2013 AUDI A6 spare wheel

24 6 T ire s and whee ls
The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is
located on a label on the driver's side B-pillar.
Because tec hnical changes may be made to
vehicle equ ipment dur ing the model year, a l­
ways compare the tire size designation on the
tire pressure labe l on your vehicle with the
tires on your vehicle . Make sure that the tire
si ze information on the vehicle label is the
same as the si ze of the tires on the vehicle.
This is especially important if the vehicle be ­
longs to someone else or you bought the veh i­
cle with different rims/tires or you bought the
vehicle as a p reviously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on mak ing sure that
l oad limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
ve hicl e. These load limits are technically refer­
red to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating ("GVWR") . The Gross Ax le Weight Rat­
ing ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can
be applied at each of the veh icle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance st icker labe l located on the
driver 's side B-p illar . The tire pressure label on
your Aud i lists the maximum combined
weight of all of the occupants and luggage or
o ther cargo that the vehicle can carry. For the
l ocation of the tire pressu re labe l
i=:> fig. 191.
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve ­
hicle control, a cras h or other accident, se­
r ious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more weight than yo ur vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of a loss of veh icle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a veh icle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly causing loss of con­
trol and a crash . -
Always make sure that the total load be­
ing transported - including the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue we ight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehi­
cle heavier than the vehicle's G ross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
A WARNING
-- I ncorrect tire pressures and/or underin-
flation can lead to a serious or fatal acci­
dent.
- I nco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation cause increased ti re wear and can
affec t the handling of the vehicle .
- I nco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can a lso lead to s udden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowou t and sudden de­
flation, ca using loss of veh icle cont ro l.
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires original­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressur e label located on driver's side 8-pil ­
lar .
The recommended tire pressures are on the
t ir e pressure label and in the table
i=:> page 244, Cold tire inflation pressure.This
means that the pressure m ust be checked and
adjusted when the t ire has not been dr iven for
more than a couple of miles (kilometers) at
low speeds during the previous three hours.
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up as a result of inter nal frict ion as it flexes in
u se . T he t ire pressure is higher when the tire
has warmed up t han whe n it is "co ld. "
It is the inflation pressure in a "co ld" t ire that
counts . The refore, you should never let a ir out
of a wa rm tire to match "Cold t ire inflat ion
pressure" recomme ndat ions
i=:, page 244 . The
t ir es wo uld then be unde rinflated and co uld
fail suddenly .
T he t ire pressure label on your Audi lists the
recommended co ld tire inflation pressures at
m aximum cap acity for the new, or ig inal
equipmen t tires tha t were on your vehicle at ..,.

the time it was manufactured. For the
l ocation of the labe l¢
fig . 191.
Most ti res lose a ir naturally over time. They
can also lose some a ir if you drive ove r a pot­
hole or hit a curb while parking . It is usua lly
not possib le to see whether the radia l tires
used today are underinflated just by looking
at them.
Therefore, be sure to check tire pressures at
l east once a month and always before going
on a long trip. Make sure to take the number
of people and the amount of luggage into ac­
count when adjusting tire pressure for a trip -
even one that you would not consider to be
"long ." See ¢
page 248, Tires and vehicle
load limits
for more important information .
Always use an accurate tire pressure gauge
when check ing and adjusting inflation pres­
sures . Check all of the t ires and be sure not to
forget the spare t ire. If the p ressure in any tire
i s too high when the tire is "cold," le t air out
of the ti re slowly with t he edge of the t ire
ga uge and keep checking the pressure un til
you reach the press ure that is correct for the
l oad (passengers and luggage) and kind of
driving you plan to do .
I f the p ressure in any tire is too low, note the
d ifference between the pressure in the cold
tire and the pressure yo u need and add the a ir
that you need to reach the correct pressure for
the vehicle load (passengers and luggage) for
the t ires on your vehicle as listed on the on
your veh icle and in this manua l and the kind
of dr iv ing yo u pla n to do .
Never e xceed the ma ximum inflation pres ­
sure listed on the t ire s ide wall for any rea ­
son.
Remember that the vehicle manufacturer, not
the t ire manufacturer, determ ines the correct
tire pressure for the t ires on your vehicle .
It is important to check the tire pressure when
the tires are cold .
- Read the requ ired ti re press ure from the tire
pressure label. The tire pressure labe l is lo­
cated on the driver's side B-pi llar .
Tire s an d wheel s 24 7
- Turn the va lve stem cap counter -clockw ise
to remove it from the tire va lve .
- Place the ai r pressure gauge on the va lve.
- The tire pressures should o nly be checked
a nd ad justed when the tires are co ld. The
slightly raised pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced.
- Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying.
- Reins tall the valve stem cap on t he va lve.
When should I check the tire pressure?
The correct tire pressure is especially impor­
tant at high speeds . The pressure should
the refore be checked at least once a month
and always before sta rting a jo urney. Do not
f o rge t to chec k the ti re p ressu re fo r the sp are
whee l
q page 262.
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Adjust the t ire pr essure to the load you a re
ca rrying. After chang ing a whee l
or replacing
whee ls yo u have to adjust the ti re p ressu res
on all whee ls. In addition, yo u m ust then
store the new tire pressures in the tire pres ­
s u re monito ring system*
q page 258.
A WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinfla­
tion can lead sudden tire fa ilure, loss of
control, collision, serious personal injury
or even death.
- When the warning symbol
RI] appears in
the instrument cluster, stop and inspect
the t ires.
- Incorrect tire pressure and/or underinfla­
tion can cause increased tire wear and
can affect the handli ng of the vehicle and
stopping ability.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
f lation can a lso lead to sudden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowout a nd sudden de­
f lation, ca u sing loss of veh icle cont ro l.
- T he drive r is responsib le for the co rrect
tire pressures for all tires on the ve hicle.
Th e appli cable pressure values are locat ­
ed on a sticker o n the dr iver's s ide B-pil-
la~
~
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252 Tire s and wheel s
contribution to good road ho lding and safe
handling when in good condition and properly
inflated
¢ ,& .
We recommend that all work on tires and
wheels be perfo rmed by an authorized Audi
dea ler. They are familiar with recommended
proced ures and have the necessary spec ial
too ls and spare parts as well as the proper fa­
cilities for disposing of the old tires.
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary information about techn ica l requ irements for
installing or changing tires and r ims.
Re placing t ires and whe els
Tires sho uld be rep laced at least in pairs and
not individua lly (for examp le both front tires
or both rear tires together).
Be sure to read and heed the information to
the tire pressure monitoring system*
¢page 258.
Always buy rep lacement radial tires that have
the same specifications as the tires approved
for your vehicle by Audi. Replacement t ires
must always have the same load rating speci­
fication as the original equipment or approved
optional tires listed in the table
c:> page 244.
Aud i-approved specification ti res are specially
matched to your vehicle and its load limits,
and can contribute to the important road ho ld­
ing, driving characteristics, and safety of the
vehicle. The table
(c:> page 244) lists spec ifica­
tions of the tires approved for the Audi mod­
els covered by your Owner's Literature .
The tire pressure labe l located on driver's side
B-pillar
(c:> fig. 192) lists the specifications of
the orig inal equipment tires installed on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to
place standard ized information on the s ide­
wall of all tires
c:> fig. 195. This information
ident ifies and describes the fundamental
characterist ics, the quality grade of the tire
and a lso provides a tire ident ificat ion number
fo r safety standa rd cert ificat ion and in case of
a recall.
Tir e spe cification s
Knowledge o f ti re specifications ma kes it eas­
ier to choose the correct tires. Radial ti res
have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewa ll, for examp le:
255 /40 R 19 100 H XL
Th is conta ins the following information:
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars
(where app licab le)
2 55 Nominal tire w idth in mm of the tire
from sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In general, the larger the number, the wider
the tire
40 Height/w idth ratio in percent (aspect ra-
t io)
R Tire construct ion: Radial
19 Rim diameter code (in inches)
100 Load rating code
H Speed ra ting letter code
XL (or "xl", "E XTRA LOAD" or "RF") Indica tes
that the t ire is a "Reinfo rced" or an "Ext ra
Load" t ire
M+S (or "M/5") Indicates that the ti re has
some mud and snow capabi lity
The tires could also have the information of
direction of rotat io n
¢ page 240.
Tire manufacturing d ate
The manufacturing date is also indicated on
the tire sidewall (possibly on ly on the
inner
s ide of the wheel):
"DOT ... 2212 ... " means, for example, the tire
was produced in the 22nd week of 2012.
Spe ed rating (le tte r cod e)
The speed rating letter code on the whee ls in ­
dicates the maximum permissible road speeds
c:> & in Winter tires on page 256.
p up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q u p to 99 mp h (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph ( 170 km/h)
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)

254 Tires and wheels
-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. Incor­
rect use of run flat tires can lead to vehi­
cle 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 permit­
ted.
- For technical reasons, it is not generally
possible to use the wheel rims from oth­
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 ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire side wall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width
~fig. 195.
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.
Fo r example, a tire graded 150 would wear
one and one half (1 1/2) 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.
Traction
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 conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance
c::> & .
Temp erature
The temperature grades a re A (the highest),
B, and C , representing the tire's resistance to
the generation of heat and its ability to dissi­ pate heat when tested under controlled condi­
tions on a specified indoor 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 tire fa ilure
c::> & .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which a ll passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Veh icle Safety Stand­
ard No.
109. Grades Band A represent higher
levels of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the m inimum required by law .
&, WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this t ire is
based on stra ight-ahead b raking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydrop lan ing or peak traction
character istics .
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is es­
tablished for a tire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded . Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separate ly or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible tire fa ilure.
Winter tires
Win ter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice. At tempera tures below 45 °F
(7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires.
In some heavy snow areas, loca l governments
may require true winter or "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread. These t ires should
Tire s an d wheel s 255
only be used in pairs and be installed on all
fo ur wheels. Make sure you purchase snow
tires that are the same size and construction
type as the other tires on your vehicle.
If your vehicle is eq uipped w ith all -whee l
drive*, this wi ll improve traction during winter
driv ing, even with the standard tires. Howev ­
er, we strongly recommend that you always equip all four wheels on your veh icle w ith cor­
rect ly fitted winter tires o r all -season t ires,
whe n w inter road cond it ions are expected.
T his also improves the veh icle's brak ing per­
fo rmance and redu ces stoppi ng d istances.
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow .
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted
on all four wheels.
Ask your authorized A udi dealer or qualified
workshop for permitted
wi nter ti re size s. Use
on ly rad ial winter t ires.
Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
0 .1 57 inch
(4 mm).
Only drive w ith w inter tires under w inter con­
ditions. S umme r tires 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 no tes on spare
whee l c::> page 251.
Please a lways remember that winter tires may
have a lowe r speed ra ting than the tires o rig i­
nally installed on your veh icle at the time it
was man ufactured. P lease see
c::> pag e 252,
Speed rating (letter code) for a listing of the
speed rating letter codes and the max imum
speed at which the tires can be driven.
The speed rating le tter code
(c::> page 243) is
on the side wall of the tire
c::> page 251 .
A WARNING
Winter t ires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than yo ur vehicle's max­
imum speed. Always know the max imum
speed before dr iv ing off . Never dr ive faster
~
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258 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 255 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 effic 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 . .,.

262 What do I do now?
Vehicle tool kit
Vehicle tool kit and jack
The vehicle tool kit is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover .
Fig. 200 Luggage compartment: cargo floor cover
folded upward/spare t ire
Fig . 201 Trunk lid: Vehicle tool kit
• Lift the cargo floor by the plastic handle
c:>fig. 200.
• Hook the handle into the luggage compart­
ment weather strip.
• Turn the handwheel counter-clockwise
c:> fig. 200 and remove the spare tire to
reach the vehicle tool kit.
• Unhook the cargo floor before closing the
rear lid.
The onboard tool kit includes:
- Hooks to remove the wheel covers*
- Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers*
- Wheel bolt wrench
-Alignment p in for changing wheels
- Screwdr iver w ith reve rsible blade
- T owing loop
- Jack
Before storing the jack, make sure it is wound
back down as far as it will go.
A WARNING ,-
Improper use of the vehicle jack can cause
serious personal injuries.
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
tighten wheel bolts, since the bolts can­
not attain the necessary tighten ing tor­
que if you use the hex head, potentially
causing an accident.
- The factory-supplied jack is intended on­
ly for your vehicle model. Under no c ir­
cumstances should it be used to lift
heavy vehicles or other loads; you risk in­
juring yo urself.
- Never start the engine when the vehicle
is raised, wh ich could cause an accident.
- Support the vehicle securely with appro­
priate stands if work is to be performed
underneath the vehicle; otherwise, there
is a potential risk for injury.
- Never use the jack supplied with your
Audi on another vehicle, particu larly on a
heavier one. The jack is only suitable for
use on the vehicle it came with.
(D Tips
- Some of the onboard items listed above
are provided on certain models only or
are optional extras .
- Before you can raise your vehicle using
the jack, you must activate the jacking
mode
c::> page 266.
Space-saving spare tire (compact spare
tire)
The spare tire/wheel is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover . It
is intended for short-term use only.
Taking out the spare tire
.,. Lift the cargo floor by the p lastic handle
c::>fig. 200.
.,. Hook the handle into the luggage compart­
ment weather strip.
.,. Turn the large screw
c:> fig. 200 counte r­
clockw ise.
.,. Take out the spare tire .

.,. Always store the vehicle too l kit, the jack*
and the replaced tire in the luggage com­
partment
c!:> page 132.
.,. Unhook the cargo floor before closing the
rear lid.
Using the spare tire (compact spare tir e)
The compact spare tire is on ly intended for
emergencies until you can reach a repair shop .
Replace it as quick ly as poss ible with a stand­
ard wheel and tire.
There are some restrictions on the use of the
compact spare tire. The compact spare tire
has been designed specifically for your type of
veh icle. It must not be swapped with a com­
pact spare t ire from another type of vehicle.
Snow chain s
For technical reasons, the use of snow chains
on the compact spare tire is
not permitted.
If you do have to dr ive w ith snow cha ins and a
front tire f ails, mount the spare whee l with
tire instead of a rear tire . Install the snow
chains on the rear tire and use it to replace
the defective front tire.
A WARNING
-Never use the spare tire if it is damaged
o r 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 possible w ith the
normal wheel and t ire.
- After mounting the compact spare tire,
the tire pressure must be checked as
soon as poss ible. The tire pressure of the
c ompact sp are tire must be 4.2 bar; oth­
erwise, you risk hav ing an accident .
- Do not drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/
h). You risk having an acc ident.
- Avoid fu ll-throttle acce le rat ion, heavy
braking, and fast corner ing . Yo u risk hav­
ing an acc iden t.
What do I do now? 263
- Never drive using more than one spare
wheel and tire. You r isk having an acci­
dent .
- Normal summer or winter t ires 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 w ith t ire 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 whee l
m ust then be instal led i n place of the
rea r whee l w ith the flat tire. Installing
the tire chain be fore mounting the whee l
and tire is recommended.
- Loose items in the passenger compart ­
ment can cause serious personal injury
during hard braking or in an accident. Never store the inflatab le spare tire or
jack and tools in the passenger 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 expe rience a t ire failure, p ull the
car well away from mov ing traffic and try to
reach
l e vel ground before you stop ¢ _& .
.,. All passengers should lea ve th e car and
move to a safe location (f or instance, behind
the guardrail) ¢
,&.
.. Engage the par king br ake to prevent your
veh icle from rolling unintentionally
c:> _&.
.,. Move selecto r le ver to pos ition P c:> _& .
.,. If you are towing a tra iler, unhitch the trail­
er from your vehicle.
.,. Take the
jack and the spar e tir e out of the
luggage compartment¢
page 262,
¢page 262. .,.
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