-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
the 22nd week of 2009. The other numbers are marketing codes that
may or may not be use d b y the ti re manu facture r. T his in format ion is
used to contact consumers if a tire de fect requires a recall.
Audi Original tire
T ires with the ident ificat ion "AO" or "RO" have been specially
m atche d w ith your Audi. We recommend using on ly these t ire s
because t hey meet the hig hest standards regard ing safety a nd
dr iving charac teris tics when used corre ctly. Your aut horize d Aud i
dea ler w ill glad ly provide you wi th mor e informatio n.
Tire ply composition and materials used
T he number of p lies indicates the number of layers of rubber-coated
f abr ic in the tire. In ge ne ral, the greate r the numbe r of p lies, the
more weig ht a tire ca n support. Tire manufac turers also mus t indi
c ate the materials in the t ire, which incl ude stee l, nylon, polyes ter,
and others .
Maximum Load Rating
This number ind icates the maximum load in k ilograms and pounds
t ha t can be carried by the tire .
Tire quality grading for treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and temperat ure grades~ page 329.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
Th is number is the greatest amount o f air press ure t hat should eve r
be pu t in the tire under no rm al driv in g c ond ition s.
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/ or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can lead to loss of control , collis ion
and seriou s personal injury.
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Always use tires, rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifica
tions of original factory-installed tires or other combinations that have been specifically app roved by the vehicle manufacturer.
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
especially at high speeds . Tires that a re 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
eventhoughthedamagecannotbeseenthatcanleadtosudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
• All four wheels must be fitted with radial tires of the same
type , size (rolling circumference) and the same tread pattern.
Driving with different tires reduces vehicle handling and can lead
to a loss of control.
• If the spare tire is not the same as the tires that are mounted
on the vehicle - for example with winter tires - only use the spare
tire for a short period of time and drive with extra care . Refit the
no rmal road wheel as soon as safely possible .
• Never drive faster than the maximum speed for which the tires
on your vehicle are rated because tires that are driven faster than
their rated speed can fail suddenly .
• Ove rloading tire s cause heat build-up, sudden tire failure,
including a blowout and sudden deflation and loss of control.
• Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated
and not over or underinflated.
• For technical rea sons it is not always possible to use wheels
from other vehicles- in some cases not even wheels from the same
vehicle model.
• If you install wheel trim discs on the veh icle wheels, make sure
that the air flow to the brakes is not blocked . Reduced airflow to
the brakes can them to overheat , increasing stopp ing distances
and causing a colli sion.
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lffll.___W_ h_ a_t _ d _ o_ I_ d_ o_ n_o _w_ ? ___________________________________________ _
Taking the wheel off/installing the
inflatable spare tire
Follow these instructi ons step-by-step for changing the
wheel
Fig. 256 Ch an ging a
wh eel: alig nm ent pi n
i n si de the to p h ole
After you have loosened all wheel bolts and raised the vehic le
off the gro und, remove and replace the wheel as follows:
Removing the wheel
- Remove the topmost wheel bolt complete ly and set it
aside on a
clean surface.
- Screw the threaded end of the
alignment p in from the
tool kit hand-tight into t he empty bolt ho le~
page 344,
fig . 256.
-Then r emove the other whee l bol ts as describe d above .
- Take off the wheel leaving the a lignm ent pin in the bo lt
hole .
Putting on the inflatable spare tire
-Inflate the inflatable spare tire~ page 339 and push the
wheel over t he alignment pin. -
Screw in and tighten all wheel bolts
slightly .
- Remove the alignment pin and insert and t ighten the
remaining w hee l bolt slightly like the rest .
- Turn the jack handle counter -c lockwise to lower the
vehicle u ntil the jac k is fully released .
Use t he wheel bolt wrenc h to t ighten all w hee l bolts f irmly
~ page 342. Tighten t hem crosswise, from one bolt to
the (approx imately) opposite one, to keep the wheel
cente red .
[I] Tips
• When mounting tires with unid irectional tr ead design make sure
the tread pattern is po inted the r ight way ~
page 344.
• The wheel bolts should be clean and easy to turn. Check for dirt
and corrosion on the mating surfaces of both the whee l and the h ub.
Remove all dirt from these surfaces before remounting the w heel. •
Tires with unidirectional tread design
Tires with unidirectional tread design must be mounted
with their tread pattern pointed in the righ t direction .
Using a spare tire w ith a t read pattern intended for
u se in a specific direction
When usi ng a spare tire w ith a t read pa ttern intended fo r use in a
specific direction, please note the following:
• T he di rec tion of rotation is ma rked by an ar row on the s ide of the
tire.
• If the spare tire has to be installed in the incor rect d irect io n, use
the spare tire only temporar ily since the tire will not be ab le to
a chieve its optim um pe rfo rma nce characteristics with rega rd to
aquaplaning, no ise and wear. _,.