________________________________________________ T_ i_ re _ s_ a_ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l _s _ ....... JIII
Unbalanced wh eels must be rebalanced to avoid e xcessive w ear o n
st eeri ng, sus pens ion and tires. A w heel must a lso be re balan ced
w hen a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect whee l alignm ent can ca use excessive ti re wea r, impairing
th e safe ty o f the vehicle. If tir es show excessive we ar, ha ve the w heel
alignment checked by a n authorized A udi dealer or qualif ied wo rk
s hop .
All wheel drive
Vehicle s wi th qu att ro ® mus t alw ay s ha ve tires of the sa m e siz e,
construct ion a nd tread type. For details see~
page 246.
& 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,
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
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 OP-eration
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and w heel s hav e to b e brok en in .
Fig. 231 Tire specificat ion codes on the sidewall of a tire
No.
©
®
®
©
©
©
Description
Passenger car tire (where app licable)
Nom inal width of ti re in mil lim eters
Ratio of hei9ht to width (aspect ratio)
Radial
jj Rim diameter code
L oa d index and speed rating
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
________________________________________________ T_i_re _ s_ a _ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ _
Tire manufacturing date
The manufacturing date is also indicated on the tire sidewall
(possibly on ly on the
inner s ide of the wheel):
"DOT ... 2210 ... " means, for example, that the tire was produced in
the 22nd week of 2010.
Speed rating (letter code)
The speed rat ing letter code on the wheels ind icates the maximum
permissible road speeds =>
& in "Winter tires" on page 311.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
S up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 1 18 mp h (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)3>
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)3>
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)3>
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)3>
Your vehicle is normally factory equipped with t ires, which possess
excellent driving characterist ics and give you r A udi optimum driv ing
comfort. An electronic speed limiter=>
page 22 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 "serial number". It begins with the letters "DOT" and
indicates that the tire mee ts all federal standa rds. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it was manufactured, and
the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufacture .
For example, the numbers 2210 mean that the tire was produced in
3
l For tires w ith a maxim um speed capabi lity ove r 149 mph (240 km/h), tire
manufacture rs sometimes use the letters "ZR."
Safety first
the 22nd week of 2010 . The other numbers are marketing codes that
may or may not be used by the tire manufacturer . This i nformation is
used to contact consumers if a tire defect requires a recall.
Audi Original tire
Tires with the identification "AO" or "RO" have been specially
matched w ith your Audi. We recommend using only these tires
because they meet the highest standards regard ing safety and
driving characteristics when used correct ly. Your authorized Audi
dealer will gladly provide you with 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 general, the greater the number of plies, the
more weight a tire can support . Tire manufacturers also must indi
cate the materials in the tire, which include steel, nylon, polyester,
and others .
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the maximum load in kilograms and pounds
that can be carried by the tire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and temperature grades=> page 311.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
Th is number is the greatest amount of air pressure that should ever
be put in the tire under normal driving conditions.
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/ or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can lead to loss of control, collision
and serious personal injury. _,.
Vehicle care Technical data
Tires and wheels Ill
----------------
Uniform tire quality grading
• Tread wea r
• Tr act io n AA A B C
• T empera ture A B C
Quali ty g rades c an be fou nd where ap plica ble on t he tire side wa ll
between tread shou lde r and max imum section widt h=>
page 307,
fig. 231.
For example: Tread wear 200 , Tract ion AA , Temp era ture A .
All passenger car tires must conform to Federa l Safety Requirements
in addi tion to these g ra d es.
Tread wear
The tr ead wear grade is a comp arati ve ra ting based o n the wear rat e
o f the tire when teste d un der co ntro ll ed conditions on a specifie d
governme nt test co urse.
For examp le, a tire graded
1 50 would wear one and one half (1 1/2)
ti mes a s well on t he governmen t course as a tire graded 10 0 .
Th e relat ive performa nce of tires d epends u pon t he ac tual cond it io ns
o f their use, however, an d m ay de pa rt sig nifi cantly from the norm
due to var iat io ns in d riv in g ha bits, se rvice prac tices and differences in
road characterist ics and climate .
Traction
The trac tion gra des, from highes t to lowest, are AA, A, Band C. Those
grades represent the t ire's ab ility to s top o n wet pav ement as
measu red under contro lled condit ions on s pecified government test
surfaces of asphal t and conc re te . A tire marked C may have poo r trac
tion performance =>& .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (t he hi ghest), B, a nd C, rep resenting
t he t ire's resistanc e to the generat io n of he at and its ab ility to dissi
pate heat when teste d un der contro lled conditions o n a s pecifie d
indoor laboratory t est wh eel.
Safety first
S ustai ned high temperat ure ca n cause the material of the tire to
degener ate a nd re du ce tire li fe, and exces sive tem per at ure c an lead
to sudde n tire failu re=> &.
T he grade C corresponds to a leve l of perfo rmance which a ll
p assenger c ar tires m ust meet under the Federal Motor Veh icle
Safety Stan dard No. 1 09. Grades Band A represent higher levels of
perfor man ce on t he laborat ory tes t w heel th an t he m ini mu m
req uir ed 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 veh icle h andlin g on s now and
i c e. At t emper atures belo w 45 °F (7 °C) we re com mend
c h anging to winter tires.
In some heavy snow areas, loca l gover nments may require true
wi nte r or "s n ow" t ires, th ose wi th very dee ply cut t read . Th ese tire s
should only be used in pairs and be i nstalled on all four wheels . Mak e
s u re you purchase snow tires tha t are the same si ze and constr uction
t ype as the other t ires on your ve hicle .
Yo ur vehicle is equi pped with a ll-w heel d rive, this will improve trac
t ion dur ing w inter dr iv ing, even wit h th e standar d tir es. However, we
st rongly recommend that you a lways eq uip a ll four w heels on you r .,_
Vehicle care Technical data
Tires and wheels -______________________ Effll
be fitted ove r th e wheel bo lts . These a re available from a uthorized
Au di d eal er s.
& WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehicle or installing them
incorrectly can increase the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
• Snow chains are available in different sizes . Always make sure
to follow the instructions provided by the snow chain manufac
turer.
• When driving with snow chains never drive faster than the
speed permitted for your specific snow chains.
• Always observe local regulations.
0 Note
• Remove snow chains befor e driving on roads not covered w it h
snow to avoid dama gin g tir es and wearing t he snow chai ns dow n
unnece ssaril y.
• Snow chains, which come into direct contact with t he wheel rim,
can scratch o r damag e it. Ther efore, ma ke sure th at th e snow cha ins
are suitably covered. C hec k the pos it io n of the snow cha ins afte r
dr iv in g a few yar ds and correct if ne ce ssa ry . Fo llo w the i nstructions
from t he snow chain ma nufact urer w hen doing so.
[ i ] Tips
W here snow c hains are mandatory on certain roads, this no rmally
a lso a ppl ies to vehicl es wi th a ll w hee l dr ive . •
Safety first
Wheel bolts
Whe el bolts must alway s be tight en ed to th e corre ct
to rqu e.
T he design of wheel bolts is matche d to the fac to ry installed rims. If
differe nt rims ar e fitte d, the cor rec t wheel bolts with the r ight length
and co rrectly s haped bolt hea ds must be used. Th is ensures that
w heel s are fitted s ecur ely and that t he brak e sys te m fun ction s
correctly .
I n certai n circumstances, yo u may not use wheel bolts from a
different veh icle -even if it is th e sam e mode l~
page 345.
& WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel bolts can become
loose causing loss of control, a collision and serious personal
injury .
• Always keep the wheel bolts and the thread s in the wheel hubs
clean so the wheel bolts can turn easily and be properly tightened.
• Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel
hubs. They can become loose while driving if greased or oiled, even
if tightened to the specified torque.
• Only use wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed.
• Never use different wheels bolts on your vehicle.
• Always maintain the correct tightening torque for the wheel
bolts to reduce the risk of a wheel loss. If the tightening torque of
the wheel bolts is too low , they can loosen and come out when the
vehicle is moving. If the tightening torque is too high, the wheel bolts and threads can be damaged and the wheel can become
loose .
0 Note
The sp eci fied tor qu e for th e wheel bolts i s 90 ft lb ( 120 Nm) wi th a
tole rance of ± 7,4 ft lb( ± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bo lts diagonally. .,_
Vehicle care Technical data
Tires and wheels Ill _______________ _____.
than the size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure
label , you sho uld determine the proper tire infla tion pressure fo r
those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire pressu re monitoring sys tem (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pres
sure telltale when one o r more of your t ires is s ignificantly under
inflated. Accord ingly, when the low tire pressure tellta le illumi nates,
you should stop and check your tires as soon as possib le, and inflate
them to the proper p ress ure. D riving on a sign ificantly under-inflated
tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire fa ilure . Under
inflation also reduces f uel efficiency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle's handling and stopping ability .
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire mainte
nance, and it is the d river's responsibility to mainta in correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not reached the level to trigger
ill umination of the TPMS low tire press ure te lltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped w ith a TPMS malfunction indi
cato r to indica te when the system is not operating properly . The
TP MS ma lf u nction indicator is combined with the low tire p ress ure
telltale. When the system detects a malfunct ion, the telltale will
fl ash for approximate ly one minute and then rema in continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
sta rt-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the ma lfunction indicator is illum inated, the system may not
be able to de tect or signa l low ti re pressure as intended . TPMS
ma lfunctions may occur fo r a var iety of reaso ns, includ ing the instal
lation of replacement o r alternate tires or wheels on the vehi cle that
prevent the T PMS from functioning properly . Always check the TPMS
ma lfunction tellta le after replacing one or more tires or whee ls on
yo ur vehicle to ensure that the replacement o r alte rnate t ires and
wheels allow the TPMS to continue to funct ion proper ly .•
Vehicle OP-eration
App lies to vehicles : wi th t ire p ressu re mon it ori ng system
Tire pressure indicator appears
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument cluster
informs you if the tire pressure is too low or if there is a
system malfunction.
M
"'
j
Fi g. 23 2 Dis pl ay:
un der infl ation
wa rning
Fi g. 23 3 Dis play :
Sys tem malfun ction
Us ing the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitor ing system compares
the t ire tread c ircumference and vibration characteristics of the ind i
vidual tires .
If the pressure decreases in one or more tires, this is indi -
cated in the instrument cl uster with a warning symbol and a
message ~ fig. 232 . The d river message in the display goes o ut after
5 seconds . The driver message can be displayed again by p ressing the
!SET ] button. If only one tire is affected, the display will indicate its
posit ion. ._
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
________________________________________________ T_i_re _ s_ a _ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ nn
reset the pressure in the tire pressure mon itoring system accord ing
t o the loa d you are car rying ~
page 300 . •
Safety first Vehicle care Technical data
What do I do now? -__________________________________ ____;;...:....;_;..:....:....:....; _____ --J
& WARNING
• Neve r use the s crew dri ver hex head to tighten whe el bolt s,
s in ce the bolt s cannot attain the nece ssary tightening torqu e if
you us e th e hex head, potentially causing an a ccident.
• The factory-supplied jack i s intended only for your vehicle
model. Under no circumstances should it be used to lift heavy
vehicle s or othe r lo ad s; y ou ri sk injuring your self.
• Never start the engine when the vehicle is raised, which could
c au se an accident.
• Support the vehicle securely with appropriate stands if wo rk is
to be performed underneath the v ehicle; otherwi se, there is a
potential risk for inju ry. •
Space-saving spare tire (compact
spare tire)
The sp are tire/wheel is l ocated in the luggage compart
ment under the cargo floor cove r. It is intended for short
term use only .
Fig. 2 36 Sp are t ire
Removing the spare tire
-Lift the cargo floor by the plastic hand le => fig. 236 .
Vehicle OP-eration
-Hook t he hand le in to the lugg age compartm ent weath er
st rip.
- Turn t he large screw => fig. 236 co unter-clockwise.
- Take ou t the spare tire.
- Unhook the cargo floor before closing the rear lid.
Securing the replaced tire
- Place the whee l with tire in the s pare wh eel well and
secur e th e wheel with th e lar ge scr ew.
- U nhook the cargo floor be fore closing the rear lid.
Using the spare tire (compact spare tire)
Th e comp act spare tire is only inte nded for emerge ncies un til you can
reach a repa ir shop . Rep lace it as quickly as possib le with a standard
wheel and tire.
Th ere are some restrictions on the use of the compact spare t ire. Th e
compac t spar e tire has been designed specifically for your typ e of
veh icle . It must no t be swa pped with a compa ct sp are tire from
anothe r type of vehicle.
Snow chains
Fo r technical reasons, the use of snow chains on the compact spare
tir e is
not permitted .
If you do have to dr ive with snow chains and a front tire fails, mount
t he sp a re wheel wi th tire ins tead of a rear tire. I nst all the s now chains
on the rear t ire and use it to replace the defective front tire .
& WARNING
• Never use the spare tire if it is damaged or if it is worn down to
the tread wear indicators .
• If the spare tire is more than 6 years old , use it only in an emer-
gency and with extreme caution and careful driving .
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service iTechnical data
What do I do now? Ill ____________ ______;_ __ _
& WARNING (continued)
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.
0 Note
If you are changing the wheel on a steep incline, use a rock or simi lar
object to block the opposite wheel to prevent the vehicle from
moving.
[I] Tips
Obey all laws. •
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow the sequence described
below step-by-step and in exactly that order.
1. Remove the decorative wheel cover*. For more details see
also =>
page 322, "Decorative wheel covers" .
2. Loosen the
wheel bolts=> page 323.
3. Locate the proper mounting point for the jack and align
the jack below that point=>
page 323.
4. Lift the car with the jack=> page 323.
5. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and then install the
spare tire=> page 325.
Safety first
6. Tighten all wheel bolts lightly.
7. Lower the vehicle with the jack .
8. Use the wheel bolt wrench and firmly tighten all wheel
bolts in a crisscross pattern=>
page 323.
9. Replace the decorative wheel cover*.
& WARNING
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and information~ & in
" Raising the vehicle" on
page 323 and ~ page 326. •
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.
- Check the
tire pressure of the spare tire as soon as
possible.
- As soon as possible, have the
tightening torques on all
wheel bolts checked with a torque wrench. The correct
tightening torque is 90 ft lb (120 Nm).
- Have the flat tire
replaced as soon as possible.
[ i] Tips
• If you notice that the wheel bolts are corroded and difficu lt to turn
while changing a tire, they should be replaced before you check the
tightening torque. .,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data