Page 320 of 384

___ T_ i_ r _e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e_ l_ s _______________________________________________ _
Inco rrect wheel al ignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can cause excessive tire wear, impairing
the safety of the vehicle . If tires show excessive wear, have the wheel
alignment checked by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified wo rk
shop .
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles with quattro ® must always have tires of the same s ize,
constr uction and tread type . For details see~
page 257.
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure c an lead to loss of control , a cra sh and seriou s
personal injur y!
• Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire i s worn down
to the wear ind icators .
• Worn tire s are a s afety hazard, they do not grip w ell on wet
roads and increa se your risk of "h ydroplaning" and lo ss of control.
• Always keep chemical s that can cause tir e damage, su ch as
grea se , oil , gasoline and brake flu id away from tires .
• Tires age even if they ar e not b eing used and can fail suddenly ,
especially at high speeds. Tires that are more than 6 year s old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
lower speeds .
• Never mount u sed tir es on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history. " Old used tires m ay have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control. •
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in.
Fig. 256 Tire specifica tion cod es on t he sidewall of a tire
No.
©
@
®
©
©
©
Descript ion
Passenger car tire (where applicable)
Nom inal width of tire in mi llimeters
Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
Radial
Rim diameter code
Load index and speed rating
Page 336 of 384

-What do I do now? ..._ __________________________________________ _
Tools
The vehicle tools are stored in the luggage compartment
lid.
Fig. 266 Trunk lid:
Opening the cover
Fig. 267 Trunk lid:
Vehicle tools
-To open the cover, turn the retainer in the direction of the
arrow and pull the cover down==>
page 334, fig. 266 .
The onboard tool kit includes:
• Hook for removing wheel covers*
• Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers
• Wheel bolt wrench
• Alignment pin for changing wheels
• Screwdriver with reversible blade •
10 x 13 open ended wrench
• Towing loop
(I) Tips
Some of the on board items listed above are provided on certain
models only or are optional extras. •
Spare wheel
The spare wheel is stored in the wheel well underneath
the floor panel in the luggage compartment.
Fig. 268 Luggage
compartment spare
wheel
Your vehicle is equipped with a regular spare wheel. It is held
in place by plastic retaining knurled screw.
Taking out the spare wheel
-Raise the floor panel at the plastic handle.
- Securely engage the handle in the luggage compartment
seal as illustrated to keep the floor panel up.
- Unscrew the knurled retainer bolt in the wheel center
==> fig. 268. Turn it counter-clockwise.
- Take out the spare wheel.
Page 342 of 384

.,.___W_ h_ a_t _ d _ o_ I_ d_ o_ n_o _w_ ? ___________________________________________ _
Taking the wheel off/installing the spare
Follow these instructions step-by-step for changing the
wheel
Fig. 274 Changing a
wheel: using the
screwdriver handle
(with the blade
removed ) to turn the
bolts
Fig . 275 Changing a
wheel: alignment pin
inside the top hole
After you have loosened all wheel bolts and raised the vehicle
off the ground, remove and replace the wheel as follows:
Removing the wheel
-Use the hexagonal socket in the screwdriver handle to
completely remove the topmost wheel bolt and set it
aside on a
clean surface => fig. 274 .
- Screw the threaded end of the
alignment pin from the
tool kit hand-tight into the empty bolt hole=> fig. 275 . -
Then remove the other wheel bolts as described above.
- Take off the wheel leaving the alignment pin in the bolt
hole.
Putting on the spare wheel
Lift the spare wheel and carefully slide it over the align
ment pin to guide it in place.
- Use the hexagonal socket in the screwdriver handle to
screw in and tighten all wheel bolts
slightly.
- Remove the alignment pin and insert and tighten the
remaining wheel bolt slightly like the rest.
- Turn the jack handle counter-clockwise to lower the
vehicle until the jack is fully released .
Use the wheel bolt wrench to tighten all wheel bolts firmly
=> page 338. Tighten them crosswise, from one bolt to
the (approximately) opposite one, to keep the wheel
centered .
(I) Tips
Never use the hexagonal socket in the handle of the screwdriver to
loosen or tighten the wheel bolts.
• Pull the reversible blade from the screwdriver before you use the
hexagonal socket in the handle to turn the wheel bolts .
• When mounting tires with
unidirectional tread design make sure
the tread pattern is pointed the right way~
page 341.
• The wheel bolts should be clean and easy to turn. Check for dirt
and corrosion on the mating surfaces of both the wheel and the hub.
Remove all dirt from these surfa ces before remounting the wheel. •