2013 AUDI A4 SEDAN tires

The relative perform a nee of ti res depends
upon the actua l conditions of their use, how ­
ever, and may depart sign ificantly from the
norm due to var iat ions in dr iving habits, serv­
ice practices and differences in road character­
istics and climate .
Trac tion
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled cond itions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance ¢,&. .
Temp erature
The temperature grades are A (the h ighest),
B, and
C, representing the t ire's resistance to
the generat ion of heat and its ability to dissi ­
pate heat when tested under controlled condi­
tions on a specified i ndoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
materia l of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden ti re fa ilu re ¢ ,&. .
The grade
C corresponds to a level of perform ­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet
u nder the Federa l Moto r Veh icle Safety Stand­
a rd No.
1 09. G rades Band A represent h igher
l eve ls of perfo rmance on the laboratory tes t
wheel than the m inimum required by law .
A WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this ti re is
based on stra ight-ahead b raking t raction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydrop lan ing or peak traction
character istics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this t ire is es­
tablished for a t ire that is p roperly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
-
Tire s an d wheel s 245
separately or in combinat ion, can ca use
heat bui ldup and possible tire failure.
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice. At temperatures below 45 °F (7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments
may require true winter o r "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread. These tires should
o nly be used in pairs and be installed o n all
four wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
t ires that are the same size and construction
type as the other tires on you r vehicle.
Your vehicle is equipped with all wheel drive,
th is w ill improve traction during winter driv­
i ng, even with the standa rd tires . However, we
strong ly recommend that you always equip all
fo ur wheels on you r vehicle wit h corre ct ly fit­
ted winter tires or all-season t ires, when win­
te r road cond itions are expected . This also im ­
proves the veh icle's braking per formance and
reduces stopping dista nces.
Summe r tires provide less grip on i ce and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted
o n all fo ur wheels .
Ask your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop for permitted
winter tire size s. Use
o nly rad ial w inter t ires.
Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
0 .157 inch
(4 mm) .
Only drive w ith w inter t ires under w inter con­
dit ions. Summer t ires handle better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °() .
If you have a flat tire, see notes on spare
whee l
¢page 241.
Please a lways remember that winter tires may
have a lowe r speed rating than the tires o rigi -
nally installed on your vehicle at the time it .,.
•
•

24 6 T ire s and whee ls
was manufactured . Please see q page 242,
Speed roting (letter code) for a listing of the
speed rat ing letter codes and the maximum
speed at which the tires can be driven .
The speed rating letter code( ¢
page 232) is
on the side wall of the tire
c::> page 241.
A WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than your vehicle's max­
imum speed . Always know the maximum
speed before driving off . Never drive faster
than the speed permitted for your specific
w inter t ires. This will cause damage to the
tires leading to an accident and serious
personal inj ury to you and your passen­
gers.
A WARNING
=
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your vehicle
were designed can cause tire failure in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation,
loss of control, crashes and serious per­
sonal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immed iately .
- Winter tires have maximum speed rat ing
that may be lower than your veh icle's
maximum speed .
- Never drive faster than the speed for
which the winter or other tires installed on your vehicle are rated.
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and
traffic conditions. Never let the good ac­
celeration of the winter tires and all whee l
drive tempt you into taking extra r is ks . A l­
ways remember :
- When brak ing , an a ll whee l drive vehicle
hand les in the same way as a front drive
vehicle.
- Drive caref ully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot he lp under black ice conditions.
{® Fo r the s ake of the en vironment
Use summer tires when weather condi­
tions permit. They are quieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumption.
Snow chains
Snow cha ins may be f itted only to the front
wheels, and only to certain tire sizes . Ask your
authorized Aud i dealer on which tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
The snow chains must have low-prof ile links
and must not be th icker than 0.53 inch
(13 .5 mm), includ ing the lock .
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putt ing snow chains on your vehicle
c::> @ . For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts . These are avail­
able from autho rized Aud i dealers.
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chai ns for your veh i­
cle or instal ling them incorrect ly can in­
crease the risk of loss of cont ro l leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes . Always make sure to follow the in­
structions provided by the snow chain manufacturer.
- When driving with snow chains never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specif ic snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations .
(D Note
-Remove snow chains before dr iv ing on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con ­
tact with the whee l rim, can scratch or
damage it . Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are s uitably covered. Check
the pos ition of the snow chains after

driving a few yards and correct if neces­
sary . Follow the instructions from the
snow cha in manufacturer when doing so.
(D Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory oncer ­
tain roads, this norma lly also applies to
veh icles with all wheel drive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque.
The design o f whee l bolts is matched to the
factory insta lled r ims . If different rims are fit ­
ted, the correct wheel bo lts wit h the right
l ength and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures that wheels are f itted
securely and that the brake system functions
correctly .
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bo lts from a different vehicle -even if it
is the same model
<=> page 274.
A WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel
bolts can become loose caus ing loss of
cont ro l, a co llision and serious persona l in­
Jury .
- Always keep the w heel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hubs clea n so the
w hee l bolts can t urn easily and be p rop­
erly t igh tened.
- Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and
the threads in the wheel h ubs. They can
become loose wh ile d riving if greased or
oiled, even if tightened to the specified
torq ue.
- Only use whee l bo lts that belong to the
rim being installed .
- Never use different whee ls bolts on your
vehicle.
- Alw ays m ain ta in the co rrec t tig hten ing
torq ue fo r the wheel bo lts to reduce the
risk of a wheel loss . If the tightening tor­
que of the wheel bo lts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the vehi-
Tire s an d wheel s 24 7
cle is mov ing. If the tightening torq ue is
too high, the wheel bolts and threads
can be damaged and the whee l can be­
come loose.
@ Note
The specified torque for the whee l bolts is
90 ft lbs . (120 Nm) w ith a tolerance of
± 7,4 ft lbs. (± 10 Nm). Torque whee l bolts
diagonally . After changi ng a wheel, the
torque m ust be checked as soon as poss i­
ble with a to rque wrench -preferably by an
a uthorized Aud i dea le r or qualified wor k­
shop.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your A udi is fac tory -eq uipped w ith low aspect
ratio tires . These tires have been tho ro ughly
tested and been se lected specifically for your
model for their superb performance, road fee l
and handling under a variety of driving condi­
tions . Ask your authorized Aud i dealer for
more details.
The low aspect ratio of these t ires is ind icated
by a numeral of
55 or less in the tire's size
designation. The numera l represents the ratio
of the tire's sidewa ll height in relation to its
tread width exp ressed in percentage. Conven­
tiona l tires have a he ight/w idth ratio of 60 or
more.
The performance of low-a spect-r atio tire s is
particularly sensit ive to improper inflation
pre ssure. It is therefor e important that low
a spect ratio tire s are inflated to the specified
pres sure and that th e inflation pr essure i s
regularly checked and maintained. Tire pre s­
sure s should be chec ked at lea st once a
month and always before a long trip
<=> page 236, Checking tire pressure.
What you can do to avo id tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged mo re
easily by impact w ith potholes, curbs, gull ies
or ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is
under inflated . ..,.
•
•

248 Tires and wheels
In order to minimize the occurrence of impact
damage to the tires of your vehicle, we recom­
mend 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 a ir if neces­
sary.
- Drive carefu lly 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 Aud i dealer . Replace a damaged
t ir e as soon as possible .
- Inspect your t ires every 2,000 miles (3,000
km) for damage and wear . Damage is not al­
ways easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of
air and underinflation, wh ich could event u­
ally cause t ire failure.
If you believe that a
ti re may have been damaged, replace the
tire as soon as possible.
-These tires may wea r more quickly than oth­
ers.
- 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 in­
tended for max imum dry and wet road per­
f ormance and handling . They are not suitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather cond it ions.
If
you dr ive 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 rec­
ommended snow or all-season tires specified
for your vehicle, or their equiva lent .
Refer to~
page 245 for mo re detailed infor­
mation regarding w inter tires.
Tire pressure
monitoring system
ill General notes
Applies to veh icles: w ith tire pressure monito ring system
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
shou ld be checked monthly when co ld and in­
flated to the inf lation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size than the
s iz e indicated on the vehicle placard or tire in­
flat io n pressu re label, you shou ld dete rmin e
the proper tire inflation pressure for those
tires) .
As an added safety feature, your veh icle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system ( TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
tires is significant ly under -inflated . Acco rding­
ly, when the low tire pressure te lltale illumi­
nates, you shou ld stop and check your tires as
soon as possib le, and inflate them to the
proper pressure. Driving on a sign ificantly un­
der- inflated tire causes the tire to overheat
and can lead to tire fa ilure . Under -inflation al ­
so reduces fuel eff ic iency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle 's hand ling and
stopp ing ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute
for proper tire ma intenance, and it is the driv­
er's respons ibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under -inflation has not
reached the level to trigger illumination of the
T PMS low tire p ressu re tellta le .
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to ind icate when
the system is not operating properly . Th e
T PMS ma lfunction indicator is combined with
the low tire pressure telltale. When the sys­
tem detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximately one minute and then
rema in con tinuously illuminated . Th is se­
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunct ion exists . .,.

When the malfunction indicator is illuminat­
ed, the system may not be able to detect or
signal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of rea­
sons, including the installation of replace­
ment or alternate tires or whee ls on the veh i­
cle that prevent the TPMS from funct io ni ng
p roperly . Always check the T PMS malfunct ion
tellta le afte r replacing one or more t ires or
wheels on your veh icle to ensure that the re­
p lacement or a lternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly .
Tire pressure indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig. 179 Display : underinflatio n warning
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni­
toring system compares the t ire tread circum­
ference and vibration characteristics of the in­
d iv idual tires . If the pressure decreases in one
or mo re tires, th is is indicated in the instru­
ment clus ter with a
IE warning symbol and a
message ¢
fig. 179. The driver message in the
display goes out after 5 seconds. The driver message can be displayed again by pressing
the
! SET ! button. If only one tire is affected,
the display will indicate its pos ition.
The tire pressure monitoring system must be reset via radio or MMI* each time the pres­
sures are adjusted (e.g . when switching be ­
tween partia l and full load pressure) or after
changing or replacing a t ire on your vehicle
¢
page 250. The TPMS indicator only moni­
tors the tire pressure that you have prev iously
Tire s an d wheel s 249
stored . You can find the recommended t ire
pressures for yo ur vehicle on the label on driv­
er's side B-pillar ¢
page 234.
Tire tread circum ference and vibration charac­
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- the t ire p ress ure in one or more tires is too
low,
- t he t ire has structural damage,
- the t ire pressure was changed, wheels rotat-
ed or replaced but the TPMS was not reset
¢ page 250.
Warning symbo ls
IE Loss of pressure in at least one tire¢.&,.
Check the tire or tires and replace or repa ir if
necessary. The
IE indicato r light in the inst ru­
ment cluster a lso illuminates
c::!;> page 13.
Check/correct the press ures of all fou r tires
and reset TPMS via radio o r MMI*.
119;~, (T ir e Pressure Mon itoring System) Tire
pre ssure: Syst em malfun ction!.
If 11Nlf:1 appears afte r switching the ignition
on or while driving and the
IE indicator light
i n the instrument cluster blinks fo r approx i­
mately one minute and then stays on, there is
a system malf unct ion.
Attempt to store the correct tire pressure
¢ page 250 . If the ind icator light does not
tu rn off o r if it turns on sho rtly the reafter, im­
med iate ly dr ive your vehicle to a n author ized
Audi dealer or au thorized repair faci lity to
have the malfunc tion corrected .
A WARNING
-=
-If the tire pressure indicator appears in
the instrument cluster display, one or
more of your t ires is significant ly under­
inflated. Reduce your speed immediately
and avoid any hard steer ing or braking
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and
check the tires and their pressures. In­
flate the tire p ressure to the prope r pres­
sure as indica ted on the vehicle's tire
pressu re labe l
¢page 234. Driving on a
significantly under-i nflated tire causes
•
•

250 Tires and wheels
the tire to overheat and can lead to tire
failure. Under-inflation also is likely to
impair the vehicle's handling and stop­
ping ability .
- The driver is responsible for maintaining
the correct tire pressures. You must
check the tire pressures regularly .
- Under certain conditions (such as a spor­
ty driving style, winter conditions or un­ paved roads), the pressure monitor indi ­
cator 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 use these tires when not permit­
ted. Damage to your vehicle or accidents
could also result.
@ Tips
- The tire pressure monitoring system
stops working when there is an ESC/ABS
malfunction.
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The tire pressure monitoring system on
your Audi was developed using tires with the "AO" or "RO" identification on the
tire sidewall ¢
page 241. We recom­
mend using these tires.
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels are ro­
tated or changed, the TPMS must be reset via
radio or MMI*.
11> Before resetting the TPMS, the current pres­
sures of all four tires must correspond to
the specified values. Adjust the tire pressure and reset the pressure in the tire pressure
monitoring system according to the load
you are carrying
¢ page 234.
11> Turn on the ignition.
11> Select : the ICARI function button > Tire
pressure monitoring > Store now .
Or
i,. Select: the ICARI function button > Car sys·
terns
control button > Servicing & checks> Tire pressure monitoring
> Store tire pres­
sures.
@ Tips
Do not store the tire pressure if there are
snow chains on the tire.

252 What do I do now?
has been designed specifically fo r you r type of
vehicle . It must not be swapped with a com­
pact spare t ire from another type of veh icle.
Snow cha ins
F or technical rea son s, the use of snow chains
on the compact spare tire is
not p ermitt ed .
If you do have to dr ive with snow cha ins and a
front tire fails, mount the spare whee l w ith
tire instead of a rear t ire. Install the snow
cha ins on the rear tire and use it to rep lace
the defective front tire .
A WARNING
-Never use the spare tire if it is damaged
or if it is worn down to the tread wear in­
dicators.
- If the spare tire is more than 6 years o ld,
use it only in an emergency and w ith ex­
treme caution and careful driving.
- The spare tire is intended only for tem­
porary and short-term use. It should be
replaced as soon as possib le w ith the
normal wheel and tire.
- After mounting the compact spare tire,
the tire pressure must be checked as
soon as poss ible. The tire pressure of the
compact spa re tire must be 4.2 bar; oth­
erw ise, you risk hav ing an accident.
- Do not drive faster than SO mph (80 km/
h). You risk having an acc id ent.
-Avoid full-throttle acce le rat ion, heavy
braking, and fast corner ing . You risk hav­
ing an acc ident.
- Never drive us ing more than one spare
wheel and tire. You risk having an acci­
dent .
- Normal summer or winte r tires must not
be mounted on the compact spare whee l
rim.
- For technical reasons, the use of ti re
c hains on the spare tire is not permitted.
If it is necessa ry to dr ive wi th tire ch ains,
the spare whee l must be mounted on the
front axle in the event o f a f lat in a rear
t ir e. The newly ava ilable front wheel
must then be installed in place of the rear whee
l with the flat tire. Installing
the t ire cha in before mounting the whee l
and tire is recommended.
- Loose items in the passenger compart­
ment can cause serious personal injury
during hard brak ing or in an accident.
Never store the inflatable spare tire or
jack and tools in the passenge r compart­
ment.
Changing a wheel
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your
own and your passenger's safety when chang ­
ing a wheel .
.,. After you experience a t ire failure, p ull the
car we ll away from moving traffic and try to
reach
level ground before you stop ¢ A .
.,. All passengers should lea ve the car and
move to a safe location (for instance, behind
the guardrail)¢
A.
.,. Engage the park ing brake to prevent your
ve hicle from rolling unintentionally ¢
A.
.,. Shift into 1st ge ar on veh icles with manual
transmiss ion, or move th e
selector lever to
the P positi on
on vehicles w it h automatic
transmiss io n.
.,. If you are towing a trai ler : u nhitch the trail­
er from your vehicle .
.,. Take the
jack ¢ page 251 and the spare tire
¢ page 251 out of the luggage compart­
ment.
A WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured
while changi ng a wheel if you do not fo l-
l ow these safety precaut ions:
- If you have a flat tire, move a safe d is­
tance off the road. Turn off the engine,
tur n the eme rgency flashers on and use
o ther warni ng device s to a le rt othe r mo­
torists.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a safe
place aw ay from the vehicle a nd well
-
away from the road and traffic . ~

256 What do I do now?
-Do not raise the vehicle unti l yo u are
sure the jack is securely engaged.
- Passengers must not remain in the ve­
h icle when it is jacked up.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a
safe p lace away from the vehicle and
well away from the road and traffic.
- Make sure jack position is correct, ad­
just as necessary and then continue to ra ise the jack.
CD Note
Do not lift the vehicle by the sill. Position
the vehicle jack only at the designated lift­
ing points on the sill. Otherwise, your vehi­
cle will be damaged.
Taking the wheel off/installing the spare
tire
Follow these instructions step-by-step for
changing the wheel .
Fig. 187 Changing a w hee l: usi ng the screwdriver han ·
dle (with the blade r~mo ved) to turn th e bo lts
Fig. 188 C hangin g a w hee l: alig nmen t pin inside the
to p hole
After you have loosened a ll wheel bolts and
ra ised the veh icle off the ground, remove and
replace the wheel as follows:
Removing the wheel
.,. Remove the topmost whee l bolt completely
with the
hexagonal socket in the screwdriv­
er handle (vehicle tool kit)¢
fig. 187 and
set it aside on a
clean surface .
.,. Screw the threaded end of the
alignment
pin
from the tool kit hand-t ight into the
empty bolt hole ¢
fig. 188.
.,. Then remove the other wheel bolts as de ­
scribed above.
.,. Ta ke off the wheel leaving the alignment
pin in the bolt hole
c::>(D .
Putting on the inflatable spare tire
.,. Push the spare tire over the alignment p in.
.,. Screw on the wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly using the hexagonal socket .
.,. Remove the alignment pin and insert and
tighten the remain ing wheel bolt slightly
like the rest.
.,. Turn the jack hand le counter -clockwise to
lower the veh icle until the jack is fully re­
leased .
.,. Use the wheel bolt wrench to tighten all
wheel bolts firmly
c::> page 254 . 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
c::> page 253, After changing a
wheel.
T he hexagonal socket ma kes it easier to re­
move the wheel bolts from the rim. Care
should be tak en when removing the reversible
blade .
CD Note
When removing or installing the wheel,
the rim could hit the brake rotor and dam­
age the rotor. Work carefu lly and have a
second person to help you.
(D Tips
-When mounting tires with unidirectional
tread design
make sure the tread pat ­
tern is pointed the right way
c::>page257. ..,.