222 Cleaning and protec tio n
-To h elp prevent dirt fr om scratch ing the
win dow, always scrape in a f orward di
rection -pu shing the scraper away from
you -never back and fo rth.
- Water leaking from the inside 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 sect ion of the vehicle.
You can do this by using waterp roof pro
tection
over the vehi cle's electr ical com
ponen ts (e.g., when ins tall ing window
tinting) .
- Damage or malf unct ion of electrical
componen ts due to wa ter damage or any
other outside influence is not covered by
the Audi New Vehicle Limited Warranty .
See your Warranty
& Maintenance book
l et for add itiona l details about your war
ranty.
Cast (light ) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care.
... Wash the whee ls w ith a sponge or hose
brush
every other week .
... For deep cleaning afterwards, use only a
dedicated
acid-free cast alloy wheel cleaner.
., Rub a coat of
liquid wa x onto the r ims every
three month . Be sure to reach and treat a ll
parts of the rim .
To preserve the decorat ive appearance of the
cast a lloy whee ls, some specia l care is neces
sary. In add it io n to road dirt and sa lt, b rake
dust is a lso cor ros ive . If left o n for too long,
b rake dust ca n cause pitting.
Use on ly special
acid-free cleaners formulated
for a lloy rims . Safe products are available at
your author ized Audi dealer. Never leave the
cleane r on the r ims longe r than spec ified o n
the label.
If no t rinsed off p romp tly, the a cid
con tained in some cleaners can attack the
threads on the whee l bolts.
Never use ab ras ive or metal polishing clean
i ng agen ts.
If the pro te ct ive coa ting has been chipped, e.g
. by kicked up road dirt, to uch it
u p as soon as possible.
A WARNING
--
- Moisture and ice on b rakes may affect
brak ing eff ic iency
c::> page 200, Brake sys
tem.
Test the brakes carefully each t ime
you wash the vehicle .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c::> page 216.
Body cavity sealing
The body cavity sealing does not need to be
checked.
All body cavit ies which could be affected by
corros ion have been thorough ly protected at
the factory.
T his sealing does not require any inspection or
additional treatment. If any wax shou ld seep
o ut of the cavity when the ambient tempera
ture is high, it can be
removed with a p lastic
scraper and a suitable solvent .
A WARNING
-Solvents can be dangerous.
- Benz ine is flammab le and toxic. If you
use benz ine for removing the wax, keep
sparks , flame and lighted cigarettes
away . Never dump benz ine on the
g round, into open streams or down sew
age d rains.
- Be s ure to
observe all safety and environ
men tal regulat ions. Follow all instruc
tions on the container.
- Always read and heed all WAR NINGS and
other info rmation
c::> page 216.
Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time .
The lower body shell of your Aud i is also thor
oughly protected against corros io n.
Any damage to the undercoat ing ca used by
road hazards should be repaired prompt ly.
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)1
)
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)1l
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)1
)
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)1
)
Your veh icle is no rma lly factory equipped with
tires , which possess excellent driving charac
teristics and give your Audi opt imum driving
comfort . An e lectronic speed limiter
c::> page 2 7 wi ll normally prevent you r vehicle
from go ing faster than the tire speed ra ting
c:::> .& .
U.S . DOT T ire Identification Numb er (TIN )
and tire manufacture date
This is the t ire'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 r ep resent the week and year of manufacture.
F or
examp le, the numbers 22 12 mean that
the tire was produced in the 22nd week o f
20 12. The other numbe rs are marketing co
des that may or may not be used by the tire
manufactu rer. This information is used to con
tact consumers if a tire defec t requi res a re
call.
Aud i O riginal ti re
Tires with the identification "AO" or "RO" have
been specia lly matched with your Audi . We
recommend using only these tires because
t hey meet the highest standards regard ing
safety and driving character istics when used
correctly . Your authorized Audi dealer w ill
g lad ly provide you with more information .
Tire ply compo sit ion and material s used
The number of plies ind icates the number of
layers of rubber-coated fabric in the t ire. In
general, the greater the number of plies, the
ll Fo r tires wit h a m ax im um s pee d ca pabil ity over 149
mph (2 4 0 k m/h) , tire man ufacturers some times u se
th e le tters " ZR."
Tire s an d wheel s 261
more weight a tire can support . Tire manufac
turers also must indicat e the materials in the
tire, which incl ude steel, nylon, po lyester, and
others.
Ma ximum Load Rating
This number indicates the maximum load in
ki lograms and pounds that can be ca rried by
the tire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear,
tract ion, and temp erature re sis tance
Tread wear, traction and temperat ure grades
c::> page 2 62 .
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressu re
T his number is the greatest amount of a ir
pressure that should ever be put in the tire
u nder normal driving conditions .
A WARNING
-Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
comb inat ions can lead to loss of control,
col lis 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 proved by the vehicle manufacturer.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
a nd can fai l sudden ly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 yea rs
old can only be used in an emergency
a nd then w ith special care and at lower
speeds.
- Neve r mo unt used tires o n your veh icle if
you are not 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 ca n lead to sudden tire fai lure
and loss of vehicle control.
•
•
264 Tire s and wheel s
was manufactured . Please see q page 260,
Speed roting (letter code) for
a listing of the
speed rating letter codes and the maximum
speed at which the t ires can be driven.
The speed rating letter code( ¢
page 251) is
on the side wall of the tire
c::> page 259.
A WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower t han 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
pe rsonal 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 fai lure in
cluding 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 vehicle are rated.
A WARNING
Always adjust your d riving to the road and
t raffic conditions. Neve r let the good ac
celeration of the wi nte r t ir es and all-whee l
dr ive temp t you in to taking extr a ris ks. A l
ways remember:
- Whe n bra king, an a ll-wheel d rive vehicle
hand les in the s ame 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.
{® For the sa ke of the env ironment
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 chains may be fitted only to the rear
whee ls, and o nly to certain tire sizes . Ask your
autho rized Aud i deale r on which tire sizes
snow c hains ca n 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 loc k.
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 a re ava il
able from autho rized Aud i deale rs.
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chai ns for your veh i
cle o r insta lling them inco rrect ly can in
crease the risk of loss of cont ro l leading to
se rious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in di fferent
sizes. Always make sure to follow the in
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 snow chains before dr iv ing o n
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wea ring the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direc t con
tact with the whee l rim, ca n 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
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 . ..,.
•
•
What do I do now?
Jack, tools and
inflatable spare tire
Onboard tool kit and vehicle jack
The vehicle tools and vehicle jack* are stored
in the luggage compartment under the floor
cover.
Fig . 209 Luggage co mpa rtment: onboard too l kit and
v e hicle jack
The vehicle jack* is sto red under the on board
tool kit¢
fig. 209.
Hybr id drive*: the storage location of the on
board tool kit varies
¢ page 104.
The on board tool kit includes:
- Hook for removing wheel covers*
- Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers*
- Al ignment p in for changing wheels
- Wheel bolt wrench
- Folding chocks
- Screwdriver with reversible blade
- Socket (removable Torx socket)*
- 10 x 13 open ended wrench (for disconnect-
ing the battery cables)
- Towing eye
Before storing the jack*, make sure it is
wound back down as far as it will go.
A WARNING
Imprope r use of the vehicle jack* can
cause serious personal injuries.
- Never use the j ack* supplied with your
Audi on another vehicle, particularly on a heavier one . The jack* is only suitable for
use on the vehicle it came with .
What do I d o now ? 269
-Using a bumper jack to ra ise the vehicle
will damage the bumper system. The
jack may slip, causing injury.
- Never support your vehicle on cinder
blocks, br icks or other objects. These
may not be able to support the load and
could cause injury when they fa il.
- Never start or run the engine while the
veh icle is supported by the jack* .
- If you must work under the vehicle, al
ways use safety stands specifically de signed for th is purpose .
- Never use the hexagonal socket in the
handle of the screwdriver to loosen or
tighten the wheel bolts .
- Always make sure the inflatable spare
tire* and even a flat tire are secured in
place and not loose, otherwise they
could fly forward, causi ng personal injury
to passengers in the vehicle in an acci
dent or sudden maneuver.
(0 Tips
Some of the on board items listed above
a re provided on certain models only or are
optiona l extras.
Folding chocks
The folding chocks are part of the on board
tool kit.
Fig . 210 Ope ning folding chocks .
To use the chocks, you first have to raise the
support plate¢
fig. 210 (D and then insert
the locking plate with the two "tabs" into the
elongated holes in the base plate@¢& . ""
274 What do I do no w?
Special ca re is requ ired if you are repairin g
t he t ire o n a steep incline.
@ Tips
- Do not operate the compressor for more
than 12 minutes continuously, otherwise i t can overheat. Once the compressor has
cooled, you can continue to use it.
- If sealant has spi lled out, let it dry and
then you can remove it by pee ling it away
like a fo il.
- Remember to obtain a new bottle of
sealant from your authorized Audi dealer
after repairing a tire. After this, the func
tionality of the tire repair set is restored.
- Obey all laws.
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 tire fa ilure, pull the
car well away from moving traffic and try to
reach
le ve l ground before yo u stop ¢&_ .
.,. All p assengers sho uld
le ave the c ar and
move to a safe location (for instance, behind
the guardrai l)¢
,A .
.,. Engage the parking brake to prevent your
vehicle from ro lling un intentionally¢ &_.
.,. Move
selecto r le ver to pos ition P ¢ ,A .
.,. If you are tow ing a trailer: unhitch the trail
er from your veh icle.
.,. Block the diagonally opposite wheel with
the fo ld ing chocks or other objects.
.,. Take the
jack * and the inflatab le spare tir e*
out o f the luggage compartmen t
¢page 269.
A WARNING
You or your passengers cou ld be injured
while changing a whee l if yo u do not fol
low these safety precautions:
-
- If you have a flat tire, move a safe d is
tance off the road. Turn off the engine,
turn the emergency flashers on and use
other warning devices to a lert other mo
torists.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a safe
place away from the vehicle and well
away from the road and traffic.
- To help prevent the vehicle from moving
suddenly a nd possib ly slipping off the
jack*, always fully set the pa rking brake
a nd b lock the wheel d iagonally opposite
t he wheel be ing c hanged w it h t he fold
ing chocks or other objec ts. When one
front wheel is lifted off the ground, plac
ing the Automatic Transmission in P
(Park) will
not prevent the vehicle from
mov ing.
- Before you change a wheel, be sure t he
ground is level and firm. If necessary,
use a sturdy board under the jack*.
- Always store the vehicle tool kit, the
jack * and the replaced tire in the luggage
compartment¢
page 145.
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow these
quence described below step-by-step and in
exactly that order.
1. Remove the decorative wheel cover* . For
more details see also ¢
page 2 75, Deco
rative wheel covers
or¢ page 2 75,
Wheels with wheel bolt caps .
2. Loosen the wheel bolts ¢ page 276 .
3. Locate the prope r mounting point fo r the
jack* and align the jack * below that point
¢ page 276.
4 .
Lift the c ar with t he jack *¢ page 2 76 .
5 . Remove the
wheel with the flat tir e and
then insta ll the
inflatable spare tire*
¢ page 277 .
6. Tighten all whee l bolts lightly.
7.
Lower the vehicle with the jack*.
8. Use the wheel bolt wrench and
firmly
t ighten all wheel bolts¢ page 276.
9. Replace the decorative
whe el cover *.
/! WARNING
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and information
~ .& in Raising the vehicle on
page
277 and ~page 278.
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not complete without the
doing the following.
• Always store the vehicle too l kit, the jack*
and the repla ced tire in t he l uggage com
partment ~
page 145.
• As soon as possible, have the tightening
to rques
on all wheel bolts checked with a
torque wrench . The correct tightening tor
que is 105
ft lb (140 Nm).
• Have the flat tire
re pl ac ed as soon as possi
ble.
(D Tips
- If you notice that the wheel bolts are
corroded and difficult to t urn wh ile
changing a tir e, they should be replaced
before yo u check the tighten ing torque.
- Drive at reduced speed unt il you have the
t ightening torques checked .
Decorative wheel covers
Applies to vehicles: with decora tive wheel covers
The decorative wheel covers must be removed
first to access the wheel bolts.
Fig. 2 16 Ch anging a wheel: Removi ng the wheel cove r
Removing
• Inse rt the hook provided wi th the ve hicle
tool kit in the hole in the h ub.
What do I d o now ? 275
• Pull off the deco rative wheel co ver
~ fig. 216.
Wheels with wheel bolt caps
Applies to vehicles: with wheel bolts with caps
The caps must be removed first from the
wheel bolts before the bolts con be un
screwed.
Fi g. 217 Cha ngi ng a w heel : rem ovi ng the wheel bolt
caps
Removing
• Push the plast ic clip provided with the ve hi
cle too l ki t over the wheel bo lt cap until it
engages .
• Pull on the
pla sti c clip to remove the cap
r:!) fig. 217.
Refitting
• Place the caps over the whee l bolts and
push them back o n.
T he caps are to protect and keep the whe el
bo lts clea n.
276 What do I do n ow ?
loosening and tightening the wheel
bolts
The wheel bolts must be loosened before rais
ing the vehicle.
F ig. 218 Chang ing a wheel: loosen ing the w hee l bo lts
loosening
.. Install the wheel b olt wrench over the
whee l bolt and push it down as fa r as it wi ll
go .
.. Take tight hold of the
end of the wrench
handle and turn the wheel bolts
counter
clockwise
about one single turn in the direc
t io n ofarrow ¢fig .
218 .
Tightening
.. Install 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
hand le and turn each wheel bol t
clockwise
unti l it is seated.
_& WARNING
- Do no t use for ce or hu rry w hen ch angi ng
a whee l - you c an c ause the vehicle to s lip
off the jack* and ca use serious personal
injuries .
-Do no t loosen the whee l bolts more than
one turn
before you ra ise the veh icle with
the jack* . -You risk an i njur y.
(D Tips
If a wheel bo lt is very t ight, you may find i t
e asie r to loosen by ca refully push ing dow n
on t he end of the whee l bolt wrench with
one foot only . As you do so, ho ld on to the ca
r to kee p your ba lance and take care no t
to s lip.
Raising the vehicle
The vehicle must be lifted with the jack * firs t
before the wheel can be removed.
Fig . 2 1 9 Sill pane ls: mark in gs
Fi g. 22 0 Sill: pos it io nin g the jack
.. Engage the parking brake to prevent your
veh icle from rolling unintentionally
.. Move the
select or lever to po sition P.
.. Find the marking (imp rint) on the sill tha t
is nearest t he wheel that w ill be changed
r:::;, fig . 219. Be hind the mar kin g, there is a
lifting point on the sill for the jack *.
.. Turn t he
jack* located under the lifting
point on the sill to ra ise the jack until its
arm @
r:::;, fig. 220 is located under the des
ig nated p lastic mount
r:::;, ,& ¢ 0.
.. Align the jac k* so t hat its arm @ r:::;, fig. 220
engage s in the desig nated lifting poin t in
t he doo r sill and the movable base ® lies
flat on the ground. The base ® must be
ver
tical
un der the lifting point @.
.. Win d the jack * up further until the flat tire
comes off the ground
Q ,& .
Position the jack* only under the designated
li fting points on the s ill
r:::;,fig. 219. There is Ill-