
200  Cleaning  and  protec tio n 
The best  way to  remove  snow from  windows 
and  mirrors  is to  use a brush.  Use a non-abra
sive 
plas tic  ice  scraper -better  still,  a spray 
de icer  -to  remove 
ic e from  windows  and  mir
rors. 
The windows  must  not  be cleaned with  insect  remover  or wax s ince these  can  interfere  with 
the  function  of  the  windshield  wiper  blades  (chatter). 
Oi l, grease, or  silicone  residue  can be removed 
with 
gl ass  clea ner or silic on e remo ver. How
ever, wax residue  requires  the  use of  a special ly formulated  solvent.  Please contact  your  au
thor ized Audi  dealer  for  adv ice on safe  prod
ucts for  wax removal. 
W indows shou ld also  be cleaned  on the  inside 
at  regular  intervals. 
Never dry  windows  with  the  same chamois 
that  you use to  dry  painted  surfaces.  Wax resi
due on the  chamois  can impair  vision  through 
the  w indows. 
.&_ WARNING 
- Always  read and heed all  WARNINGS and 
other  information ~ 
page  194. 
-The windshie ld must  not  be treated  with 
water-repellent  materials . They can in
crease glare  under  poor visib ility  condi
tions  such as wetness,  darkness,  or when 
the  sun is low  on  the  hori zon.  In  addi
t ion,  they  can cause  the win dshield  wip
ers to  chatter. 
(D Note 
- Never use warm  or  hot  water  to  remove 
snow and  ice from  windows  and  mirrors. 
This cou ld cause the  g lass to  cra ck. 
- To preven t damage  to  the  wi res of  the 
rear defogger,  do  not  place any adhe sive 
stickers  on  the  inside  of  the  rear window 
ove r the  wires . 
- To he lp prevent  d irt  from  sc ratch ing the 
window,  always scrape in a forward  di 
rection  -pushing  the  scraper away from 
you  -never back and fo rth.  -
Water  leaking  from  the  ins ide of  the  rear 
windows  may damage  sensitive  electrical  components  located  either  under  the 
rear  parcel  shelf  or  in the  rear trunk  area. 
Always  ensure that  water  never  leaks 
through  the  body section  of  the  vehicle. 
You can do th is by us ing waterproof  pro
tection  over the  vehicle's  electrical  com
ponents  (e.g. when  install ing window 
tinting) . 
- Damage or  malfunction  of  elect rical 
c ompone nts  due to  water  damage  or  any 
other  o uts ide  infl uence  is not  covered by 
the  A udi  New Veh icle  Limited  Warranty. 
See your  Warranty 
& Ma intenance  book
let  for  additional  detai ls about  your  war
ranty. 
Cast (light)  alloy  wheels 
Cast (light)  alloy  wheels  require  special  care. 
.,.  Wash the  w heels with  a sponge  or  hose 
brush  every other  week  . 
.,.  For  deep  clean ing  afterwards,  use only a 
dedicated 
a ci d-free cast alloy  wheel  cleaner. 
.,.  Rub a coat  of 
liqu id w ax onto  the  rims  every 
three  month.  Be sure to  reach and treat  all 
parts  of  the  rim. 
To preserve the  decorative  appearance of  the  cast alloy  wheels,  some  special  care is neces
sary. In  addition  to  road dirt  and salt,  brake  dust  is also  corrosive . If  left  on for  too  long, 
brake dust  can cause pitting . 
U se only  spec ial 
acid-free cleaners formulated 
for  alloy  r ims. Safe products  are availab le at 
your  authorized  Aud i dealer . Never leave the 
cleaner  on the  rims  longer  than  spec ified  on 
the  label.  If  not  rinsed  off  promptly,  the  acid 
contained  in some  cleane rs can attac k the 
threads  on  the wheel  bolts . 
Never use abrasive  o r metal  po lish ing clean
ing  agents. 
If the  protective  coating  has been 
c h ipped,  e .g.  by kicked up  road  dirt,  touc h it 
u p as soon  as possible .  .,..  

Tires  and  wheels 
Tires 
General  notes 
Tires may  be  the  least  appreciated  and most 
abused  parts  of a motor  vehicle . 
Tires  may  be  the  least  appreciated  and  most 
abused  parts  of  a  motor  vehicle . Tires  are, 
however,  one  of  the  most  important  parts  of  a 
vehicle,  particularly  considering  the  compara
tively  small  patch  of  rubber  on  each  tire  that 
assures  that  a ll- important  contact  between 
you,  your  vehicle  and  the  road. 
Maintaining  the  correct  tire  pressure,  mak ing 
sure  that  your  vehicle  and  its  tires  do  not  have 
to  carry  mo re weight  than  they  can  safely  han
d le,  avoiding  damage  from  road  hazards  and 
r eg ularly  inspect ing  t ires  for  damage  i nclud
ing  cuts,  slashes  irregu la r wear  and  ove rall 
condition  are  the  most  important  things  that 
you  can  do  to  he lp avoid  sudden  tire  failure  in
cluding  tread  separat ion  and  blowouts. 
A voidin g damage 
If  you  have  to  d rive over  a  curb  or  similar  ob
stacle,  drive  very  slow ly and  as  close  as  possi 
b le  at  a  right  angle  to  the  curb. 
A lways  keep  chemicals  includ ing  grease,  o il , 
gasoline  and  brake  fluid  off  the  t ires . 
I nspect  the  t ires  regularly  for  damage  (cuts, 
cracks  or  b listers,  etc.).  Remove  any  fo reign 
bod ies  embedde d in the  treads. 
Storing  tires  Mark tires  when  you  remove  them  to  indicate 
the  direction  of  rotation . T his  ensures  you  to 
be  ab le  to  mount  them  correctly  when  you  re
i nstall  them . 
When  removed,  the  wheels  or  t ires  should  be 
sto red  in  a cool,  d ry and  preferably  dark  place . 
Store  tires  in  a vertical  pos ition  if they  are  not 
mounted  on  rims,  in  a  horizontal  pos it ion  if 
they  are  mounted  on  rims . 
Tires an d wheel s 22  7 
New tires 
New ti res  have  to  be  broken  in¢& . 
The  tread  depth  of  new  t ires  may  vary,  accord
ing  to  the  type  a nd  make  of  t ire and  the  tread 
patte rn. 
H idden  damage 
Damage  to  tires  and  r ims  is  ofte n not  readily 
visible . If you  notice  unusual  v ib rat ion  or  the 
vehicle  pulls  to  one  s ide,  th is  may  ind icate 
that  one  of  the  t ires  has  been  damaged . T he 
ti res  m ust  be  chec ked  immed iate ly by an  au
thorized  Audi  dea le r  or  q ua lified  wor kshop . 
Unidirectional  tires 
A un idirectional  tire  can  be  identified  by ar
rows  on  the  sidewa ll,  that  po int  in the  direc
tion  the  t ire  is  designed  to  rotate.  You mus t 
f ol low  the  specified  di rection  o f  rotation . T his 
is  necessary  so  that  these  tires  can  develop 
their  optimum  characteristics  regarding  grip,  road  noise,  wear  and  hydrop laning  resistance. 
For  more  information ¢ 
page  254. 
A WARNING 
New tires  or  t ires  that  are  o ld,  worn  or 
damaged  cannot  provide  maximum  con
trol  and  braking  ability . 
-
-New tires  tend  to  be  slippery  and  must 
also  be  b roken-in.  To reduce  the  risk  of 
losing  control,  a collision  and  serious 
pe rsonal  injuries,  drive  w it h  special  care 
for  the  first  350  miles  (560  km). 
- Driving with  worn  or  damaged  tires  can 
lead  to  loss  of  control,  sudden  tire  fail
ure,  including  a  blowout  and  sudden  de
fl ation,  cras hes  and  se riou s personal  in
juries . Have  worn  or  damaged  t ires  re
placed  immediate ly. 
- Ti res  age  even  if they  are  not  being  used 
and  can  fai l sudden ly, especially  at  hig h 
speeds.  Tires  that  are  more  than  6 years 
old  can  only  be  used  in an  emergency 
and  then  w ith  special  care  and  at  low 
speed. 
• 
•  

232  Tires  and wheels 
you  have  stored. The  system  does  not  recog
nize  the  load condition  of  your  vehicle. 
The  effectiveness  of  the  tire pressure  monito r
ing  system*  will  be  impaired if you  store  nor 
mal  load  pressures  but  then operate  the vehi 
cle  at  its  maximum  load¢.&. . 
See  the  illustration¢ 
fig. 182  for the  location 
of  the  label  on  driver's  side 8-pillar  (color  of 
the  actua l label  and  exact  location on  the  ve
hicle  wi ll vary  slightly) . 
Note  that  the  following  table  is accurate  at 
the  time  of  going  to  press  and  is subject  to 
Model  Tire designation 
change.  In the  event  of  discrepancies,  the  tir e 
pressure  label  is located  on  the  driver's side  8-
pillar  always  takes  precedence. 
T he  table  below  lists  the  recommended  cold 
ti re  inflation  pressu res  for  the  Audi  mode l 
covered  by your  Owner's  Literature at  the  vehi
cle's  capacity  weight  and  the  t ire sizes  instal
l ed  on  the  respective  models  as  original 
equipment,  or  as  a factory  option. 
Tire pressure 
Engine  normal  load condition  full  load condition 
(up  to  2  occupants) 
front  rear  front  rear 
AS Cab- 225/50  Rl  7  94H 
riolet:  All  Season 
2.0  liter  24S/40  R18  93H 
4-cylinder  All  Season 
245/45  Rl  7  95H 
All  Season 
255/35  R19  96V  High  Performance 
55  Cabrio- 245/40  R18  97V 
let:  High  Performance 
3.0  liter 
6-cylinder  255/35  R19  96V 
High Performance  PSI  kPA  PSI 
33  230 
30 
35  240  32 
32  220  29 
32  220  32 
39  270 
35 
39  270  35 
kPA  PSI  kPA  PSI  kPA 
210  36  250  39  270 
220 38  260  41  280 
200  35 240  38  260 
' 
220  35  240  38 260 
I 
240  42  290  44 
300 
. 
240  42 290 44 300 
I 
XL= reinforced or extra  load tire.  It  may also appear  as  xl, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the  tire  side
wall. 
The  correct  tire  pressure  for  the spare  wheel i s 
located  on  a  label  on  the  driver's  side  8-pillar. 
Because  technical  changes  may  be  made  to 
ve hicle  equipment  during  the  model  year,  al
ways  compare  the  tire size  designation  on  the 
tire  pressure  labe l on your  vehicle  w ith  the 
tires  on your  vehicle.  Make sure  that  the  tire 
size  information  on  the  veh icle  label  is the 
same  as  the size  of  the  tires  on  the  vehicle. 
This  is  especially  important  if  the vehicle  be
lo ngs  to someone  else  or you  bought  the  veh i- cle 
with  different  rims/tires  or you  bought  the 
vehicle  as  a  previously owned  vehicle. 
Remember,  your  safety and  that of your  pas 
sengers  also  depends  on making sure that 
l oad  lim its  are  not  exceeded.  Vehicle load in
cludes  everybody  and  everything  in and  on  the 
vehicle.  These load limits are  techn ically  refer
red  to  as  the  veh icle's  Gross  Vehicle  Weight 
Rating  ("GVWR").  The Gross  Axle  Weight  Rat
ing  ("GAWR")  is the  maximum  load that  can 
be  applied  at  eac h of  the  vehicle's  two  axles . 
T he  Gross  Vehicle  Weight  Rating  and  the  .,.  

238  Tires  and  w hee ls 
wheel  alignment  checked by an authorized 
Audi  dealer  or qualified  workshop. 
All  wheel dri ve 
Vehicles w ith  quattro ® must  always have tires 
of  the  same size, construction  and tread  type.  F or  detai ls see 
¢ page  184 . 
.8, WARNING 
Sudden tire  failure  can  lead to  loss of  con
trol,  a crash and serious  personal  injury! 
- Never drive  a veh icle when  the  tread  on 
any tire  is worn  down  to  the  wear  indica
tors. 
- Worn  tires  are a safety  hazard, they  do  not  grip  well  on wet  roads and increase 
your  risk of  "hydrop lan ing"  and  loss of 
control. 
- Always  keep chemicals  that  can cause 
tire  damage,  such as grease, oil,  gasoline 
and brake fluid  away from  tires. 
- Tires age even if they  are not  being  used 
and  can fail  suddenly,  especially  at  high 
speeds. Tires that  are 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  histo
ry."  Old used tires  may have been dam
aged even though  the  damage  cannot  be 
seen that  can lead to  s udden tire  failure 
and loss of  vehicle  control. 
New tires  and  replacing  tires  and wheels 
New tires  and  wheels  have  to  be broken  in . 
Fig. 186 Tir e specificat ion c odes  on t he s idewall  o f a 
t ire 
N o.  Descri ption 
(!) Passenger car tire  (where  applicable) 
@ Nom inal width  of  tire  in  millimeters 
@ Ratio of  height  to  width  (aspect  ratio) 
© Radial 
® Rim diameter  code 
@ L oad index and speed rating 
(J) U.S. DOT tire  identification  number 
@ Audi  Orig inal tire 
@ Sever snow conditions 
@ Tire ply compos ition  and mate rials 
used 
Maximum  load  rating 
Treadwear, traction  and temperature 
grades 
Maximum  permissible  inflation  pres
sure 
T he t ires and  rims  are essential  parts  of  the 
vehicle 's design . The tires  and  rims  approved 
by Audi  are spec ially  matched  to  the  charac
teristics  of  the  vehicle  and can make a major  .,..  

24 0  T ire s and  wheel s 
H  up  to  130  mph  (210  km/h) 
V  up  to  149  mph  (240  km/h)l) 
Z  over  149  mph  (240  km/h)ll 
W  up  to  168  mph  (270  km/h)
1l 
Y  up  to  186  mph  (298  km/h)ll 
Your vehicle  is  norma lly factory  equipped  with 
tires,  which  possess  excellent  driving  charac
teristics  and  give your  Audi  opt imum  driving 
comfort.  An electronic  speed  limiter 
c::> page 29 w ill normally  prevent  your  vehicle 
from  go ing  faste r than  the  tire  speed  rating 
¢ & . 
U.S . DOT Tire Identification  Number  (TIN) 
and tire  manufacture  date 
This  is  the  t ire's  "serial  number".  It  beg ins 
with  the  lette rs  "DO T"  and  indicates  that  the 
tire  meets  all  federal  standards.  The  next  two 
numbers  or  letters  indica te the  p lant  where  it 
was  manufactured,  and  the  last  four  numbers 
represent  the  week  and  year  of  manufacture . 
F or  examp le,  the  numbers  2212  mean  that 
the  tire  was  produced  in the  22nd  week  of 
2012 . The other  numbers  are marketing  co
des  that  may  or  may  not  be  used  by the  tire 
manufacturer . This  information  is  used  to  con 
tact  consumers  if a  tire  defect  requires  a  re
call. 
Audi  Original  tire 
Tires  with  the  ident ificat ion  "AO"  or "RO"  have 
been  spec ially matched  with  your  Aud i. We 
recommend  using  only  these  tires  because 
they  meet  the  highest  standards  regard ing 
safety  and  d riving  character istics  when  used 
correctly.  Yo ur au tho riz ed  Audi dealer  will 
g lad ly provide  you  with  more  information. 
Tire  ply composition  and materials  used 
The  number  of  pl ies  ind icates  the  numbe r of 
l ayers  of  rubber-coated  fabric  in the  t ire. In 
general,  the  g rea ter  the  numbe r of  p lies,  the 
mo re weig ht  a t ire  can  support.  Tire man ufac 
turers  a lso  must  indicate  the  materials  in the 
ll  For tir es w it h  a m ax im um  spee d ca pabil ity  ove r 
1 4 9  mp h (2 40  k m/h) , t ire ma nufact urers somet imes 
u se  the  lette rs "ZR. " 
tir e,  which  include  stee l,  nylon,  po lyester,  and 
others . 
Maximum  Load Rating 
This  number  ind icates  the  maximum  load  in 
k ilog rams  and  po unds  t hat  can  be  ca rr ied  by 
the  tire . 
Tire quality  grading  for  treadwear , 
traction,  and temperature  resistance 
T read  wear,  tra ct ion  and  tempera ture  grades 
c::>page 241 . 
Maximum  Permissible Inflation  Pressure 
This  number  is the  greatest  amount  of a ir 
pressure  that  should  ever  be  put  in the  t ire 
u nder  norma l dr iv ing  cond itions . 
_& WARNING 
- Using  incorrect  o r unm atc hed  tires  and/ 
or wheels  or  improper  tire  and  wheel 
combinat ions  can  lead  to  loss  of control 
' 
collis ion  and  serio us  personal  i nju ry . 
- A lways  use  t ires,  rims  and  whee l bolts 
that  meet  the  specifications  of origina l 
factory- insta lled  tires  or  other  combina
tions  that  have  been  specifically  ap proved  by the  vehicle  manufacturer. 
- Tires  age  even  if they  are  not  being  used 
and  can  fai l sudden ly, especially  at  hig h 
speeds.  Tires  that  are  more  than  6 yea rs 
old  can  only  be  used  in an  emergency 
and  then  w it h  specia l care  and  at  lower 
speeds. 
- Never  mo unt  used  tires  on  your  veh icle  if 
you  are  not  sure  of the ir "previo us  histo
ry."  O ld  used  tires  may  have  been  dam
a ged  even  thoug h the  damage  cannot  be 
seen  that  can  lead  to sud den  tire  fa ilure 
and  loss  of vehicle  control. 
- All fo ur whee ls  must  be  fitted  with  r adial 
tires  of  the  same  type,  size  (rolling  cir
cumference)  an d 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  nor
mal  road  wheel  as  soon  as  safely  possi
ble . 
- 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. 
- Overloading  tires  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  un
derinflated. 
- For  technical  reasons 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  ve
hicle  wheels,  make  sure  that  the  air flow 
to  the  brakes  is not  blocked.  Reduced  air
flow  to  the  brakes  can  them  to  overheat,  increasing  stopping  distances  and  caus
ing  a collision . 
- Run flat  tires  may  only  be  used  on 
vehicles  that  were  equipped  with  them 
at  the  factory.  The  vehicle  must  have a 
chassis  designed  for  run  flat  tires  and  a 
factory-installed  tire  pressure  monitor
ing  system*  that  indicates a  loss  of  tire 
pressure.  Incorrect  use  of  run  flat  tires 
can  lead  to  vehicle  damage  or  accidents. 
Check with  an  authorized  Audi  dealer  or 
tire  specialist  to  see  if your  vehicle  can  be 
equipped  with  run  flat  tires . If  run  flat 
tires  are  used,  they  must  be  installed on 
all four  wheels.  Mixing tire  types  is not 
permitted . 
0 Note 
-For technical  reasons,  it is  not  generally 
possible  to  use  the  wheel  rims  from  oth-
Tires  and  wheels  241 
er  vehicles.  This can  hold  true  for  wheels 
of  the  same  vehicle  type. 
- If  the  spare  tire is different  from  the 
tires  that  you  have  mounted  on  your  ve
hicle  (for  example  winter  tires  or  wide 
profile  tires),  then  use  the  spare  tire  for  a 
short  period  of  time  only  and  drive  with 
extra  care.  Replace  the  flat  tire  with  the 
tire  matching  the  others  on  your  vehicle  as  soon  as  possible . 
- Never  drive  without  the  valve  stem  cap . 
The  valves  could  get  damaged . 
(® For the  sake of  the  environment 
Dispose  of  old  tires  in accordance  with  the 
local  requirements. 
Uniform  tire  quality  grading 
-Tread  wear 
- Traction  AA A B C 
- Temperature  AB  C 
Quality  grades  can  be found  where  applicable 
on the  tire  side wall  between tread  shoulder 
and  maximum  section  width 9 fig. 186. 
For example: Tread  wear 200, Traction AA, 
Temperature A. 
All passenger  car  tires must  conform  to  Feder
al  Safety  Requirements  in  addition  to  these 
grades. 
Tread wear 
The tread  wear grade  is a  comparative  rating 
based  on  the  wear  rate  of  the  tire  when  tested 
under  controlled  conditions  on  a  specified 
government  test  course. 
For  example,  a tire  graded  ISO  would  wear 
one  and  one  half  (11/2)  times  as  well  on  the  government  course  as  a tire  graded  100. 
The  relative  performance  of  tires  depends  upon  the  actual  conditions  of  their  use,  how
ever,  and  may  depart  significantly  from  the  norm  due  to variations  in driving  habits,  serv
ice  practices  and  differences  in  road  character-
istics  and  climate. 
1J1> 
• 
•  

24 4  T ire s and  wheel s 
Wheel  bolts 
Wheel  bolts  must  always  be tightened  to the 
correct torque . 
The  design  of  wheel  bolts  is  matched  to  the 
factory  installed  rims.  If  differen t rims  are  fit
ted,  the  correct  wheel  bolts  with  the  r ight 
length  and  correctly  shaped  bolt  heads  must 
be  used.  This  ensures  that  wheels  are  fitted 
secure ly and  that  the  brake  system  funct ions 
correctly . 
In  ce rtain  circumstances,  you  may  not  use 
wheel  bolts  from  a different  vehicle  -even  if it 
i s the  same  model~ 
page 2 71. 
_& WARNING 
Improperly  tig htened  o r maintained  whee l 
bolts  can  become  loose  ca using  loss  of 
contro l,  a  co llision  and  serious  persona l in
jury. 
- Always  keep  the  wheel  bolts  and  the 
threads  in the  wheel  hubs  clean  so  the 
wheel  bolts  can  turn  easily  and  be  prop
erly  t ightened. 
- Never  grease  or  oil the  wheel  bo lts  and 
the  threads  in the  wheel  hubs.  They  can 
become  loose  while  driving  if greased  or 
oiled,  even  if tightened  to  the  specif ied 
torque . 
- Only use  wheel  bolts  that  belong  to  the 
rim  being  installed . 
- Never  use  different  wheels  bolts  on your 
vehicle . 
-Always  maintain  the  correct  tighten ing 
torque  for  the  wheel  bo lts  to  reduce  the 
risk  of  a wheel  loss.  If  the  tightening  tor 
que  of the  wheel  bolts  is too  low,  they 
can  loosen  and  com e out  when  the  veh i
cl e  is moving.  If  the  tightening  torque  is 
too  high,  the  whee l bolts  and  threads 
can  be  damaged  and  the  wheel  can  be
come  loose. 
@ Note 
The  spec ified  torq ue fo r the  wheel  bo lts  is 
90  ft  lbs.  (120  Nm) wi th a  toler ance  of 
± 7,4  ft  lbs. (± 10  Nm). Torque  wheel  bo lts  diagonally.  After  changing  a wheel,  the 
torque  m
ust  be  checked  as  soon  as  possi
ble  with  a torque  wrench  -preferably  by an 
a uthori zed  Audi dea ler  or  q ua lified  work
shop . 
Low aspect  ratio  tires 
Your Audi  is factory -equ ipped  w ith  low  aspect 
ratio  tires . T hese  tires  have  been  thoroughly 
tested  and  been  se lected  specifically  fo r your 
model  for  their  superb  perfo rmance,  road  fee l 
and  hand ling  under  a variety  o f driv ing  condi 
t ions . As k your  authorized  A udi  dealer  for 
more  details . 
T he  low  aspect  ratio  of  these  tires  is ind icated 
by a  numera l of 
55  or l ess in the  tire's  s ize 
designation.  The  numeral  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 
pa rt icul arly s ens itive to  imp ro per i nfl ation 
pressure.  It  is therefore  import ant that  low 
aspect  ratio tires  are inflated  to  the  specified  pre ssure and that  the  inflation  pressure  is 
r e gularly  checked  and  maintained . Tire pres
sur es should  be checked  at  l east  once  a 
month  and  always  before  a long  trip 
~ page  233,  Checking  tire pressure. 
What  you  can  do  to  avoid  tire  and  rim 
damage 
Low aspect  ratio  tires  can  be  damaged  mo re 
easily  by impact  w it h  potholes,  c urbs,  g ull ies 
o r  ridges  on  the  road,  pa rticul arly  if the  tire  is 
u nderinfla ted . 
In  orde r to  minimize  the  occurrence  of  impact 
damage  to  t he  tires  of your  vehi cle,  we  recom
mend  tha t you  observe  the  following  preca u
tions: 
- Always  ma inta in  recommended  inflation 
pressu res.  Check your  tire  pressure  eve ry 
2 ,000  miles  (3,000  km)  and  add  air  if neces -
sary.  ..,.  

254  What  do  I  do  now? 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  w ith  a tread  pattern 
intended  for  use  in a specific  direction 
When  using  a  spa re  tire  w ith  a t read  patte rn 
i n tended  fo r use  in a  specific  direction,  please 
n ote  t he followi ng: 
- The  direction  of  rotation  is  marked  by a n 
ar
row on the  side  of the  tire . 
-If  the  spare  t ire  has  to  be  installed  in  the  in
correct  direction,  use  the  spare  tire  only 
tempora rily si nce  the  t ire  will  not  be able  to 
achi eve  its  optimum  perfo rma nce  cha racter
i st ics w ith  reg ard  t o aquaplani ng,  noise  and 
we ar. 
- W e  reco mmend  t hat  you  pay  pa rticular  at
ten tion t o this  fact  during  wet  we ather  and 
t h at  you  a dju st  you r spee d  to m atc h  ro ad 
con ditions. 
- R epl ace  the  fla t tire  w ith  a  n ew  one  an d 
have  it  ins talled  o n your  ve hicle  as  soon  as 
p oss ible to  restore  the  handlin g ad vantages 
of a  uni direct io na l tire . 
Notes  on  wheel  changing 
Please  rea d the  information c> page  238 , New 
t ires and  replacing  tires  and  wheels 
if you  are 
go ing  t o use  a  spare  tire which  is d ifferent 
from  the  tires  on your  ve hicle. 
Afte r you  chan ge  a  t ire : 
-Check the  tire  pressure  on the  spare  imme
diately  after  installation. 
- Have the  wheel  bolt  tightening  torque 
checked  with  a torque  wrench  as  soon  as  possible  by your authorized  Audi dealer  or 
a qualified  workshop . 
- With  steel  and alloy  wheel  rims , the  wheel 
bolts  are correctly tightened  at  a torque  of 
90  ft  lbs . (120  Nm) . 
- If you  notice  that  the  wheel  bolts  are cor
roded  and difficult  to  turn while  changing 
a tire,  they  should  be  replaced  before  you 
check the  tightening  torque . -
Replace the  flat  tire  with  a new  one  and 
have  it installed  on your vehicle  as  soon  as 
possible.  Remount  the  wheel  cover . 
Until then , drive with  extra care and  at  re
duced  speeds. 
_& WARNING 
-
- If  yo u are  going  to  e quip your  ve hicl e 
with  tires  o r rims  which  differ  from  those 
which  were  facto ry  installed,  then  be 
sure  to  read  the  informati on 
¢ page  238, 
New  tir es and  replacing  tires  and 
w he els . 
- Always ma ke sure  the  damaged  wheel  o r 
even  a flat  tire  a nd  the  jack  a nd  tool  kit 
a re  pro pe rly s ecu red  in the luggage  co m
p artm ent  and  are not  lo ose  in the  pas 
s en ger c ompa rtm en t. 
- I n an  acci dent or  sudde n man euve r they 
co uld  fly forwa rd,  inju ring  anyone  in  the 
ve hicl e. 
- Always  s to re  damaged  wh ee l, j ack and 
t oo ls  se cur ely  in the  l uggage  co mpa rt
ment.  Otherwise,  in  an  accident  or su d
de n maneuve r they  co uld  fly forwa rd, 
causing  inj ury to  passe ngers  in the  ve hi
cle. 
(D Note 
Do  not use  comm erc ia lly  availabl e tire 
sea lants.  O therwise,  t he e lectr ical co mpo 
n ents  of t he ti re  pressu re  mo nitoring  sys
tem * w ill  no  longe r work  proper ly an d the 
sensor  fo r the  tire  pressure  mo nitor ing 
system*  will  have  t o be  replaced  by a 
q ualified  wor ks ho p.