Ill Tires and wheels
-------------------
vehicle with correctly fitted w inter t ires or all -season ti res, when
w inte r road condi tio ns ar e ex pect ed . Thi s also improve s the veh icle's
brak ing perfo rma nce and reduces stopping distances .
S umme r tires provide less g rip on ice and snow.
Wint er ti re s (sn ow tire s) m ust alway s b e fi tted on a ll fo ur wheel s.
Ask your aut horized Audi dea le r or qualified workshop for permitted
winter tire sizes. Use on ly ra dial winter tires .
Wint er tires lose their effe ct iveness w hen the tread is wor n down to
a depth of 0.1 57 inch (4 mm).
O nly dr ive w it h w inte r tir es und er w inte r co ndition s. Summe r tires
hand le better w hen there is no s now o r ice on t he roads and the
temperature is a bove
4 5 °F (7 ° C ).
If y ou have a flat tire, see notes on s pare wheel ~
page 307.
Please always remember that winter tires may have a lower speed
r a tin g th an th e t ires origin ally inst alled on y our vehicl e a t th e time it
was man ufact ured , Please see::::;, page 309, "Spe ed rat ing ( letter
c ode)" fo r a listing o f the speed ra ting le tte r codes and t he maxim um
speed at which the tires can be driven.
T he spee d rat ing letter code( ~
page 299) is on the side wa ll of the
ti re ::::;,
page 3 0 7.
& 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 drive 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 which the winter tires
on your vehicle were designed can cause tire failure including a
& WARNING (co ntinued )
blowout and sudden deflation , loss of control, crashes and serious
personal injuries . Have worn or damaged tire s replaced immedi
ately.
• Winter tires have maximum speed rating that may be lower
than your vehicle's maximum speed.
• Never drive fa ster 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
drive tempt you into taking extra risks . Always remember:
• When braking, an all-wheel drive vehicle handles 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 summe r tires when wea ther co nd itio ns perm it. They are qui ete r,
do not wear as quickly and reduce fuel consumpt io n. •
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted on ly to th e fro nt wheels, and only to
c er ta in tire siz es. As k yo ur a uth orized Audi de aler on which ti re si zes
snow c hains ca n be used .
The snow c hains m ust have low-profile lin ks an d must not be thicker
t han 0.53 inch (1 3.5 mm), including the lock.
Remove wheel center covers and trim d iscs before putting snow
c hains on you r veh icle ::::;,
0. For safety rea so ns co ve r caps m ust t he n ~
___ T_ ir_e_ s _ a_ n _ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
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 302, "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 precau
tions:
• 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.
• These 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 311 for more detailed information regarding winter
tires. •
Tire pressure monitoring system
Applies to veh icles: w ith tire pressure monitoring system
General notes '
Each tire, including the spare (if provided), should be checked
monthly when cold and inflated to the inflation pressure recom
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire
inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has tires of a different size .,
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
IIIIL-_T.:..:..: ir:....:e~ s=---= a~ n:..:..: d:......: w..:....:.. h:....:e~ e= ls=--------------------------------------------------
The tire pressure monitor ing must be reset via rad io or MMI* each
t ime t he press ures are adjusted (e.g. w hen sw itching be tween p artial
and full load pressure) o r after changing or replac ing a tire on yo ur
vehicle => page
316. You ca n find t he recommen ded tire pressures
for your veh icle on the labe l on driver's s ide B-pilla r => page
300.
Tire tread circ umference and vibrat ion characteristics can change and
c a u se a tir e pressure war ning if:
• the t ire pressure in one or more tires is too low,
• t he tire ha s structur al dam age,
• the tire press ure was changed, wheels rotated or rep laced but the
TPM S was no t reset=> page
316.
Warning symbols
1..1' Loss of press ure in at least one tire=> &. Check the tire or tires
and replace or repair if necessary. The indicator light (• in the instru
me nt cluste r a lso illuminates=> page
12. Check/correct the p res
sures o f all four tires and reset TPMS via rad io or MMI *.
rr :; (T ire Pressu re M on itor ing System) Tire pres sure! System
malfunction.
If T ,.;> appears after switching the ignition on or w hile
dr iv ing => page
315, fig. 23 3 and the indica to r lig ht 'in th e instr u
me nt clus ter b links for approx ima tely one m inute and the n stays on,
there is a system ma lf u nct io n. See your authorized Audi dealer as
soon as poss ible.
& WARNING
• If the tir e pres sure indicator appears in the instrument cluster
display, one or more of your tires i s significantly under-inflated.
Reduce your speed immediately and avoid any hard steering or
braking maneuvers. Stop as soon a s possible and check the tires
and their pressures . Inflate the tire pressure to the proper pres
sure as indicated on the vehicle 's tire pressure label=>
page 300.
Driving on a significantly under -inflated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure. Under -inflation also is likely
to impair the vehicle's handling and stopping ability.
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• The driver is re sponsible for maintaining the correct tire pres
sures . You must check the tire pres sures regularly .
• Under certain conditions (such as a sporty driving style , winter
conditions or unpaved roads) , the pressure monitor indicator may
be delayed.
• Ask your authorized Audi dealer if run-flat tires may be used on
your vehicle . Your vehicle registration becomes invalid if you u se
the se tires when not permitted. Damage to your vehicle or acci
dents could also result.
[ i ] Tips
• T he tire pressure monito ring system stops working when there is
an ES P/ABS malf u nctio n.
• Using snow cha ins may res ult in a system ma lf u n ct ion .
• The tire pressure mon itor ing system on your Au di was calibrated
using t ires with the "AO" or "RO " id ent ificat ion . We re comme nd
using these tires. •
Applies to vehicles: with tire p ressure monito ring sys tem
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
I f the tire pressure is adjus ted, wheels are rotated or
changed, th e TPfvf S must b e re set via radio or fv1fv1 I*.
- Turn on the ign it ion .
- Sele ct: Fu nct ion bu tton
[C AR]> Tire pressure monitoring
> Store now.
[ i ] Tips
Before resett ing the TPMS, the current pressures of all four t ires
mus t co rrespo nd to the specifie d val ues. A djust the tire pre ssure and
~
lffl!I.___W __ h_a_ t_ d_ o_ I_ d_o_ n_ o_w _ ? _____________________________________________ _
in. 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.
• The 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.
• After mounting the compact spare tire, the tire pressure must
be checked as soon as possible. The tire pressure for the compact
spare tire is located on the driver 's side B-pillar
=> page 300,
fig. 227.
• Do not drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h). You risk having an
accident.
• Avoid full-throttle acceleration, heavy braking, and fast
cornering. You risk having an accident.
• Never drive using more than one spare wheel and tire. You risk
having an accident.
• Normal summer or winter tires must not be mounted on the
compact spare wheel rim.
• For technical reasons, the use of tire chains on the spare tire is not permitted. If it is necessary to drive with tire chains, the 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.
• 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.
& WARNING (continued)
-Tighten the knurled retaining screw for the inflatable spare
tire securely. •
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.
- Take the jack~
page 318 and the spare tire~ page 319
out of the luggage compartment.
in. 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. ._
What do I do now? Ill
----------------
& WARNING (continued)
• 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.
0 Note
If you are changing the wheel on a steep incline, use a rock or similar
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.
Safety first
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.
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.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
What do I do now ? -_______________ __.PfWII
Taking the wheel off/installing the spare
tire
Follow these instructions step-by-step for changing the wheel
F ig. 242 Changing a
wheel: using the
sc rewdriver handle
(w ith the b lade
r emove d) to turn t he
bolts
Fig. 243 Changi ng a
wheel: alignment p in
i nside t he 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
- Remove the topmost wheel bolt completely with the
hex agon al sock et in the screwdriver handle (vehicle tool
kit) :=} fig. 242 and set it aside on a
clean surface.
Vehicle OP-eration
-Screw the threaded end of the alignment pin from the
tool kit hand-tight into the empty bolt hole:=} fig. 243.
- Then remove the other wheel bolts as described above .
- Take off the wheel leaving the alignment pin in the bolt
hole.
Putting on the inflatabl e spare tir e
-Push the spare tire over the alignment pin=} 0.
- Screw on the wheel bolts and tighten them slightly using
the hexagonal socket.
- 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 323 . Tighten them Tighten them in a crisscross
pattern,
from one bolt to the (approximately) opposite
one, to keep the wheel centered .
- Perform the steps required after changing the wheel :=}
page 321, "After changing a wheel" .
0 Note
When removing or installing the wheel, the rim could hit the brake
rotor and damage the rotor. Work caref ully and have a second person
help you.
W Tips
Never use the hexagonal socket in the handle of the screwdriver to
loosen or tighten the wheel bolts. _.,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service iTechnical data
llffl.___W __ h_a_ t_ d_ o_ I_ d_o_ n_ o_w _ ? _____________________________________________ _
• Pull the r eversible blade from the sc rewdriver before you use the
hexagon al socke t in the h an dl e to tur n t he whee l bolts.
• When mounting tires with
unidirectional tread design make sure
t he t read p attern is po inte d the rig ht way =:>
page 326.
• The wheel bo lts shou ld be clean and easy to turn. Check for dirt
and cor rosion on the mat ing surfa ces of both the whee l and the hub.
Remove all d irt from these surfaces before remounting the whee l.•
Tires with unidirectional tread design
Tires with unidirectional tread design must be mounted
with their tread pattern pointed in the right direction.
Using a spare tire with a tread pattern intended for
use in a specific direction
When using a spare tire w ith a tread pattern intended for use in a
spe cific d irec tion, please note the follow ing :
• The direction of rotation is marked by an
arrow on the side of the
tire .
• If the spare tire has to be installed in the incorrect d irect ion, use
t he spare tire only temporari ly since the tire wi ll not be ab le to
achieve its optimum performance characte rist ics with regard to
aquap lan ing, noise and wear.
• We recommend that you pay particular attention to this fact
during wet weather an d that you adjus t you r speed to match road
conditions.
• Rep lace t he fl at t ire w ith a new one and have it ins talled on your
vehicle as soon as possible to restore the handling advantages of a
unidi rectional tire .•
Notes on wheel changing
Please read the in format ion =:> page 307, "New tires and replac ing
t ires and wheels" if yo u are go ing to use a spare ti re wh ich is diffe rent
from the tires on your vehicle .
After you change a tire :
• Che ck the tire pre ssure on the spare immediat ely after installa
tion .
• Have the wheel bo lt tightening torque checked with a torqu e
wren ch as soon as possible by your autho rized Aud i deale r or a qual
ified work shop .
• With steel and all oy wheel rims , the wheel bolts are co rrectly
tightened at a torque of 90 ft lb (120 Nm ).
• If you noti ce that the wheel bolts are corroded and difficult to
turn while changing a tire, they should be rep laced before you chec k
the tightening torque .
• Replace the flat tire with a new one and have it installed on your
v ehicle a s soon a s poss ible. Remount the wheel co ve r.
Until then, drive with extra car e and at reduced speed s.
& WARNING
• If you are going to equip your veh icl e with tires or r ims whi ch
differ from those which were factory installed, then be sure to
read the information =:>
page 307, "New tires and replacing ti re s
and wheels".
• Alw ays make sure the damag ed wh eel or ev en a flat tir e and
the j ack and tool kit are properl y secured in the luggage compart
ment and ar e not loo se in th e pas senger compartment.
• In an a ccident or sudden maneuver they could fl y forward,
i n juring anyone in th e ve hicle .
• Alw ay s s tore dam aged wheel , jack and t ool s se cure ly in the
luggage compartment. Othe rwi se , in an ac cident or sudden