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210
Tires and wheels
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it eas-
ier to choose the correct tires. Radial tires
have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewall, for example:
P245 / 45 R 17 95 H
This contains the follow ing inf ormat ion:
P
Indicates the tire is for passenger cars
245 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire
from sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In
general, the larger the number, the w ider
the tire
45 Height/width ratio in percent (aspect ra-
tio)
R
Tire construction: Radial
17 Rim diameter code (in inches)
95 Load rating code
H
Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LO AD", or "RF") indicates
that t he tire is a"Reinfo rced" or an "Extra
Load" tire
M+S (or "M/5") Indicates that the tire has
some mud and snow capability
The tires could also have the information of
direction of rotation ¢
page 198 .
Tire manufacturing date
The manufacturing date is also indicated on
the tire sidewall (possibly only on the
inner
side of the wheel) :
"DOT ... 2209 ... "means, for example, that
the tire was produced in the 22nd week of
2009.
Speed rating (letter code)
The speed rating letter code on the wheels in-
dicates the maximum permissib le road speeds
¢ &. in Winter tires on page 213.
P
up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q
up to 99 mph (158 km /h)
R
up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
ll
For tir es w it h a maxim um speed capabil ity over 149
mph (240 km/ h), ti re manufact urers somet imes use
the lett ers " ZR."
S
up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
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)
1
l
Z
over 149 mph (240 km/h) l l
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)
1
>
Y
up to 186 mph (298 km/h)
1 >
Your vehicle is normally factory equipped w it h
tires, wh ich possess excell ent dr iving charac-
teristics and give your Audi optimum driving
comfort. An electronic speed limiter
¢
page 33
will normally prevent your vehicle
from going faster than the tire speed rating
¢ ,&..
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
and tire manufacture date
This is the tire's "seria l number" . It begins
with the letters "DOT" and ind icates that the
tire meets all federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters ind icate the plant where it
was ma nufactured, and the last four num bers
represent the week and year
of
manufacture.
For example, the numbers 2209 mean that
the tire was produced in the 22nd week of
2009. The other numbers are ma rketing co-
des that may or may not be used by the tire
manufacturer. Thi s information is used to con-
tact consumers if a tire defect requires a re-
call.
Audi Original tire
Tires with the identification "AO" or "RO'' have
been specially matched with your Audi. We
recommend using on ly these tires because
they meet the highest standards regarding
safety and driving characterist ics when used
correctly. Your author ized Audi dealer will
gladly provide you w ith 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
Ill>
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