2008 AUDI A4 AVANT flat tire

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Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most abused parts
of a motor vehicle.
T ires may be the least appreciated and most abused parts of a
motor vehic le. Tires are, however, one of the most important parts
of a vehicle, particu lar ly considering the comparat ive ly sma ll patch
of rubber on each tire that assures that a ll-important contact
between you, your vehicle and the road .
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, making sure that your vehicle
and i ts tires do not have to carry more weight than they can safely
handle, avoiding damage from road hazards and regular ly
inspecting tires for damage inc luding cuts, s lashes irregular wear
and overa ll condition are the most important things that you can do
to help avoid sudden tire failure including tread separation and
b lowou ts .
Av oiding d am ag e
If you have to drive over a curb or similar obstacle, drive very slowly
and as close as possible at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chemica ls including grease, o il, gasoline a nd brake
fluid off the tires.
I nspect the t ires regularly for damage (cuts, cracks or blisters, etc .l.
Remove any foreign bodies embedded in the treads.
Storing tire s
Mark tires when you remove them to indicate the direction of rota ­
t ion . This ensu res you to be ab le to mou nt them correctly w he n you
reinstal l them. When removed, the whee
ls or tires should be stored in a coo l, dry
and preferably dark place.
St ore tires in a vertical posit ion i f th ey are not mounted on r ims, in
a horizontal position if they are mounted on rims.
New tire s
New tires have to be broken in => &.
The tread dept h of new tires may vary, according to the type and
make of tire and the tread pattern .
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and rims is often not readily visible. If you notice
unusua l vibration or t he veh ic le pul ls to one side, this may indicate
that one of the tires has been damaged . The tires must be checked
immediately by an author ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
Unidire ction al tires
A unidirectio nal tire can be ide ntif ied by arr ows on the s idewa ll, t hat
point in the direction the tire is designed to rotate. You must fo llow
the specified direct ion of ro tation . This is necessary so t hat these
tires can deve lop their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road
noise, wear and hydroplaning resistance . For more info rmation
=> page 324.
& WARNING
Ne w tire s or tire s that are old , wo rn o r damaged cannot p ro vide
maximum control and braking abilit y.
• New tires tend to be slippery and mu st be brok en in . To redu ce
the ri sk of lo sing control , a c ollision and seriou s per sonal injuries ,
dri ve w ith special ca re for the fi rst 350 mile s (560 km l.
• Driving with worn or damaged tire s can lead to lo ss of control ,
sudden tire fa ilure , in cluding a blowout and sudden deflation ,
.,_
Vehicle care

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&, WARNING (continued)
crashes and serious personal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately.
• Tires age even if they are not being 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
low speed.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) 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 the ratio of the height to the width of the tire in percent.
Numb ers of 55 or lower indicate a low sidewall for improved
steering response and better overall handling on dry pavement.
Bead means the part of the tire that is made of steel wires, wrapped or
reinforced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond between components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the tire.
&, WARNING (continued)
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history." Old used tires may have been damaged
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, always stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the wheels and tires for damage.
•
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer
for a tire of a designated size that has not been driven for more than
a couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in the three hour period
before the tire pressure is measured or adjusted .
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor vehicle with standard equipment
including the maximum capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi­
tioning and additional weight of optional equipment.
Extra load tire
means a tire designed to operate at higher loads and at higher infla ­
tion pressures then the corresponding standard tire. Extra load tires
my be identified as "XL", "xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or
"RF" on the side ­
wall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
means the load-carrying capacity of a single axle system, measured
at the tire-ground interfaces .
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR")
means the maximum total loaded weight of the vehicle.

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Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread ribs.
L oa d ratin g (code)
means the maximum load that a t ire is rated to carry for a given
inflation pressure. You may not find this information on all tires
because it is not required by law.
M ax imum l oad r atin g
means the load rat ing for a t ire at the maximum permiss ib le infla­
tion pressure for that tire.
Ma ximum l oaded vehicle we ight
means the sum of :
(al Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production opt ions weight
M ax imum (permissibl e) infl ati on press ure
means the maximum cold inflatio n pressure to wh ich a t ire may be
inflated. Also ca lled "maximum inflation pressure ."
No rm al occ upant we ight
means 150 lbs. (68 ki lograms) times the number of occupants
seated in the vehicle up to the total seati ng capacity of your vehicle .
Occupant distributi on
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle .
Outer diameter
means the overal l diameter of an inflated new tire.
Ove rall width
means the linear distance between the exteriors of the sidewa lls of
an inf lated t ire, including elevations due to labe ling, decorat ions, or
protective bands or ribs .
Ply
means a layer of rubber -coated para lle l cords.
Pr odu ction opt io ns weig ht
means the comb ined weight of those installed regular product ion
options weighing over 5 lbs . (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard
items which they replace, not previously cons idered in curb weight
or accessory weight, inc luding heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof
rack, heavy duty ba ttery, and specia l trim .
Radi al pl y tir e
means a pneumat ic tire in which the ply cords that extend to the
beads are laid at substantially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread .
Recomm ended infl ati on p ress ure
see => page 294, "Cold tire inflat io n pressure".
Reinfor ced tir e
means a tire designed to operate at higher loads and at higher infla ­
tion pressures then the corresponding standard tire. Reinforced
t ires my be ide ntified as "XL", "xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the
sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and tube assembly upon
wh ich the t ire beads are seated.
Rim di ameter
means nom inal d iameter o f the bead seat. I f you change your whee l
size, you wi ll have to purchase new tires to match the new rim diam ­
eter.
Rim siz e design ation
means rim diameter and width.
R im width
means nominal distance between rim flanges .
Vehicle care

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S idewa ll
means t hat port ion of a tire between the tread and bead.
Speed ra ting means t he speed at which a tire is designed to be driven for
extended periods of time. The ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298
km/h) => page 306. You may not f ind this informa ­
tion on a ll tires because it is not required by law .
The speed rating letter code, whe re applicable, is mo lded on the tire
s idewal l and indicates the maximum perm issible road
speeds => &
in "Winter tires" on page 310.
Tire pr essu re m onitorin g sys tem *
means a system that detects when one or more of a vehicle's tires
are under inflated and i lluminates a low tire pressure warning te ll­
tale .
Tread
means that portion of a tire that comes into contact with the road.
Trea d sepa ration
mea ns pu lling away of the tread from the tire carcass.
Tr eadw ear indi cato rs ( TWI)
mea ns the projections with in the pr incipa l grooves designed to give
a visual indication of the degrees of wear of the tread . See
=> page 303, "T read Wear Indicator (TWI)" for m ore information on
measuring tire wear.
Uniform Tire Qualit y Grading
is a tire information system deve loped by the United States National
H ighway Traff ic Safety Admin istration (N HTSA) t hat is designed to
help buyers make relative comparisons among tires. The U TQG is
n ot a safety rating and not a guarantee that a tire will last for a
prescribed number of miles or perform in a certain way . It simply
gives ti re buyers additiona l info rmation to combine with other
considerations, such as price, brand loyalty and dea ler recommen -dations
. Under UTQG, tires are graded by the tire manufacturers in
t hree areas : treadwear, tract ion and tempera ture resista nce. The
U TQG information on the tires, molded into the sidewa lls .
U .S . D OT Tire Identification Number (TIN )
This is the tire's "seria l number" It begins with the letters "DOT" and
indicates that the tire meets a ll federa l standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it was manufactured,
and t he last four numbers represent the wee k and year of manufac ­
ture. For example,
DOT ... 2205 ...
means t hat the tire was produced in the 22t h week of 2005. The
other numbers are marketing codes that may or may not be used by
t he t ire manufacturer. This informat ion is used to c ontac t
consumers if a tire defect requires a reca ll.
Veh icle capacity we ight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus 150 lbs . (68 kilograms)
t imes t he vehicle's total seating capaci ty as listed on the la bel
located either on the driver's side 8 -pillar or on the inside of the fuel
fi ller flap .
Vehi cle max imum l oad on th e tir e
means that load on an ind ividual tire that is determ ined by distrib ­
uting to each axle its share of the maximum loaded vehicle weight
and d ividing by two.
V ehi cle norm al l oa d on th e tir e
means that load on an ind ividual tire that is determ ined by d istrib ­
uting to each axle its share of the curb weight, accessory weight,
and normal occupant weigh t (distributed in accorda nce w ith tab le
below=> page 297) and dividing by two . _.,

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O cc upant loading and distribution for vehicle no rmal load for various d esignated s eating capa cities
Designated seating capacity , num­
ber of occupants
5
Cold tire inflation pressure
Vehicle normal load , number of
occupants
3
Occupant distribution in a normally
loaded vehicle
2 in front, 1 in back seat
T ire pressure affec ts the overall ha ndling, performan ce and safety of a vehicle.
Fig . 21 7 Tire pre ssu re
label : located eit her on
driver's side B-pillar or
in side the fuel filler fl ap
ill
9 ,-, ~ ------------------.. j;l
• (SEATING CAPAQlY :rorAL I :FRONT I : cENTER I :REAR I ) m
Thea,mtwd""'9/Wdoocu,,.....andQ1Vo.....,.....,-,ed .logo, _ .,.
TIRE AND LOAD ING INFORMATION
TIRE SIZE COLO TIRE PRESSURE
FRONT -KPa, -PSI
REAR -KPa, - PSI
SPARE -KPa, -PSI
MANUAL FOR
INFORMATION SEE OWNER'S I
ADDITIONAL
Fig . 218 T ir e pr essu re
label
w arm tir e to matc h "cold t ire in flation press ure" recommenda tions .
The tires wou ld then be underinflated and cou ld fai l suddenly .
M aintaini ng proper t ire pressure is one of the most im po rta nt
thi ngs you ca n do t o help avo id sud den t ire fa ilu re. Underi nflated
tires are a major cause of sudden tire failure. Keeping tires at the
ri ght pressure is also importa nt for safe and r espo nsive ve hicle
handling, traction, braking and load carrying.
Tire pressures are
particularly important when the vehicle is being driven at higher
speed s, and then especially when heavily loaded even within the
•
T ire pressure generally refe rs to the amou nt of air in a t ire that it
needs it to do its job and safely carry the combined load of the entire
veh ic le and i ts c ontents. Tire p ressu re is measu red in kilopascals
(kPa), the international measuring unit and in pounds per square
inch (PSI) . Tir e p res su re is based in part on th e vehic le's design and
load lim it - the greatest amount of weight that the veh ic le can carry
safely and the tire size . The proper tire pressure is frequently
re ferred to as the "recommended cold t ire infla tion pressure." A ir in
the tires expands when the tire heats up because of internal friction
when it fl exe s i n us e. The tir e press ure is high er w he n th e t ire has
warmed up than when it is "cold." It is the inflation pressure in a "c old" tire that c ounts. Theref ore , yo u sho uld never le t air ou t of a
permissible load -carrying capacities approved for your vehicle. ...
Ve hic le care Technical data

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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 located either on driver's side 8-pillar or
inside the fuel filler flap on your Audi lists the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures for the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and tires that were on your vehicle at the time it was manu­
fac tured .
If you wish to improve comfort when operating the vehicle at
normal load (up to 3 occupants), you can adjust tire pressures to
those specified for normal vehicle load. Before operating the vehicle at maximum load, you must increase the tire pressures to those
specified for maximum vehicle load
~ & .
If your vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system*,
bear in mind that the system can only monitor the tire pressures you have stored
. The system does not recognize the load condition of
your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the tire pressure monitoring system will be
impaired if you store normal load pressures but then operate the
vehicle at its maximum
load~& .
See the illustration~ page 297, fig . 217 for the location of the label
either on driver's side 8-pillar or inside the fuel filler flap (color of
the actual label and exact location on the vehicle will vary slightly).
Note that the following table is accurate at the time of going to
press and is subject to change . In the event of discrepancies, the tire
pressure label (e ither on driver's side 8 -pillar or inside the fuel filler
flap) always takes precedence.
The table below lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures
for the Audi model covered by your Owner's Literature at the
vehicle's capacity weight and the tire si zes installed on the respec­
tive models as original equipment, or as a factory option.
Engine Tire size designation Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
(displace- normal load normal load
ment in condition (up to full load
condition (up full load
liter) condition
condition
3 occupants) to 3 occupants)
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
4-cylinder 215/55 R16 93H All Season 35 240
36 250 35 240
36 250
2.0
235/45 R17 94H All Season 33 230 35 240 33 230 35 240
235/45 R17 94V High Performance 30 210
32 220 30 210
32 220
235/40 R18 95V XL High Performance 35 240 39 270 35 240 39 270
6-cylinder 215/55 R16 93H All Season 36 250 36 250 35 240 36 250
3.2
235/45 R17 94H All Season 35 240
35 240
33 230 35 240
235/45 R17 94V High Performance 30
210 32 220 30 210 32 220
235/40 R18 95V XL High Performance 38 260 42 290 38 260 42 290
XL = reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xi, EXTRA LOAID, or RF on the tire sidewall.

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The correct tire pressure for the spore wheel is located on a label
either on the driver's side B-pillar or inside the fuel filler flap.
Because technical changes may be made to vehicle equipment
during the model year, always compare the tire size designation on
the tire pressure label on your vehicle with the tires on your vehicle.
Make sure that the tire size information on the vehicle label is the
same as the size of the tires on the vehicle. This is especially impor­
tant if the vehicle belongs to someone else or you bought the
vehicle with different rims/tires or you bought the vehicle as a previ­
ously owned vehicle .
Remember, your safety and that of your passengers also depends
on making sure that load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load
includes everybody and everything in and on the vehicle. These load
limits are technically referred to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating ("GVWR"l. The Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR"l is
the maximum load that can be applied at each of the vehicle'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 fuel filler
flap. The tire pressure label 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
=> page 297, fig. 217.
& 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 a 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
causing loss of control and a crash.
& WARNING (continued)
• 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.
& WARNING
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can lead to a
serious or fatal accident.
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation cause increased
tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle.
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation,
causing loss of vehicle control. •
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires originally installed
on your vehicle is listed on the tire pressure label located
either on driver's side B-pillar or inside the fuel filler flap.
The recommended tire pressures are on the tire pressure label and
in the
table=> page 297, "Cold tire inflation pressure". This means
that the pressure must be checked and adjusted when the tire has
not been driven for more than a couple of miles (kilometers) at low
speeds during the previous three hours. Air in the tires expands
when the tire heats up as a result of internal friction as it flexes in
use. The tire pressure 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
pressure"
recommendations=> page 297. The tires would then be
underinflated and could fail suddenly. .,._
Vehicle care

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The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the recommended cold tire
inf lation pressures for the new, original equipmen t tires that were
on your vehic le at the time it was manufactured . For the location of
the
labe l=> page 297, fig. 217 .
Most tires lose a ir natural ly over time. They can a lso lose some air if
you drive over a potho le or hit a curb wh ile parking. It is usually not
possible to see whether the radial t ires used today are under inflated
just by looking at them.
Therefore, be su re to check tire pressures at least once a month and
always before going on a long trip . Make sure to take the number of
people and the amount of luggage into account when adjusting tire
pressure for a trip -even one that you wou ld not cons ider to be
" long ."
See => page 301, "Tires and vehicle load limits" for more
important i nformation .
A lways use an accurat e tire pressure gaug e when checking and
adjusting inflat ion pressures. Check a ll of the tires and be sure not
to forget the spare tire . If the pressure in any tire is too high when
the t ire is "cold," let air o ut of the t ire slowly with the edge of the tire
gauge and keep check ing the pressure until you reach the pressure
that is correct for the load (passengers and luggage) and kind of
driving you p lan to do .
I f the pressure in any tire 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 vehicle load
(passengers and luggage) fo r the t ires on your veh ic le as listed on
the on your vehicle and in this manual and the kind of driving you pl an to do .
Never exceed the m aximum inflation pressure li sted on the tire
s idewall for an y re ason .
Remem ber that the vehic le manufacturer, not t he tire manufacturer,
determines the correct tire pressure for the tires on your vehicle .
I t is important to check the tire pressure when the tires are cold.
• Read the required tire pressure from the t ire pressure label
located either on driver 's side B -pillar or inside the fuel fi ller flap . •
Turn the va lve stem cap counter -clockwise to remove it from the
t ire valve .
• Place the air pressure gauge on the valve.
• The tire pressures should only be checked and adjusted when
the tires are cold. The s lightly raised pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced.
• Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are carrying.
• Reinstal l the va lve stem cap on the valve .
When should I check the tire pressure?
The correct tire pressure is especially important at high spe eds . The
pressure should the refore be checked at least once a mo nth and
a lways before starting a journey. Do not forget to check the tire pres ­
sure for the spare whee l
=> page 317.
Wh en should I adjust th e tir e pre ssur es?
Adjust t he tire pressure to the load you are carry ing . After changing
a wheel
o r replacing whee ls you have to ad just the tire pressures on
a ll whee ls . In addition, on vehicles w ith tire pressure monito ring
system* you must then store the new tire pressures in the system
=> page 45.
& WARNING
Incorrect tire pre ssure s and /or underinflation can lead sudden tire
f ai lure , loss of control , collision , seri ous per sonal injury or even
death.
• When the w arning symbol
(l) appe ars in the in strument
clu ster , stop and inspect the tire s.
• Incorrect t ire pres sure and /or underinflat ion can cause
increa sed tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle and
s topping ability.
• Incorrect tire pres sures and /or underinflation can also lead to
s udden tire fa ilure , inc luding a blowout and sudden defl ation ,
cau sing los s of vehicle control .
~