include d as part of the
vehicle load .
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is
the max imum load that can be applied at each
of the veh icle's two axles .
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing and the
Gross Axle Weig ht Rat ing are listed on the
safety comp lian ce st icker la bel located on t he
driver's side B-pillar. Your Audi has 5 seat ing
pos itions , 2 in the front and 3 in the rea r fo r
total seati ng capacity of 5. Vehicles with pow -
er indiv idual rear seats * have 4 seating posi-
tions, 2 in the front and 2 in the rear for total
seat ing capac ity of 4. Each seating position
has a safety belt ¢
page 145, Safety belts.
The fact that there is an upper limit to your
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the to t al weight of wha t ever is being car-
ried in the vehicle (includ ing t he weight of a
t railer hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded tra ile r) is limited. The more passe n-
gers in t he vehicle or passengers w ho are
he avier t han t he st a ndard we igh t s assumed
mean that less we igh t can be carried as lug -
gage.
The tire pre ss ure label on your Audi also list s
t he max imum combine d weig ht of all of the
occupants and luggage or ot her cargo that
the vehi cle can carry . For the location of the
label ¢
page 252, fig . 208. liJJ>
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