________________________________________________ T_i_re _ s_ a _ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ _
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it was manufactured, and
t he last f our num be rs represen t the wee k an d ye ar of man ufacture.
For examp le, t he numbers 2209 mean that the t ire was prod uced in
the 2 2nd week of 2009. The ot her num bers are marketing co des that
may or may not be used by the t ire manufacturer . Th is information is
used to contact consumers if a tire defect requires a reca ll.
Audi Original tire
Tir es wi th the identifi cat io n "A O" or "RO" have bee n specially
matched w it h your Aud i. W e recommend using only these t ires
because t hey meet the hig hest standards regard ing safety and
driv ing c ha racteris tics when used correct ly . Yo ur aut ho rize d Aud i
dealer wi ll gladly p rovide you with more information.
Tire ply composition and materials used
T he num ber o f plies ind ica tes the numbe r of layers o f rubber -coa ted
fab ric in the tire. I n ge neral, th e greater the n umber of plies, the
more weight a tire can support . Tire manufacture rs a lso must in di
cate the mater ials in the t ire, which incl ude stee l, nylon, polyes ter,
and others .
Maximum Load Rating
This num ber indicates t he maximum load in kilog rams and pounds
tha t can be carr ied by the t ire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance
T read wea r, traction and tempe rat ure gra des => page 306 .
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is the g rea tes t a mou nt o f air pressure th at sh ould ever
be put in the t ire under normal driv ing cond itions.
Safety first
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/ or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combination s can lead to loss of control, collision
and serious personal injury.
• Always u se tire s, rim s and wheel bolts that meet the specifica
tions of original factory -installed tires or other combinations that
have been specifically approved by the vehicle manufacturer.
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
e specially at high speed s. Tires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
lower speed s.
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history ." Old u sed tires may have been damaged
eventhoughthedamage cannotbeseenthatcanleadtosudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
• All four wheels must be fitted with radial t ires 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 ti re is not the same as the t ires 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
normal road wheel as soon as safely possible .
• Never drive faster than the ma ximum speed for which the tires
on your vehicle are rated becau se tire s that are driven faster than
their rated speed can fail suddenly .
• Overloading tire s cau se 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 unde rinflated.
• For technical reasons it is not always possible to u se wheels
from other vehicles- in some cases not even wheels from the same
vehicle model. ..,_
Vehicle care Technical data
________________________________________________ T....:.i.:....r -=e -=s -=.: a..:.n .:.... d::..:__ w:..:....: h..:. e -=-= e:...:l-=s --"'
Sa fety Standa rd No. 109 . G rades Ba nd A rep resent higher levels of
p erf or ma nce on t he laborato ry tes t w hee l than t he mini mum
r e q 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 tir es co n imp rove ve hi cle ha ndlin g on sno w an d
ice. At temp eratur es be low 45 °F (7 °C) w e rec ommen d
ch angin g to wi nte r tires .
In some heavy snow areas, loca l gover nme nts may requ ire t rue
w inter o r "snow" tires, those with very deep ly cut trea d. These tires
sho uld only be used in pairs and be installed on all four wheels . Make
s ur e you pu rc h ase snow ti res t hat a re the same size and const ruction
type as the ot he r tir es o n your veh icle .
Your vehicle is equipped wi th all-whee l dr ive, this wi ll improve trac
ti on dur ing w inter dr iv in g, even w it h th e stand ard tire s. Howeve r, we
strong ly recommend t hat you a lways equ ip all four wheels on yo ur
vehicle wi th co rrec tly fitte d win ter tires o r all- season tires, when
w inter road conditions are expected . T hi s also improves the veh icle 's
bra king perfo rma nce and re duces stop ping distances .
S um mer tir es p rovide less gr ip on ice and s now .
Safety first
Wi nter tires (snow tires) m ust always be fitted on all fo ur whee ls .
Ask yo ur aut horized Audi dealer o r q ualified wor kshop for permitted
winter tire sizes . Use only rad ia l w inte r tir es .
Winter tires lose t heir effectiveness whe n the trea d is worn down to
a dep th of 0 .157 inch ( 4 m m).
Only dr ive w it h w inter t ires u nder w inte r cond it io ns. S u mme r tir es
hand le better w hen the re is no snow or ice on the roads an d the
t empe ra tu re is a bove 45
°F (7 °() .
If you have a flat ti re, se e notes on s pare w hee l=> page 303.
P lea se al way s rem em ber th at win ter tire s ma y have a lower speed
rating t han the t ires or iginally installed on yo ur veh icle at t he t ime it
was ma nufact ured. Please see=>
page 304, "S pee d rat ing ( letter
code)" for a lis ting of the s peed rating letter codes a nd the maxim um
speed at which the tires can be dr iven .
Th e spee d ratin g le tt er code( =>
page 294 ) is on the s ide w all o f the
t ire=>
page 303 .
& 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
passenger s.
& WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed for which the winter tires
on your vehicle we re designed can cause tire failure including a
blowout and sudden deflation, loss of control, crashes and serious
personal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires replaced immedi-
ately. .,,_
Vehicle care Technical data
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wheels are fitted secure ly and that the brake system func tions
cor rectly.
I n certa in circumsta nces, yo u may not use wheel bo lts from a
different vehicle -even if it is the same model =>
page 342 .
& 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 threads 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 specified torque for the wheel bolts is 90 ft lbs. (120 Nm) wit h a
tol eran ce o f± 7,4 ft lbs.( ± 10 Nm ). Tor qu e wheel bolts di ag on ally.
After chang ing a wheel, the to rque must be checked as soon as
p ossib le wi th a tor qu e wrench - prefer ably by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified wo rkshop .•
Safety first
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect rat io tires. These tires
h ave bee n t horo ugh ly te st ed a nd bee n sele cted spe cifica lly for your
mode l for their supe rb performance, road fee l and hand ling u nder a
v ariety o f dr iv ing co ndi tio ns . Ask your author ized A udi d ealer for
more deta ils.
Th e low as pect rat io of these tires is indicated by a numera l o f
55 or
less
in t he ti re 's s ize des ig nation. The nu meral represen ts the ratio o f
the t ire's si dewall height in relat io n to its tread wi dth expressed in
per ce nta ge. Conve ntiona l t ires h ave a heigh t/w idt h rat io 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 pre s
sures should be checked at least once a month and always before a
long trip~ pag e 297, "Ch ecking tire pre ss ur e".
What you can do to avoid tire and rim damage
Low as pect ratio t ires ca n be damaged more easi ly by impact w ith
potholes, curbs, gullies or ridges on the road, pa rtic ularly if t he tire is
unde rinflated.
I n order to minim ize the occurrence of impact damage to the t ires of
your vehicle, we re co mmend that y ou o bserve the f ollowin g pre ca u
tions :
• Always maintai n recommen ded in flation p ressures. Chec k your
tire pressu re e very 2,0 00 m ile s (3,0 00 km) an d add air if n ecess ary .
• D rive ca refu lly on roads with potholes, deep gulli es o r ridges. The
impact from d riving thro ugh or over such obs tacles can damage your
tires. Im pact w it h a cu rb may also cause damage to your tires .
• After a ny impact , immediately inspect you r tir es o r have t hem
inspected by the nea rest author ized Aud i dealer . Replace a damage d
t ire as soon as possib le. _.,
Vehicle care Technical data
Tires and wheels -_____________________ ,,...
Applie s to vehicl es: wi th t ir e pr essure mon itor ing syste m
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.
F ig . 217 Displ ay:
un derinfl ation
wa rn ing
Fi g. 218 Disp la y:
S yst em m alf unction
Us ing the A BS sensors, the tire pressure monitor ing system com pa res
the tire tread circumference and vibrat ion characterist ics of the ind i
vidual tires .
If the pressure decreases in one or more tires, this is indi-
cated in the instrument cluster with a warn ing symbol and a
message => fig . 217 . T he driver message in the display goes out after
5 seconds. T he driver message can be d isp layed again by p ressing the
[SETj button. If on ly one tire is affected, the display will indicate its
posi tion.
Vehicle OP-eration T
he tire pressure mon itor ing system must be reset via radio or MMI*
e ach t ime the press ures a re adjus ted (e.g . when switching between
partia l a nd full load pressure) or after chang ing or replacing a tire on
your vehicle =>
page 312. You ca n find the recommended tire pres
sures for your vehicle on the label on dr iver's side B-p illar
=> page 295.
Tir e tread ci rcumference and vibrat ion ch aracterist ics ca n change and
cause a tire pressure warn ing if:
• the tire pressure in one o r more tires is too low,
• the t ire has structura l damage,
• t he ti re pressure w as changed, wheels rotated or replaced bu t the
TP MS was not reset=>
page 312.
Warning symbols
• Loss of pressure in at least one tire => & . Check the tire or tires
and replace or repa ir if necessary . The ind icator light
I in the instru
ment cl uster a lso illuminates =>
page 14. Check/correct the pres
s u res of a ll four tires and reset TPMS via r adio or MM I*.
il (T ire Pressure Monitoring System) Tire pressure! System
malfunction.
If appears after sw itching the ignition on o r while dr iv ing
=> page 311 , fig. 218 and the ind icator light (1 in the instrument
cl uster blinks for a pprox imately one minu te and then s tays on, there
is a system malfunction. See your author ized Audi dealer as soon as
poss ible.
& WARNING
• If the tire pressure indi cator appears in the instrument cluster
display, one or more of your tires is significantly under -inflated.
Reduce your speed immediately and avoid any hard steering or
braking maneuvers . Stop as soon as possible and check the tires
and their pre ssure s. Inflate the tire pre ssure to the proper pre s
sur e as ind icated on the vehicle's tire pres sure label =>
page 295.
Driving on a significantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to _,,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
Tires and wheels -________________ Effll
Safety first Vehicle care Technical data
What do I do now? -________________ PfWII
Removing the spare tire
- Lift th e carg o floo r by the plas tic h andle ~ page 314,
fig . 2 20.
- H ook the hand le into t he luggage compa rtment weathe r
stri p.
- Tur n th e la rge screw~
page 314 , fig . 220 cou nter -clock-
w ise .
- Ta ke out the sp are t ire.
- U nho ok the c arg o flo or b efo re clos ing th e rear lid .
Securing the replaced tire
- Pla ce the w heel w it h t ire in t he spa re wheel we ll and
secu re t he wheel wit h the large sc rew.
- Unhook the c arg o floor before closing the re ar lid.
Using the spare tire (compact spare tire)
T he compact s pare tire is only inte nded for em er gen cie s until you can
reac h a repa ir sh op. R epl ace it as quickly as poss ible wit h a standar d
w he el a nd t ire.
Th ere are some rest rict io ns o n th e use of the compact s pare tire . The
compa ct spar e tir e has b een d esign ed spe cific ally f or your t ype of
vehicle. It must n ot be swa pped with a compact spare tire from
an other ty p e of vehi cle.
Snow chains
Fo r te chni cal re ason s, the use of snow ch ain s on th e compact s par e
t ire is not permitted .
I f y ou do h ave to dr ive wi th sno w chains an d a
front t ire fails, mount
t he spare wh eel w it h t ire instead of a rear tire. Ins tall the s now chai ns
on t he rear tire and use it to repla ce the defective fro nt tire .
Safety first
& 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 of the compact
spare tire must be 4.2 bar; otherwise, you risk having an accident.
• 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 tool s in the
passenger compartment.
- Always store all jacking equipment, tools, and the inflatable spare tire in the luggage compartment.
- Tighten the knurled retaining screw for the inflatable spare
tire securely. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
_____________________________________________ W __ h_a _ t_ d_o_ I_ d _ o_ n_o_ w_ ? _ ___.ffl'I
3. Locate the proper mounting point for the jack and align
the jack below that point=>
page 319.
4. Lift the car with the jack=> page 319.
5. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and then install the
spare tire => page 320 .
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 318.
9. Replace the decorative wheel cover* or the wheel bolt
caps*.
& WARNING
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and information=> & in
"Raising the vehicle" on
page 319 and => page 322. •
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 lbs. (120 Nm).
Vehicle OP-eration
-Have the flat tire replaced as soon as possible.
[ i] Tips
• If you notice that the wheel bolts are corroded and difficult to turn
while changing a tire, they should be replaced before you check the tightening torque.
• Drive at reduced speed until you have the tightening torques
checked. •
Applies to ve hicles : w ith deco rative wheel cove rs
Decorative wheel covers
The decorative wheel covers must be removed first to
access the wheel bolts.
Removing
Fig. 221 Changing a
wheel: removing the
wheel cover
- Insert the hook provided with the vehicle tool kit in the
hole in the hub.
- Pull off the
decorative wheel cover=> fig. 221. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service iTechnical data
_____________________________________________ W __ h....:a_ t ___ d_o ___ I_ d_o :.....:.. n.:..o::.. w.:....:.. ?------J-
& WARNING (continued)
• Do not loosen the wheel bolts more than one turn before you
raise the vehicle with the jack. -You risk an injury.
(I) Tips
• Never use the hexagonal socket in the handle of the screwdriver to
loosen o r tighten the wheel bolts .
• If a wheel bolt is very tight, you may find it easier to loosen by
carefully pushing down on the end of th e wheel bolt wrench with
one
foot only .
As you do so, hold on to the car to keep your balance and
take ca re not to slip .•
Raising the vehicle
The vehicle must be li~ed with the jack first before the
wheel can be removed.
•
Fig. 224 Changing a
wheel: mounting
points for the jack
Vehicle OP-eration
Fig. 225 Close-up:
proper positioning of
jack
The location of the jack point is indicated by an indentation
on the underside of the vehicle=> fig. 224.
- Activate the
parking brake to prevent the vehicle from
rolling unintentionally.
- Shift into
1st gear on vehicles with manual transmission
or move the selector lever to the
P position on vehicles
with automatic transmission*.
- Find the
lifting point in the sill that is closest to the faulty
wheel => fig. 224.
Turn the handwheel on the
vehicle jack until the jaw
=> fig . 225 @ covers the
notch on the vehicle.
- Align the vehicle jack so the jaw@ covers the notch and
the base plate @ is flat on the floor. The base plate @
must be
vertical under the lifting point@.
- Install the rod on the vehicle jack: Insert the rod into the
opening on the handwheel. Turn the rod left or right to
secure it.
- Continue raising the jack with the rod until the wheel lifts
off the ground slightly. ..,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service iTechnical data