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Tires
and
wheels
-
----------------
•
and
is more
difficult to stop.
Overloading
can
not
only lead
to
loss
of ve
hicle
control,
but
can also
damage important
parts
of the
vehicle and can
lead
to sudden tire failure, inc luding a blowout and
sudden deflation
that
can cause
the
vehic le to crash.
Your safety and that of your
passengers
also
depends
on making
sure that
load
limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load includes every
-
body
and everything
in
and on the veh
icle.
These
load
limits are
technically
referred
to as the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating
("GVWR"l.
The
"GVWR"
includes
the weight of the basic vehicle, al
l
factory
insta lled accessories, a full tank
of
fuel,
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
designated seating position and the
total
weight of any luggage in
the
vehicle. If you tow a
trailer,
the weight of the trailer
hitch
and
th
e
tongue weight of the loaded trai ler must be included as part of the
vehicle
lo
ad
.
The Gross Axle Weight
Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load that
can be
applied at each of
the
vehic le's two axles
.
The
Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating
and the Gross
Axle
Weight
Rating
are listed on
the
safety compliance sticker
label
located either on
the driver's
side
B-pillar or
on
the inside
of
the
f
uel
filler flap.
Your
Audi
has 5 seating positions,
2
in the front and 3 in the rear for total
seating
capacity
of
5.
Each seating
position has
a
safety belt
=>
page 135, "Safety
belts"
.
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
carried in the vehicle (including the weight of a trailer hitch and the
tongue
weight
of
the
loaded trailer) is limited.
The more passengers
in the vehicle or passengers who are heavier than the standard
weights
assumed
mean
that
less
weight
can be carried
as
lu
ggage
.
The tire
pressure
labe
l
on your Audi also
li
sts the maximum
combined weight of
all
of
the
occupants and
lu
ggage or
oth
er cargo
that the vehicle can carry.
For
the
location
of the label
=>
page 246,
fig. 173.
&
WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle
control,
a
crash
or
other accident,
serious
personal
injury,
and
even death
.
•
Carrying
more
weight
than your vehicle
was
designed to
carry
will
prevent the vehicle 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 vehicle
within a safe
distance
.
•
Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail
suddenly,
including
a
blowout
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 Rating
.
•
Determining
correct
load limit
Use the
example below
to
calculate
the
total weight of the passengers
and
luggage or other things that you plan to
transport
so
that
you can
make sure that
your vehicle will not be
overloaded.
~
Vehicle care
I
t
•
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