Cast (light) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care.
~ Wash the wheels with a sponge or hose
brush every other week.
~ For deep cleaning afterwards, use only a
dedicated
aci d-fr ee cast alloy wheel cleaner.
~ Rub a coat of liqui d wax onto the r ims every
t hr ee month. Be sure to reach and treat a ll
parts of the r im.
To preserve the decorat ive appearance of the
cast alloy whee ls, some special care is neces
sary. I n add it ion to road d ir t and sa lt, b rake
dust is a lso cor ros ive. If left on for too long,
b rake dus t ca n cause pitting.
Use only specia l
acid-free cleaners formulated
fo r alloy rims. Safe products are available at
your author ized Audi dealer. Never leave the
cleane r on the rims longer than specif ied on
the label. If not rinsed
off promptly, the acid
contained in some cleaners can attack the
threads on the whee l bolts.
Never use abras ive or metal polishing clean
ing agents.
If the protective coating has been
chipped, e .g. by kicked up road dirt, touch it
up as soon as possib le.
A WARNING
- Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency
q page 188. Test the
brakes carefully each time you wash the
vehicle .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
q page 200.
Body cavity sealing
-
The body cavity sealing does not need to be
checked.
All body cavities which co uld be affected by
corrosion have been thoro ughly protected at
the factory.
This sea ling does not require any inspection or
addit ional treatment . If any wax should seep
out of the cav ity when the ambient tempera-
Cleaning and protec tion 205
ture is high, it can be removed with a p lastic
scraper and a suitable solvent.
A WARNING
Solvents can be dangerous.
- Benzine is flammab le and toxic. If you
use benzine fo r removing the wax, keep
sparks, flame and lighted cigarettes
away. Never dump benz ine on the
ground, i nto open streams or down sew
age drains.
- Be sure to observe all safety and environ
mental regulations. Follow all instruc
tions on the container.
- Always read a nd heed all WARNINGS and
other information
q page 200.
Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time.
The lower body she ll of your Audi is also thor
oughly protected against corros ion.
Any damage to the unde rcoat ing caused by
road hazards sho uld be repaired prompt ly .
A WARNING
Too much undercoating i n the wrong p la
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additiona l undercoating or
r u stproof ing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con
verter or heat shields. While driving, the substance used fo r undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
q page 200.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and other co rrosive materials w ill
damage the mate rial in the exhaust tail pipes
i f th ey a re not clea ned regularly. Do not clea n
the tail pipes with wheel cleane r, pa int polish,
c h rome pol ish or o ther ab ras ive cleane rs .
Clean the tail pipes with ca r care products
that are suitable fo r stainless steel. •
•
24 4 T ire s and wheel s
S up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
U up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)1l
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)ll
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)ll
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)
1 l
Your veh icle is no rma lly factory equipped with
tires, which possess excellent driving cha rac
terist ics and give yo ur Audi opt imum d riving
comfort . An e lectronic speed limiter
c::> page 31 will normally prevent your vehicle
from going faster than the tire speed rating
¢ &. .
U.S. DOT Ti re Identification Numb er (TIN)
and ti re manuf actur e date
This is the tire's "serial number" . It begins
with the letters "DOT" and indicates that the
tire meets all federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers
represent the week and year of manufacture.
For example, the numbers 2212 mean that
the tire was produced in the 22nd wee k of
2012. The other n umbers are mar keting 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 tir e
Tires with the identification "AO" or "RO" have
been specia lly matched with your Audi . We
recommend using only these tires because
they meet the highest standards regard ing
safety and driving character istics when used
correctly. Your authorized Audi dealer will
glad ly provide you with more information.
Tire ply compo sit ion and materi als used
The number of plies indicates the number of
l ayers of rubber-coated fabric in the tire. In
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 man ufact urers somet imes
u se the letters "ZR. "
genera l, the greater the number of plies, the
more weight a tire can support. Tire manufac
turers also must indicate the mate rials in the
t ire, which include steel, nylon, po lyester, and
others.
Ma ximum Load Rating
This number ind icates the maximum load in
ki lograms and pounds that can be carried by
the tire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear ,
traction , and t emp eratu re resi stance
T read wear, t raction and temperat ure grades
c::> page
245.
Ma ximum Permi ssible Inflat ion Pressure
T h is number is the greatest amount of a ir
pressure that should ever be put in the tire
u nder norma l driving cond itions.
.&, WARNING ~ -
- Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
comb inat ions can lead to loss of control ,
coll is ion and serious personal injury.
-Always use t ires, rims and whee l bolts
that meet the specifications of original
factory- installed tires or other combina
tions that have been specifically ap
p roved by the vehicle manufacture r.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 yea rs
old can only be used in an emergen cy
a nd then w it h specia l care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mo unt used tires on your veh icle if
you are no t sure of the ir "previo us histo
ry." O ld used tires may have been dam
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire fa ilure
and loss of vehicle control.
was manufacture d. Please see ¢ page 243,
Speed rating (letter code) for a listing of the
speed rat ing letter codes and t he maxim um
speed at whic h the tires can be driven .
The s peed rating letter code(¢
page 233) is
on the side wall of the tire
c::> page 242 .
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 inte r tir es . This will cause damag e to the
ti res leading to an ac cident and serious
pe rsonal in jury to you and yo ur passen
gers .
A WARNING
Driv ing faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your vehicle
were designed can ca use tire fai lure in
cl uding a blowout and sudden deflat ion,
loss of control, crashes and serious per
sonal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
rep laced immed iate ly.
- Winter tires have maximum speed rat ing
that may be lower tha n your veh icle's
maximum speed .
- Never drive faster than the speed for
w hich the winter or other tires installed
on your veh icle are rated .
A WARNING
Always adjust your d rivi ng to the road and
traffic conditions. Neve r let the good ac
c eleration of the w inte r ti res and all whee l
drive temp t you in to taking extra r is k s . A l
ways remember:
- When bra king, an a ll whee l dr ive vehicle
hand les in the s ame way as a front drive
vehicle.
- Drive carefu lly and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot he lp un der blac k ice conditions.
Tire s an d wheel s 24 7
'
@) For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather condi
tions permit. They are qu ieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumpt ion.
Snow chains
Snow cha ins may be fitted only to the front
whee ls, and o nly to certain tire sizes . Ask your
autho rized Aud i deale r on which tire sizes
snow c ha ins can be used.
The snow chains must have low-prof ile links
and must not be t hicker than 0.53 inch
(13.5 mm) , includ ing the lock .
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putt ing snow cha ins on your vehicle
c::> Q) . For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are ava il
able from autho riz ed Aud i dealers.
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chai ns for your vehi
cle o r insta lling them in co rr ect ly can in
crease the risk of loss of cont ro l leading to
serious pe rsonal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes. A lways make sure to follow t he i n
structions p rov ided 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 s now c hain s be fo re dr iv ing o n
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wea ring the snow
chains down unnecessa rily.
- Snow chains, which come into direc t con
tact with the whee l rim , can scratch or
damage it . Therefo re, make sure that the
snow chains are s uitably covered. Check
the pos ition of the snow chains after
•
•
248 Tires and wheels
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 normally also applies to
vehicles with all wheel drive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque.
The design of whee l bolts is matched to the
factory installed rims. If different rims are fit
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the right length and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted
securely and that the brake system functions
correctly .
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a different vehicle -even if it
is the same model
¢ page 275.
.&_ WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel
bolts can become loose causing loss of
control, a collision 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 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 tor
que of the wheel bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the veh i- cle
is moving.
If the tightening torque is
too high, the wheel bolts and threads
can be damaged and the wheel can be
come loose.
(D Note
The specified torque for the whee l bolts is
90 ft lbs . (120 Nm) with a tolerance of
± 7,4 ft lbs. (± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bolts
diagonally . After changing a wheel, the
torque must be checked as soon as possi
ble with a torque wrench -preferably by an
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work
shop.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory -equipped with low aspect
ratio tires. These tires have been thoroughly
tested and been se lected specifically for your
model for their superb performance, road feel
and handling under a variety of driving condi
t ions . 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 s ize
designation . The numeral represents the ratio
of the tire's sidewall height in relation to its
tread width expressed in percentage. Conven
tional tires have a height/w idth 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 pres
sures should be checked at least once a
month and always before a long trip
¢ page 237, 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, gul lies
or ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is
underinflated . ..,.
252 What do I do n ow ?
What do I do now?
Vehicle tool kit
The tools ore stored underneath the floor
panel in the luggage comportment.
Fig. 182 Luggage compartment: tool kit
When you need access to the vehicle too l kit
or jack*, you will need to take out the spare
tire* and cover ¢
page 252.
The vehicle tool kit includes:
- Hook for removing wheel covers*
- Alignment pin for changing the whee l
- Screwdriver w ith reversible blade
- T ool for chang ing ligh t bu lbs
- Reversible bit (reversible Torx bit for chang-
ing light b ulbs)
- Rod for jack
- Jack*
- Lug wrench
- Towing eye
Some o f the ve hicl e items listed above a re
p rovided on certain models o nly or are option
a l extras.
Before returning the jack* to its place, retra ct
the jack a rm fully .
_&. WARNING
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
tighten whee l bolts, s ince the bolts can
not attain the necessa ry tightening tor
que i f you use the hex head, potentially
causing an accident.
- The factory -supplied jack is intended on
ly for your veh icle model. Under no cir
c u mstances should it be used to lift heavy vehicles or othe
r loads; yo u risk in
juring yo urself .
- Never start the engine when the vehicle
is raised, wh ich could cause an acc ident.
- Support the vehicle securely wit h app ro
priate stands if work is to be performed
underneath the vehicle; otherwise, there
is a potentia l risk for injury.
Space-saving spare tire
(compact spare tire)
App lies to vehicles: wit h space-saving spare t ire
The spore tire/wheel is located in the luggage
compartmen t under the cargo floor cover. It
is intended for short-term use only.
F ig . 1 83 Spa re tire
Removing the spare t ire
.. Lift t he cargo floor by the p lastic handle
¢fig . 183.
.. Hook the handle into the luggage compart
ment weather strip.
.. Turn the large screw ¢
fig. 183 counter
clockw ise .
.. Take out the spare tire .
.. Always store the vehicl e tool kit, the jack*,
and the rep laced tire in the luggage com
pa rtment
¢page 130.
.. Unhook the cargo floor be fo re closing the
rea r lid.
Using the spare tire (compact spare tire)
T he compact spare ti re is only inte nded for
eme rgen cies unt il you can reach a rep air shop.
Repl ace it as quickly as possible with a stand
ard wheel and tire.
T he re a re some restr ictions on the use of the
c ompac t spa re tire. The compact spa re tire ...
254 What do I do now?
-To help prevent the vehicle from moving
sudden ly and possibly slipping off the
jack, always fully set the parking brake
and block the wheel diagonally opposite
the wheel being changed with the fold ing chocks or other objects. When one
front whee l is lifted off the gro und, plac
ing the A utomat ic Transm iss io n in "P"
(Park) will
not prevent the vehi cle from
moving .
- Be fore yo u change a wheel, be sure the
ground is leve l and fi rm . If necessa ry,
use a sturdy board under the jack.
- After installing the spare tire, make sure
that you replace the f lat ti re/wheel in its
storage area properly and tighten the
knurled retain ing screw secu rely .
@ Note
If you are chang ing the wheel on a steep
incline, use a rock or similar object to
block the opposite wheel to prevent the
veh icle from mov ing.
(D} Tips
Obey a ll laws .
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow the se
quence described below step -by -step and in
exactly that order.
1. Remove the decorative wheel c ove r* or
the wheel bolt cap s*. For more de tails see
a lso
¢ page 255, Decorative wheel cov
ers
or ¢ page 255, Wheels with wheel
bolt caps.
2 . Loosen the wheel bolts ¢ page 255.
3. Locate the proper mount ing point for the
jack and align the jack below that point
¢ page 256.
4. Lift the car with the jack¢ page 256 .
S. Remove the wheel with th e flat tire and
then install the spare tire
¢page 257.
6. Tighten all wheel bo lts ligh tly.
7 . lowe r the ve hicle w ith the jack . 8
. Use the wheel bolt w rench and firmly
tighten all wheel bolts in a crisscross pat
te rn
¢ page 255.
9. Replace the decorati ve wheel cover * or
the wheel bolt caps *.
A WARNING
Always read and fo llow all WARNINGS and
in fo rmat ion¢ .&.
in Raising the vehicle on
page 256
and ¢ page 258.
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not complete without the
doing the following .
.,. Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack*,
and the replaced tire in the luggage com
partme nt
¢ page 130.
.,. Check the tire pressure of the spare tire as
soon as possible.
.,. As soon as poss ib le, have the tightening
torque s on all whee l bolts chec ked w ith a
to rque wrenc h. The co rrect tighte ning tor
que is
90 ft lbs. (120 Nm) .
.,. Have the flat tire replaced as soon as possi
ble.
@ Tips
- If you notice that the wheel bo lts a re
co rroded and difficult to turn while
chang ing a tire, they shou ld be rep laced
before you check the tightening torque.
- Dr ive at reduced speed until you have the
tightening torques checked.
Decorative wheel covers
Applies to vehicles: with decorative wheel covers
The decorative wheel covers must be removed
first to access the wheel bolts .
Fig. 18 4 Changing a wheel: removing t he w heel cover
Removing
.,. Inse rt the hook provided with the vehicle
tool kit in the hole in the hub .
.,. Pull off the
decorati ve wh eel cov er
¢ fig . 184 .
Wheels with wheel bolt caps
Applies to vehicles: with wheel bolts w it h ca ps
The caps must be removed first from the
wheel bolts before the bolts can be un
screwed .
Fig. 185 C hanging a w hee l: removing the wheel bolt
caps
Removing
.,. Push the pla stic cli p provided with the vehi
cl e tool kit over the wheel bolt cap until it
engages.
.,. Pull on the
pla stic clip to remove the cap
¢ fig. 185 .
What do I do now ? 255
Refitting
.. Place the caps over the whee l bolts and
push them back on .
T he caps are to protect and keep the wheel
bolts clean.
Loosening and tightening the wheel
bolts
The wheel bolts must be loosened before rais
ing the vehicle.
Fig. 186 Cha ng ing a whee l: loosening th e wheel bolts
Lo osen ing
.,. Insta ll the wheel bolt w rench over the
wheel bolt and push it down as far as it will
go.
.,. Take tight hold of the
end of the wrench
handle and turn the wheel bo lts
counter
cl oc kwi se
about one single turn in the direc
tion of arrow ¢
fig. 186.
Tightening
.,. Install the whee l bolt wren ch over the
wheel bolt and push it down as far as it w ill
go .
.,. Take tight hold of the
end of the wrench
handle a nd turn each wheel bo lt
cl oc kwise
until it is seated.
A WARNING
- Do not use force or hurry when changing
a wheel -you can cause the vehicle to slip
off the jack and ca use serio us personal
injuries.
- Do not loosen the wheel bo lts more than
one turn
before you raise the vehicle with
the jack. -You risk an injury. ..,.
-Do not raise the vehicle until yo u are
sure the jack is securely engaged.
- Passenge rs must not remai n in the
ve
hicle when it is jacked up.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a
safe place away from the vehicle and
well away from the road and traffic.
- Make sure jack position is correct, ad
just as necessary and then contin ue to
ra ise the jack.
CD Note
Do not lift the vehicle by the si ll. 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.
Fi g. 189 Changing a wheel: using the screwdrive r han
dle (with the blade removed) to turn the bolts
Fig . 1 90 Changing a wheel: alignm en t pin ins ide t he
top 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:
What do I d o now ? 257
Removing the wheel
.,. Remove the topmost whee l bolt completely
with the
he xagonal so ck et in the screwdriv
er handle (vehicle tool kit)
o fig. 189 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
o fig. 190.
.,. Then remove the other wheel bolts as de
scribed above .
.,. Take
off the whee l leav ing the a lignment
pi n in the bolt hole
o(D .
Putting on the inflat able spar e tire
.,. Push the spare tire over the alignment p in.
.,. Screw on the wheel bo lts and tighten them
slightly us ing the hexagonal socket .
• Remove the a lignment pin and inse rt and
tighten the rema ining wheel bolt slightly
like the res t.
.,. Turn the jack hand le co unter -clockwise to
lower the veh icle until the jack is fully re
leased .
.,. Use the wheel bolt wrench to tighten all
wheel bo lts f irm ly
o page 255 . Tighten
them
in a crisscross pattern, from one bolt
to the (approximately) opposite one, to keep
the wheel centered .
• Perfo rm the steps required afte r changing
the wheel
o page 254, After changing a
wheel.
T he hexagonal socket makes it easie r to re
move th e wheel bo lts from the rim. Care
sho uld be taken when remov ing the reversib le
blade .
CD Note
When removi ng or insta lling the whee l,
the r im cou ld hit the bra ke roto r and dam
age the roto r. Work carefu lly and have a
second person to help you .
(l} Tips
-When mount ing tires w ith unidir ectional
tread de sign
make sure the tread pat
tern is pointed the right way
o page258. II>-