engine is warm, the level may be slightly
above the "MAX" marking .
The location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus
tration ¢
page 235.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine
must be switched
off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an electric coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System¢
page 30 will
blink until you add coolant and the level has
been restored to normal. Even though there is
an electric coolant level sensor, we still rec
ommend you check the coolant level from
time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling
system. In the event of coolant loss, the cool
ing system should be inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer.
It is not
enough merely to add coolant.
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if
the boiling point of the coolant is exceeded as
a result of overheating.
(D Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak seal
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant. Add
ing radiator repair fluid may adversely af
fect the function and performance of your
cooling system and could result in damage
not covered by your New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anything in the engine com
partment,
always read and heed all WARN
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 233.
... Turn off the engine .
... Let the engine cool down.
Checking and filling 241
... Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank ¢
page 240, fig. 199 and carefully turn
the cap counter-clockwise ¢
A.
... Add coolant.
... Twist the cap on again
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to
exact specifications ¢
page 240, Coolant. We
recommend using only coolant additive
Gl2+
+, Gl3
or in an emergency Gl2 +. Do not use a
different additive . In an emergency use plain
water until you can get the correct additive and can restore the correct ratio. This should
be done as soon as possible .
If you have lost a considerable amount of
coolant, then you should add cold antifreeze
and cold water only when the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coolant when refilling.
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Ex
cess coolant will be forced out through the
pressure relief valve in the cap when the en
gine becomes hot.
A WARNING
- The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of
scalding from hot coolant by following
these steps.
- Turn
off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering
the cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully
in a counter-clockwise direction while
applying light, downward pressure on
the top of the cap .
- To avoid being burned, do not spill an
tifreeze or coolant on the exhaust sys
tem or hot engine parts. Under certain
conditions, the ethylene glycol in en
gine coolant can catch fire.
-Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store an
tifreeze in its original container and well
out of the reach of children.
~
•
•
248 Tire s and whee ls
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
tive ly small patch of rubber on each tire that
assures that all -important contact between
you, your vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, making
sure that your vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry more weight than they can safe ly han
d le, avoiding damage from road hazards and
reg ularly inspecting t ires for damage includ
ing cuts, slashes irregu la r wear and overall
condition are the most important things that
you can do to he lp avoid sudden tire failure in
cluding tread separation and blowouts.
A vo idin g dama ge
I f you have to drive over a curb or similar ob
stacle, drive very slow ly and as close as possi
ble at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chem icals including grease, oil,
gasoline and b rake fluid off the tires.
Inspect the tires regularly for damage (cuts,
cracks or bl isters, etc.). Remove any foreign
bod ies embedded in the treads.
St orin g tire s
Mark tires when you remove them to indicate
the direction of rotation . Th is ensures you to
be ab le to mount them correctly when you re
install them.
When removed, the wheels or tires should be
stored in a cool, dry and preferably dark place .
Store tires in a vertical position if they are not mounted on rims, in a horizontal position if
they are mounted on rims. N
ew tir es
New t ires have to be broken in¢&,. .
The tread depth of new t ires may vary, accord
ing to the type and make of t ire and the tread
pattern .
Hidden damag e
Damage to tires and r ims is often not readily
vis ible . If you notice unusual vibrat 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
t ir es must be checked immed iate ly by an au
tho rized Aud i dea le r or q ualified wor kshop.
Unidirecti onal t ires
A un idirectional tire can be identified by ar
rows on the sidewall, that po int in the direc
t ion the t ire is designed to rotate. You must
fol low the specified direction of rotation . This
is necessary so that these tires can develop
their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road noise, wear and hydrop laning resistance.
For more information ¢
page 2 78.
A WARNING
-New tires or tires that are old, worn or
damaged cannot provide maximum con
trol and braking ability .
-
-New tires tend to be slippery and must
also be broken-in. To reduce the risk of losing control, a collision and serious
pe rsonal injuries, drive w ith specia l 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 blowou t and sudden de
flation, c rashes and serious personal in
juries . Have worn or damaged tires re
p laced immediate ly.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fai l sudden ly, especially at high
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.
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-whee l dr ive .
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 297.
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 265
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
105 ft lb (140 Nm) with a to lerance of
± 7,4 ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torque wheel 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 2 54, 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 . ..,.
•
•
272 What do I do now ?
Tire repair
General information and safety
precaution s
Applies to vehicles: with tire repair kit
The tire repair is only meant for temporary
use.
Fig. 214 Tir e damag e, for wh ich t he t ire re pair k it is
not sui tab le
Your veh icle is equipped with a tire repair kit
(Tire Mob ility System) .
In the event of a flat tire, the tire repair kit is
found in the luggage compartment beh ind
the r ight side trim panel, and is made up of
tire sealant and a compressor
Q page 104,
fig . 113.
Only tire damage caused by foreign objects up
to approximately 0 .16 in
(4 mm ) in diameter
can be safely sealed with the tire repa ir kit.
The foreign object can stay in the tire.
The tire sealant may not be used:
-If the tire has cuts or punctures that are
larger than 0.16 in (4 mm)
<=)fig. 214 @.
-If the rim is damaged @.
-If you drove with very low tire pressure or
without a ir in the tire@.
Tire repair kit usage is described in
Perform
ing the repair
9 page 2 73 and in the instruc
tions with the sealant bottle.
The tire repair kit is able to be used at tempe r
atures as low as -4 °F ( -20 °C) .
A WARNING
Pay attention to the follow ing after repair
ing the tire: -
Do not drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/
h) .
-Avoid hard acceleration, braking sharp ly,
and fast cornering .
- The vehicle may become more difficult to
control.
- Tires sea led with the tire repair kit are
only meant to be used
temporarily .
Damaged tires must be replaced.
- The tire repair kit may
NOT be used
- If the t ire has cuts or punctures that
are larger than 0.16 in (4 mm) .
- If the rim is damaged .
- If you drove with very low t ire pressure
or without air in the tire.
- Obtain qualified help if it is not possible
to perform the repair with the tire seal
ant .
- The tire sealant must not come in con
tact with skin, eyes, or clothes.
- If tire sea lant gets in your eyes or on
your skin, thoroughly rinse the affected
area immediately with clean water.
- Change your clothes immediately if they
get tire sealant on them.
- Do not inha le the fumes.
- If the tire sealant is swallowed, thor-
ough ly rinse out your mouth and drink
lots of water.
- Do not induce vomiting . Seek medical at
tention immediately.
- If an a llergic reaction occurs, seek imme
diate medical attention.
- Keep the tire sealant away from children.
@) For the sake of the environment
Used sealant bottles may be returned to
your authorized Audi dea ler fo r disposal.
(D Tips
- If sealant has spilled out, let it dry and
then you can remove it by peeling it away
like a foil.
- Note the expiration date on the sealant
bottle. Replace the tire sealant at an au
thorized Audi dealership.