-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most abused parts
of a motor vehicle.
Tires may be the least appreciated and most abused parts of a
motor vehicle. Tires are, however, one of the most important parts
of a vehicle, particu larly considering the comparatively small patch
of rubber on each tire that assures that all -important contact
between you, your vehic le and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, making sure that your vehicle
and its tires do not have to carry more weight than they can safely
handle, avoiding damage from road hazards and regularly 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
blowouts.
A vo iding d am age
If you have to drive over a curb or similar obstac le, drive very slowly
and as close as possible at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chemica ls including grease, oi l, gaso line and brake
fluid off the tires.
Inspect the ti res regu larly for damage (cuts, cracks or b listers, etc.l .
Remove any foreign bodies embedded in the treads.
Storing tir es
Mark tires when you remove them to indicate the direction of rota
t ion. This ensures you to be able to mount them correctly when you
reinstal l them. When removed, the wheels or tires shou
ld be stored in a coo l, dry
and preferably dark place.
S tore tires in a vertical pos it ion if they a re not mounted on r ims, in
a horizonta l position if they are mounted on rims.
New tir es
New tires have to be broken in=>&.
The tread depth of new ti res may vary, according to the type and
make of tire and the tread pattern.
H idd en damage
Damage to tires and rims is often not readily visible. If you notice
unusual vibration or the vehicle pu lls to one s ide, this may indicate
that one of the tires has been damaged . The tires must be checked
immediately by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
Unidire cti ona l t ires
A unidirectional tire can be identif ied by arrows on the sidewa ll, that
point in the direction the tire is designed to rotate . You must fo llow
t he specified directio n of rotation . This is necessary s o that these
tires can develop their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road noise, wear and hydrop laning resistance . For more information
=>
page 273.
& WARNING
New t ires o r ti re s th at a re old , worn or d am aged cann ot pro vid e
maximum cont rol and braking ability .
• New tires te nd to be slippery and mu st be bro ken in . To redu ce
the ri sk o f lo sin g co ntro l, a collis ion and serious per sonal injurie s,
dri ve w ith special care f or the fi rst 350 m ile s ( 560 km l.
• Driving w ith w orn or damaged tire s can lead to lo ss of control ,
sudd en tir e fa ilure , inc ludi ng a blowout a nd sudden defl atio n, ..,_
Tires and wheels -
----------------
•
& WARNING (continu ed )
crashes and serious personal in jur ies . Have worn or da maged t ires
replaced immediately .
• Tires age even if they are not being u sed and can fail suddenly ,
especially at high speeds. T ires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then w ith special care and at
low speed.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the co mbined we ig ht ( in excess o f those sta nda rd items
which may be rep laced) of automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power w indows, powe r seats, rad io, a nd heater, to
the extent that these items are avai lab le as factory-installed equip
m ent (w hether insta lled or not).
Aspect ratio
means t he ratio o f th e height to t he w idt h of the tire in perce nt.
N umbers of 55 or lower indicate a low sidewa ll for improved
steer ing respo nse and b ette r overall ha ndl ing on dry pave ment.
Bead
means the part of the tire that is made of stee l wires, wrapped or
reinforced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a breakdow n of the bond be tween co mponents i n the bead.
Cord
means the strands fo rmi ng the plies in the ti re.
& W ARNING (continued )
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history. " Old used t ire s may ha ve been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and lo ss of vehicle control.
• If you noti ce 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
mea ns t he ti re pressure reco mm ended by the ve hicle ma nufacturer
for a tire of a designated size that has not been d riven for more tha n
a cou ple o f miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in t he t hre e ho ur per iod
before the tire pressure is measured or ad justed .
Curb weight
means the weight of a moto r vehic le with standard equipment
i nc lud ing the max imu m capac ity o f fue l, o il, and coola nt, a ir c ond i
tioning and additiona l weight of optional equipment.
Extra load tire
means a tire designed to ope rate at higher loads and at higher infla
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Extra load tires
my be identified as "XL",
"xi", "EX TRA LOAD", or "RF" on the side
wa ll.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
means the load -carrying capacity of a sing le ax le system, measured
at the ti re -ground interfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR "l
means the ma ximum tot al l oade d weigh t of the vehicle.
Vehicle care I t •
-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread ribs.
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a tire 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.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire at the maximum permissible infla
tion pressure for that tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressure to which a tire may be
in flated. Also called "maximum inflation pressure ."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the number of occupants
seated in the vehicle up to the total seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle .
Outer diameter
means the overall diameter of an inflated new tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteriors of the sidewalls of
an inflated tire, including elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs .
Ply
means a layer of rubber -coated parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those installed regular production
options weighing over 5 lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard
items which they replace, not previously considered in curb weight
or accessory weight, including heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof rack, heavy duty battery, and special trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which the ply cords that extend to the
beads are laid at substantially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread.
Recommended inflation pressure
see =:> page 235, "Cold tire inflation pressure".
Reinforced tire
means a tire designed to operate at higher loads and at higher infla
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Reinforced
tires my be identified 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
which the tire beads are seated .
Rim diameter
means nominal diameter of the bead seat. If you change your wheel
size, you will have to purchase new tires to match the new rim diam
eter.
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges .
-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Engin e
(displa ce
ment in
lit er) Tire designation
Tir
e pressure front Tire pressure rear
normal load full load normal load
full load
condition (up to condition c
ondition (up
condition
2 o ccupants ) to 2 occupants)
6 -cylinder
3.2 245
/45 R1 7 95H All Season
245 /45 R17 95V XL High Performan ce
245 /40 R18 93H All Season
245 /40 R18 93V XL High Performan ce
255 /35 R19 95V XL High Performance
XL
= reinforced
PSI
32
32
32
32
32
The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is located on a label on
the driver's side B-pillar .
Because technica l changes may be made to vehicle equip ment
during the mode l year, always compare the tire size designat ion on
the tire pressure la bel on y our vehicle with the tires on your vehicle.
Make sure tha t the t ire size information on the veh icle labe l is the
same as the size of the tires on the vehicle. Th is is especially impor
t ant if the vehicle belongs to someone e lse or you boug ht the
vehic le with different rims/tires or you bought the vehicle as a previ
ously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your passengers a lso depends
on making su re tha t load limits a re not exceeded . Vehi cle loa d
inc ludes everybody and everything in and on the vehicle. These load
limits are technically referred to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating ("GVW R"). The Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each of the vehicle's two
ax les. The Gross Vehicle We ight Rat ing and the Gross Ax le Weig ht
Rating are listed on the safety comp liance sticker labe l located on
t he driver's side B- pillar. The tir e pressure labe l on y our Audi lists
the maximum combined weight of a ll of the occupants and luggage
kPA PSI kPA kPA kPA
220 32 220 29 2 00 29 200
220 32 220 29 200 29 200
220 3 2 220 29 2 00 29 200
220 32 220 29 2 00 29 200
220 3 2 220 29 200 29 200
or other ca rgo that the veh ic le can carry. For the location o f the t ire
pressure label::::;, page 238, fig. 148.
& WARNING
Overloading a vehi cle can cause loss of vehicle control , a crash or
other accident, serious personal injury, and even death .
• Carrying more weight th an your vehicle was de signed 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 c an fail suddenly
causing loss of control and a crash .
& WARNING
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can lead to a
s erious o r fatal a ccident .
-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
When should I check the tir e pressure?
The correct ti re pressure is especially i mpor tant a t high speeds . The
pressure should therefore be checked at least o nce a month and
a lways before star tin g a j ourn ey.
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Adjust the tire pres sure to the loa d you are ca rrying. After changing
a wheel
or replacing whee ls you have to adjust the tire pressures on
a ll whee ls. In addition, y ou must the n ini tia lize the new tire pres
sures in the tire pressu re monitoring system*:::::,
page 253.
& WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and /or underinflation can lead sudden tire
failure, loss of control , collision, serious personal injury or even
death .
• When the warning symbol appears in the instrument
cluster , stop and in spect the tire s.
• Incorrect tire pressure and /or underinflation can cause
increased tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability.
• Incorre ct t ire pressures and /or underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation,
causing loss of vehicle control.
• The driver is responsible for the correct tire pre ssure s for all
tires on the vehicle . The appli cable pressure values are located on
a sticker on the driver' s side B -pillar.
• Onl y when all tires on the vehicle are filled to the correct pres
sure , the tire pre ssure monitoring system* can work correctly .
• The use of incorrect tire pressure values can lead to accidents
or other damage. Therefore it is essential that the driver observe
the spe cified tire pressure values for the tires and the correct pres
sures for the function of the tire pre ssure monitoring sy stem *.
• Always inflate tires to the recommended and correct tire pres
sure before driving off.
& WARNING (continued )
• Driving with underinflated tires bend more , letting them get
too hot re sulting in tread separation, sudden tire failure and lo ss
of control .
• Excessive speed and /overloading can cause heat build -up ,
sudden tire failure and loss of control.
• If the tire pressure is too low or too high , the tires will wear
prematurely and the vehicle will not handle well.
• If the tire is not flat and you do not have to change a wheel
immediately, drive at reduced speed to the nearest servi ce station
to che ck the tire pres sure and add air as required .
0 Note
Driving without valve stem caps can cause damage to the tire
va lves. To prevent this, always ma ke sure that fac tor y in st alled va lve
stem caps on all wh eels are securely mounted on the valv e.
'£> For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires w ill also increase the fue l consumption. •
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or weight that any vehic le and
any tire can ca rry. A vehicle that is overloaded wil l not handle wel l
and is more difficu lt to stop . Overloading can not on ly lead to loss
of vehic le contro l, but can also damage important parts of the
ve hicle a nd can l ead to sudden t ire fa ilure, i nclud ing a b lowout an d
sudden deflation that can cause the vehicle to crash .
Yo ur sa fety an d that o f yo ur passenge rs als o dep ends on making
sure that load limits are not exceeded . Vehicle load includes every -
b ody and eve rythi ng in and on the vehic le . These loa d limits are
~
-Tires and wheels
3. Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from
"XXX" kilo
grams or
"XXX" pounds shown on the
sticker=>
page 238, fig. 148.
4. The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if the
"XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will
be five 150 lbs. passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs. ( 1400- 750 (5
x 150) = 650 I bs.)
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how this reduces the avail
able cargo and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle. -
Check the tire sidewall (=>
page 246,
fig. 152) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific tire . •
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of different things
including proper installation and balancing, correct tire
pressure and driving style.
Fig. 150 Tire tread:
tread wear indicators
..__-lo..,.__,._~~--' (TWII
{ ------;g
0
r~~~~~~~~
• Fig. 151 Rotating tires
L_ __ ....::\ ;;~~~~~~~~~~~::::_ __ _J for more even wear
Tread Wear Indicator (TWll
The original tires on your vehicle have 1 /16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear
indicators" ~ fig. 150 running across the tread. Depending on the
ai,.
________________________________________________ T_ i _r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ _
•
make, th ere w ill be six to ei ght of them evenly placed around the
t ire. Ma rks o n th e tir e s idewall (f or e xam ple "TWI " or oth er symbo ls)
indicate the positions of t he tread wear indicators . Worn tires must
be re placed. Diffe re nt fig ure s may a ppl y in other countr ies=>& .
Tire pressure
Inc orr ect t ire p ressure causes prema ture wea r and ca n cause
sudden tire blow -out. For this reason, tire pressure must be checked
at leas t on ce a mont h=>
pag e 24 1.
Dri ving style
Dr ivi ng fa st aro und curves, heavy accele ration a nd hard bra king
increase tire wea r.
Rotating tires for more even wear
F or all four tires on your vehicle to have the same service life, we
r ec om men d that t he fr ont a nd rear ti res are rota ted acco rd ing to the
tire manufacturer 's suggested tire ro tation interva ls. Please
r eme mber the fo llo wi ng:
• Ti re rotation interva ls may differ from the vehicle servic e int er
va ls ou tlined in y our Wa rranty
& M ain te n ance Booklet .
• T he longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle, the
mo re it wears a t ce rtai n poi nts ; th erefore, we recom men d th at you
follow t he tire manufac turer's su ggested t ire rotation interv als .
• Vehi cles w ith front -w hee l d rive ex per ience more trea d wea r on
the front wheels compared to all -wheel drive (quattro®l .
• Ple as e rota te tires as shown=>
page 244, fi g. 15 1.
• Extra care must be ta ken when rotating direction -specific tires
=>
p age 2 73 .
Wheel balancing
The w heels on new vehic les are balanced. However, various situa
tions du ring everyday dr iving can cause them to become unbal
anc ed, resu lt in g in v ibrat io ns y ou can usual ly fe e l throu gh th e
steering whee l. U
nba lanc ed wheels must be r eba lanced to avoid excessive wear on
ste erin g, sus pen sion and tire s. A wh ee l mu st als o b e re b ala nce d
when a new tire is insta lled.
Incorrect wheel alignment
I ncorrect wheel alignment can cause excess ive tire wear, impairing
t he sa fety of the v ehicle. If t ire s s how e xcess ive wear, hav e t he
whee l a lignment chec ked by an authoriz ed Aud i d eal er o r qua lif ied
wo rk shop.
All Wheel Drive
V eh icles w ith q uattro ® must alwa ys ha ve tire s of the same siz e,
construction and t read t ype . For detai ls see=>
page 189 .
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of control , a crash and serious
personal injury!
• Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire is worn down
to the wear indicators.
• Worn tires are a safety hazard , they do not grip well on wet
roads and increase your risk of "hydroplaning" and loss of control.
• Always keep chemicals that can cause tire damage , such as
grease , oil , gasoline and brake fluid away from tires .
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
espe cially 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
lower speeds .
• 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. •
Vehicle care
I t •
___ T_ i_ r_e _s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_ e_ e _ ls _________________________________________________ _
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in.
F ig . 1 52 Tir e spec ifi cati on co des o n the sid ewa ll of a t ire
No . Desc ription
G)
®
©
©
©
©
Passenger car tire (where a pplicable)
Nominal width of tire in mi llimeters
Ratio of he ight to width (aspect ratio)
Radial
Rim diameter code
Load index and speed rating
0
©
©
@
@
U.S. DOT tire identification number
Sever snow conditions
Tire ply composition and materials used
Maximum load rating
Treadwear, traction and temperature grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pressure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the vehicle's design. The
tires and rims approved by Audi are special ly matched to the char
acteristics of the vehicle and can make a major contribution to good
road ho lding and safe hand ling when in good cond ition and prop
erly inflated
~ & .
We recommend that all work on tires and wheels be performed by
an authorized Audi dealer . They are familiar with recommended
procedures and have the necessary special too ls and spare parts as
well as the proper facilities for disposing of the old tires.
Authorized Audi dea lers have the necessary information about tech
n ical requirements for insta lling or changing tires and rims .
Replacing tires and wheel s
Tires should be replaced at least in pairs and not individual ly (for
example both front tires or both rear tires together) .
Be sure to read and heed the information to the tire pressure moni
toring system *~ page
248 .
Always buy replacement radial tires tha t have the same specifica
tions as the tires approved for your vehicle by Audi . Replacement
tires must always have the same load rating specification as the
original equipment or approved optiona l tires listed in the table
~ page 238.
Audi -app roved specification tires are specially ma tched to your
vehic le and its load limits, and can contribute to the important road-~