__________________________________________________ T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ lllll
•
Uniform tire quality grading
• Tread wear
• Traction AA A B C
• Temperature A B C
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire side wall
between tread shoulder and maximum section width=>
page 359,
fig. 295.
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA, Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal Safety Require
ments in addition to these grades .
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate
of the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course .
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and
one half (1 1/2)
times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual condi
tions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differ
ences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B and C.
Those grades represent the tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on specified government
test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have
poor traction performance => & .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing
the tire's resistance to the generation of heat and its ability to dissi
pate heat when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire to
degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure=>&.
The grade C corresponds to a level of performance which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law .
& WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead
braking traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning or peak traction characteristics.
& WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that is properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or in combination, can
cause heat buildup and possible tire failure. •
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on snow and
ice. At temperatures below 45 °F (7 °C) we recommend
changing to winter tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments may require true
winter or "snow" tires, those with very deeply cut tread. These tires
should only be used in pairs and be installed on all four wheels .
Make sure you purchase snow tires that are the same size and
construction type as the other tires on your vehicle .
Your vehicle is equipped with all -wheel drive, this will improve trac
tion during winter driving, even with the standard tires. However,
we strongly recommend that you always equip all four wheels on .,_
Vehicle care I t •
_L_T~i~r~e~s'.....a~n~d~w~h~e~e::.l!.:s ~---------------------------------------------
your vehicle with correctly fitted winter tires or a ll- season tires,
w hen winter ro ad condit ions are e xpected. T his also i mproves the
vehic le 's brak ing performance and reduces stopp ing distances.
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and snow .
Winter tires (s now ti res) mus t always be fitted on a ll four whe els .
Compatible tire pressure monitoring sensors must be installed on
all f our winte r tires fo r th e tir e pres su re m onitori ng sy stem to f unc
tion properly=>
page 367 .
Ask your authorize d Audi dealer or qualified worksho p for permitted
winter tire sizes. Use on ly rad ial winter t ires .
Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the tread is worn down to a depth of 0 .157 inc h (4 m m).
O nl y dr ive w ith w in ter tires unde r winter co nditio ns. Su mmer tires
handle bette r when there is no snow o r ice on the roads and the
t emp eratur e i s abo ve 45 °F (7 °C) .
If you have a f la t t ire, see not es on spar e wh eel=> page 359 .
Please a lways reme mber that winte r tir e s may have a l owe r speed
rat ing t han th e tire s orig inal ly in sta lled o n your v ehic le at t he ti me
it wa s manufactured . Please see=>
page 3 60, "S pee d rating (letter
co de) " f or a list ing o f the spe ed rating letter c odes and t he
maximum speed at which the ti res can be driven .
T h e sp eed rating lette r co de( ::::>
page 350) is on t he sid e w all of the
tire=>
page 3 59.
& WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits that may be lower than
your vehicle's maximum speed . Always know the maximum speed
before driving off . Never dr ive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific winter tires. This will cause damage to the tires
leading to an accident and serious personal injury to you and your
passengers .
& WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed for whi ch the winter tires
on your vehicle were designed can cause tire failure including a
blowout and sudden deflation , loss of control , crashes and serious
personal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires replaced immedi
ately.
• Winter tires have maximum speed rating that may be lower
than your vehicle's maximum speed .
• Never drive faster than the speed for which the winter or other
tires installed on your vehicle are rated.
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and traffic conditions .
Never let the good acceleration of the winter tires and all -wheel
dr ive tempt you into taking extra risks . Always remember :
• When braking , an all -wheel drive vehicle handle s in the same
way as a front drive vehicle .
• Drive carefully and reduce your speed on icy and slippery roads,
even winter tires cannot help under black ice conditions .
~ For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather conditions permit . They are
q uieter, d o not wear as qu ick ly and re duce fue l c on sumption .•
Snow chains
S now c hains may be fitted on ly to t he rear w hee ls, and only to
certain tire sizes. Ask your autho rized A udi dea ler on which tire
s izes sn ow cha ins ca n be used .
T he snow chains must hav e low -prof ile links and must not be thicker
th an 0 .53 in ch (13 .5 mm), inc lu d in g the loc k. .,_
-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
0 Note
The specified torque for the wheel bolts is 120 ft lb (160 Nm) with a
tolerance of± 7,4 ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bolts diagonally.
After changing a wheel, the torque must be checked as soon as
possible with a torque wrench -preferably by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop. •
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect ratio tires. These tires
have been thoroughly tested and been selected specifically for your
model for their superb performance, road feel and handling under
a variety of driving conditions . Ask your authorized Audi dealer for
more details.
The low aspect ratio of these tires is indicated by a numeral of
55 or
less
in the tire's size designation. The numeral represents the ratio
of the tire's sidewall height in relation to its tread width expressed
in percentage. Conventional tires have a height/width ratio of 60 or
more.
The performance of low-aspect-ratio tires is particularly sensitive to
improper inflation pressure. It is therefore important that low
aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure and that the
inflation pressure is regularly checked and maintained. Tire pres
sures should be checked at least once a month and always before a
long trip~
page 353, "Checking tire pressure".
What you can do to avoid tire and rim damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more easily by impact with
potholes, curbs, gullies or ridges on the road, particularly if the tire
is underinflated.
In order to minimize the occurrence of impact damage to the tires
of your vehicle, we recommend that you observe the following precautions: •
Always maintain recommended inflation pressures. Check your
tire pressure every 2,000 miles (3,000 km) and add air if necessary.
• Drive carefully on roads with potholes, deep gullies or ridges.
The impact from driving through or over such obstacles can
damage your tires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to
your tires.
• After any impact, immediately inspect your tires or have them
inspected by the nearest authorized Audi dealer. Replace a
damaged tire as soon as possible.
• Inspect your tires every 2,000 miles (3,000 km) for damage and
wear. Damage is not always easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of
air and underinflation, which could eventually cause tire failure. If
you believe that a tire may have been damaged, replace the tire as
soon as possible.
• Th ese tires may wear more quickly than others.
• Please also remember that. while these tires deliver responsive
handling, they may ride less comfortably and make more noise than
other choices.
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
All tires are designed for certain purposes. The low aspect ratio,
ultra high performance tires originally installed on your vehicle are
intended for maximum dry and wet road performance and handling.
They are not suitable for cold, snowy or icy weather conditions. If
you drive under those circumstances, you should equip your vehicle
with all -season or winter tires, which offer better traction under
those conditions. We suggest you use the recommended snow or all -season tires specified for your vehicle, or their equivalent.
Refer to~
page 363for more detailed information regarding winter
tires. •
lllffll.___W_ h_ a_t _d_ o_ l _d _o_ n_ o_ vv_ ? ______________________________________________ _
What do I do now?
Jack, tools and inflatable spare tire
Jack and folding chocks
The jack and the folding chocks are located in the lug gage
comp artmen t under t he ca rgo floor co ver.
Vehicle jack
Fig . 296 Luggage
comp artment v ehi cle
jack and fold ing
c ho ck s.
Fig . 2 97 Opening
fold ing ch ocks
The jac k is located under the too l kit:::;, fig. 296 . B efore sto ring the
jack, ma ke su re it is wo und back down as fa r as it w il l go.
Folding chocks
Two unassembled fold ing chocks a re attached to the foam section
at the fron t w ith th e jack :::;, fig. 296 .
Release the two hook -and -loop fasteners, and remove the two
chocks . To use the chock s, you fi rst ha ve to raise the sup port pla te
:::;, fig. 297
G) and then insert the locking plate with the two "tabs"
into the e longated holes in the base plate@:::;,& .
& WARNING
• The chock cannot fulfil its fun ction and may lose its stability if
the "tabs " on the support plate are not inserted corre ctly into the
elongated holes in the base plate. If this happens , the vehicle may
sta rt to move while a wheel is being changed .
• Never u se the folding chocks if they are damaged or if they have
not been assembled co rre ctly .
& WARNING
Improper use of the vehi cle jack can cause serious pe rsonal inju
rie s.
• Never use the jack supplied with your Audi on another vehicle,
particularly on a heavier one. The jack is only suitable for use on
the veh icle it came with .
• Using a bumper jack to raise the veh icle will damage the
bumper system . The jack may slip , caus ing injury .
• Never support your vehicle on cinder blocks , bricks or other
objects. These may not be able to support the load and could
cause injury when they fail.
• Never start or run the engine while the vehicle is supported by
the jack .
~
_____________________________________________ W.:..:..; h:..:.= a:.:t ..:.d=-= o:....:... I .::d :.:o :....:.. n:.:o::.. w.:...:.. ?:...___J -
& WARNING !continued)
• If you must work under the vehicle, always use safety stands
specifically designed for this purpose.
• Always make sure the inflatable spare tire and even a flat tire
are secured in place and not loose, otherwise they could fly
forward, causing personal injury to passengers in the vehicle in an
accident or sudden maneuver . •
Tools
The tool kit is located in the luggage compartment under
the cargo floor cover.
The onboard tool kit includes:
• Hook for removing wheel covers *
• Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers
• Wheel bolt wr ench
• Alignment p in for changing wheels
• Screwdriver with reversible blade
• 10
x 13 open ended wrench
• Towing eye
Fig . 298 Luggage
compartment : vehicle
tool kit
[ i] Tips
Some of the on board items listed above are provided on certain
models only or are optional extras .•
A pp lies to ve hicles: w ith bass box
R emoving bass box
Before the inflatable spare tire can be taken out, the bass
box must be removed.
Fig . 299 Spare wheel
well : Bass box
Removing bass box
- Squeeze the locking tabs~ fig. 299 G) of the connector.
- Disconnect the connector @ and place the lead to one
side.
- Turn the large screw counter-clockwise.
- Carefully remove the bass box.
Installing bass box
-Carefully place the bass box in the wheel. The inscription
" FRONT " on the bass box must face forward.
- Reconnect the connector that was removed.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service irechnical data
-What do I do novv? PV:f.,___ ______________ _
-Secu re th e bass b ox w it h t he larg e sc re w. •
Inflatable spare t ire
T he i nfla tab le sp are tir e ex pand s to its full di amet er wh en
it is inflated.
Removing inflatable spare tire
Fig . 300 Inflat able
spare t ire with
compres sor
Li ft up th e carg o floo r u sing the handl e.
- T urn t he l arg e scre w:::> fig. 300 coun ter-c loc kwi se.
Re move the bass bo x as req uir e d :::>
page 371.
- Take o ut th e inflatable s pare t ire.
Stowing the inflatable spare tire
Relea se th e air by un screwing the valve st em .
Sc re w the va lv e st em b ack in afte rwards.
Wait a few hours b efo re pl acin g the wh eel in th e sp are
w he el w ell :::>
& .
Install t he bass b ox as require d:::> page 371.
S ec ure the whe el wit h th e large s cre w. - Fo
ld the cargo floor bac k d own.
After using the inflatable spare wheel
The inflatab le spare ti re can be re-used as long as it is not damaged
an d is n ot worn d own to the tre ad wea r indi cato rs=> &.
When you l et the air out of the inflatabl e spare tir e, it do es not
a ss ume it s fo lded shape aga in for severa l hou rs . U ntil then, it
c annot be plac ed bac k in the sp are whe el well and s tow ed sec urel y.
& WARNING
• Never use the spare tire if it is damaged or if it is worn down to
the tread wear indicators.
• If the inflatable spare tire is more than 6 years old, use it only
in an emergency and with extreme caution and careful driving.
• The inflatable spare tire is intended only for temporary and
short-term use. It should be replaced as soon as possible with the
normal wheel and tire .
• Maximum inflation pressure for the inflatable spare tire is
50 PSI (3 .5 bar).
• Maximum permissible speed is 50 mph (80 km /h ).
• Avoid full -throttle acceleration , heavy braking, and fast
cornering .
• When the air is let out of the inflatable spare wheel , it does not
assume its folded shape for several hours . Until then , it cannot be
placed back in the spare wheel well and stowed securely .
• Never drive with more than one inflatable spare tire.
• For technical reasons , the use of tire chains on the inflatable
spare tire is not permitted . If it is necessary to drive with tire
chains, the inflatable spare wheel must be mounted on the front
axle in the event of a flat in a rear tire. The newly available front
wheel must then be installed in place of the rear wheel with the
flat tire . Installing the tire chain before mounting the wheel and
tire is recommended . .,.
What do I do now? -
---------------~.;______
•
& WARNING (continued)
• Loose items in the passenger compartment can cause serious
personal injury during hard braking or in an accident .
- Never store the inflatable spare tire or jack and tools in the
passenger compartment.
- Always store all jacking equipment, tools, and the inflatable
spare tire in the luggage compartment.
- Tighten the knurled retaining screw for the inflatable spare
tire securely.
0 Note
• Th e inflatable spare tire has been developed specifically for this
vehicle model. It must not be exchanged or used for other vehicle
models. Similarly, inflatable tires from other vehicle models must
not be used.
• Normal summer or winter tires must not be installed on the
inflatable tire rim.•
Changing a wheel
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your own and your
passenger's safety when changing a wheel.
-After you experience a tire failure, pull the car well away
from moving traffic and try to reach
level ground before
you stop => & .
- All passengers should
leave the car and move to a safe
location (for instance, behind the guardrail)=> &.
- Engage the
parking brake to prevent your vehicle from
rolling unintentionally=> &. -
Move
selector lever to position P =:> & .
- If you are towing a trailer: unhitch the trailer from your
vehicle.
- Block the diagonally opposite wheel with the folding
chocks or other objects.
- Take the
jack and the inflatable spare tire out of the
luggage compartment=>
page 370.
& WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured while changing a wheel if
you do not follow these safety precautions:
• If you have a flat tire, move a safe distance off the road. Turn off
the engine, turn the emergency flashers on and use other warning
devices to alert other motorists.
• Make sure that passengers wait in a safe place away from the
vehicle and well away from the road and traffic.
• To help prevent the vehicle from moving suddenly and possibly
slipping off the jack , always fully set the parking brake and block
the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel being changed with the
folding chocks or other objects. When one front wheel is lifted off
the ground, placing the Automatic Transmission in "P" (Park) will
not prevent the vehicle from moving.
• Before you change a wheel, be sure the ground is level and firm .
If necessary, use a sturdy board under the jack.
• After installing the inflatable spare tire, make sure that you
replace the flat tire/wheel in its storage area properly and tighten
the knurled retaining screw securely. •
Do-it -yourself service
lll'Jl,___W_ h_ a_ t_ d_o_ l_ d_ o _ n_ o_w _ ? ____________________________________________ _
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow the sequence described
below step-by-step and in exactly that order.
1. Activate the vehicle jack mode (only vehicles with Adap
tive Air Suspension) ~
page 210.
2. Remove the decorative wheel cover*. For more details
see also~
page 375, "Decorative wheel covers" or
~ page 375, "Wheels with wheel bolt caps".
3. Loosen the wheel bolts ~ page 376.
4. Locate the proper mounting point for the jack and align
the jack below that point~
page 376.
5. Lift the car with the jack~ page 376.
6. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and then install the
inflatable spare tire =>
page 378.
7. Tighten all wheel bolts lightly.
8.
Lower the vehicle with the jack.
9. Use the wheel bolt wrench and
firmly tighten all wheel
bolts
~ page 376.
10. Replace the decorative wheel cover*.
11. Deactivate the vehicle jack mode (only vehicles with
Adaptive Air Suspension)=>
page 210.
& WARNING
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and information => & in
"Raising the vehicle" on
page 376 and => page 379. •
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not complete without the doing the
following.
- Store and secure the wheel you replaced in the spare
wheel well.
- Replace the tools and the jack in their proper location.
- As soon as possible, have the
tightening torques on all
wheel bolts checked with a torque wrench. The correct
tightening torque is 120 ft lb (160 Nm).
- Have t he flat tire
replaced as soon as possible.
[ i] Tips
• I f you notice that the wheel bolts are corroded and difficult to
turn while changing a tire, they should be replaced before you check
the tightening torque .
• Drive at reduced speed until you have the tightening torques
checked .•