Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
a re 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¢ .&..
Temp eratu re
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and
C, representing the tire 's resistance to
the generat ion 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
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failu re ¢ .&. .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform
ance which all passenger car tires m ust meet
u nder the Federa l Motor Ve hicle Safety Stand
ard No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher
l eve ls of pe rformance on the laboratory test
wheel than the m inimum required by law.
_& WARNING
Th e traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on stra ight-ahead b raking t raction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering , hydrop laning or peak traction
character istics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this t ire is es
tablished for a t ire 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 possibl e tire fa ilu re.
-
Tire s an d wheel s 237
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice . At temperatures below 45 °F
(7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments
may require true w inter o r "snow" tir es, those
with very deeply cut t read. These tires should
o nl y be used in pairs and be installed o n all
f o ur wheels . Make sure you p urchase snow
ti res that are the same size and cons truc tion
type as the other tires on yo ur vehicle .
You r vehi cle is equipped wi th a ll w heel d rive,
th is w ill imp rove trac tion duri ng win ter driv
ing, even with the standa rd tires. However, we
strong ly recommend that you always equip all
fo ur wheels on your vehicle with correctly fit
ted winter tires or a ll-season tires, when win
ter road cond itions are expected. This also im
proves the veh icle's brak ing performance and
reduces stopping d ista nces .
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted
o n all fo ur whee ls .
As k your au thori zed A udi d ealer or qualified
workshop for permit ted
winter tire size s. Use
o nl y radial winter ti res .
Win ter tires lose their effec tiveness whe n the
tread is worn down to a dep th o f 0.15 7 inch
(4 mm) .
Only d rive w it h w inte r tir es under w inte r con
di tions. S umme r tir es handle bette r whe n
t h e re is no s now o r ice on the ro ad s an d the
temperature is above 45 ° F (7 °C) .
I f you have a flat t ire, see notes on rep lace
ment wheel¢
page 233 .
Please always remember that winter tires may
have a lowe r sp eed rating than the tires o rig i
nally i nstalled on your veh icle at t he time it
was ma nufactu red. Please see ¢
page 234,
Speed ra ting (letter code)
for a lis ting o f th e
speed ra ting lette r codes and the max imum
speed at which the tires can be driven .
111>-
•
•
238 Tire s and whee ls
The speed rating letter code( ¢ page 225) is
on the side wall of the tire¢ page
233.
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 inter t ires. This will cause damage to the
tires leading to an accident and serious
personal inj ury to you and your passen
gers.
A WARNING
t"'----
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 deflation,
loss of control, crashes and serious per
sonal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immed iately .
- Winter tires have maximum speed rat ing
that may be lower than 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
traffic conditions. Neve r let the good ac
celeration of the wi nte r t ir es and all whee l
drive temp t you in to taking extr a ris ks. A l
ways remember :
- Whe n bra king, an a ll whee l drive vehicle
hand les in the same 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 sake of the environment
Use summe r ti res when weathe r cond i
tions perm it. They are quieter, do not wea r
as quickly and red uce fue l consumption.
Snow chains
S now cha ins may be fitted only to the front
whee ls, and o nly to certain ti re sizes . Ask your
authorized Aud i dea ler on which tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
T he snow chains must have low-p rofile links
and mus t not be th icker than 0.41 inch
(10.5 mm), in cl ud ing the lock .
Remove whee l center covers and t rim discs
before putt ing snow chains on your veh icle
¢ Q) . For safety reasons cove r caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bo lts. These are avail
able from authorized Audi dealers .
_& WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi
cle or insta lling them incorrect ly can in
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different sizes . Always make sure to follow the in
structions prov ided by the snow chain
manufacturer .
- When driving with snow cha ins never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains .
- Always observe local regulations.
(D Note
- Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessa rily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con
tact with the whee l rim, can scratch or
damage it . Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered. Check
the pos ition of the snow chains afte r
dr iving a few yards and co rrect if neces
sary. Follow the instruct ions from the
snow chain man ufactu rer when doing so .
(D Tips
Where snow chains are ma nda tory on cer
tain roads, th is normally also applies to
vehicles with a ll whee l drive .
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque .
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the
factory installed r ims. If differen t rims are fit
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the right l ength 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 bo lts from a different vehicle -eve n if it
i s the same model
¢ page 266.
_&. WARNING
Improperly tig htened or 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
whee l 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 wh ile driving if greased or
o iled, even if tightened to the specif ied
torque .
- Only use wheel bolts that belong to the
rim being installed.
- Never use different whee ls 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 come out when the vehi
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.
Q;) Note
The spec ified torque fo r the wheel bo lts is
90 ft lbs. (120 Nm) with a tolerance of
± 7,4 ft lbs.(± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bo lts
Tire s an d wheel s 239
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 qualified work
shop.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Aud i is factory -equ ipped w ith low aspect
ratio tires . These tires have been tho roughly
tested and been se lected specifically fo r your
model for their superb perfo rmance, road fee l
and hand ling under a var iety o f driving cond i
tions. Ask your authorized Audi dealer for
more details .
T he low aspect ratio of these t ires is ind icated
by a numeral of
55 or l ess in the tire's s ize
designation. The numera l rep resents the ra tio
of the tire's sidewa ll height in relation to its
tread width expressed in percentage . Conven
tiona l tires have a he ight/w idth ratio of 60 or
more.
T he performance of low-a spe ct- ra tio tire s is
p ar tic ul ar ly se nsi tiv e to i mprop er i nfl ation
pre ssure. It is the refo re important that low
a spect ratio t ires are inflated to the specified
pr ess ure and that th e inflation pr essur e is
r e gula rly ch ecked and maintain ed. Tir e pre s
s ure s should b e check ed at l east once a
m onth and alwa ys befo re a long trip
¢ page 228, Checking tire pressure.
What you c an do to avo id tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged mo re
easily by impact w ith potholes, curbs, g ull ies
o r ridges on the road, pa rticularly if the tire is
u nderinflated.
In orde r to minimize the occurrence of impact
damage to the tires of your vehicle, we recom
mend that you observe the following p reca 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 . .., •
•
24 0 T ire s and wheel s
- 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 neares t
authorized Aud i dealer. Replace a damaged
t ire 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 eventu
ally cause t ire failu re. If you be lieve that a
t ire may have been damaged, replace the
t ire as soon as poss ible.
- T hese tires may wea r more quick ly than oth
ers.
- Please also remember that, whi le these t ires
deliver respons ive handling, they may ride
less comfortably and make mo re no ise than
othe r choices.
Reduced perf ormance in winter /cold
sea son condit ion s
All ti res are des igned for certa in pu rposes.
The low aspect ratio, u ltra high performance
tires originally installed on your vehicle are in
tended for max imum dry and wet road per
formance and handling . They are not suitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather condit 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 cond it ions . We suggest you use the rec
ommended snow or all-season tires specified
for your vehicle, or their equ ivalent .
Refe r to
<=> page 23 7 for more deta iled infor
ma tion regarding w inter tires.
Tire pressure
monitoring system
(l) General notes
App lies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
Each tire shou ld be checked monthly when
cold and inflated to the inflat ion p ressu re rec- ommended by the vehicle manufacturer on
the ve hicle p lacard or tire inflation press ure
label. (If yo ur vehicle has tires of a d ifferent
s iz e than the si ze indicated on the veh icle
placard or tire inflation pressure label, you
should determine 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 illum inates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of you r
tires is significantly under-inflated . Acco rding
ly, when the low tire pressure telltale illumi
nates, yo u shou ld stop and check you r tires as
soon as possib le, and inflate them to the
proper pressure . Driving on a signi ficantly 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 handling and
stopp ing ability.
P lease note that the TPMS is not a substitute
for proper tire ma intenance, and it is the driv
er's responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not
r eached the level to tr igger illuminat ion of the
T PMS low tire pressu re tellta le.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS ma lfunction indicator to ind icate when
the system is not operating prope rly. The
T PMS ma lfunction ind icator is comb ined w ith
the low t ire pressure telltale . Whe n the sys
tem detects a malfunc tion , the telltale will
flash fo r approxima tely one min ute and then
remain continuously i lluminated. This se
quence wi ll continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunct ion exists .
When the malfunction indicato r is illum inat
ed , the system may not be ab le to detect or
signal low tire pressure as intended . TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a var iety of rea
sons, including the installation of replace
ment or alternate tires or wheels on the vehi
cle that prevent the TPMS from functioning
properly . Always check the TPMS malfunction
te lltale after rep lacing one or more tires o r
whee ls on your vehicle to ens ure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels a l
l ow the TPMS to continue to function proper
l y.
Tire pressure indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
F ig. 190 Display: underinflatio n warn ing
Using the ABS sensors , the t ire pressure mon i
toring system compa res the t ire tread circum
fe rence and v ibration characteristics of the in
d iv idual tires. If the pressure decreases in one
or mo re tires, th is is indicated in the instru
ment cluster with a
ti] warn ing symbol and a
message ¢
fig. 190. The driver message in the
disp lay goes out after S seconds. The driver
message can be d isplayed again by pressing
the
! S ET ! button. If only one tire is affected,
the display will indicate its pos ition .
T he t ire pressure monitoring system must be
reset via radio or MMI* each t ime the pres
sures are adjusted (e.g . when sw itching be
tween partia l and full load pressure) or after
changing o r replacing a t ire on your vehicle
¢
page 242. The TPMS indicator only moni
tors the tire p ressure that you have prev iously
stored . Yo u ca n find the recommended tire
p ress ures for you r vehi cle on the labe l on dr iv
er's side B -pi llar ¢
page 226 .
T ire tread c ircumfe rence and vibration c harac
ter ist ics can ch ange and ca use a ti re pressure
warn ing if:
- the tire pressure in one o r more t ires is too
low,
Tire s an d wheel s 241
- the t ire has struc tural damage,
- t he t ire press ure w as c hanged, wheels ro ta t-
ed or rep laced but the TPMS was not reset
¢ page 242.
Warning symbols
ti] Loss of pressure in at least one tire¢& .
Check the t ire o r tires and rep lace or repa ir if
necessary. The
ti] indi ca to r li ght in the inst ru
ment cluster a lso illuminates
¢ page 13.
Check/cor rect the press ures of all fo ur tires
and reset TPMS via radio or MMI*.
11il~1 (T ir e Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
pre ssure: Sy stem m alfunction!.
IfllilB appears after switching the ignition
o n or while d rivi ng and the
ti] ind icator l ight
i n the instr ument cluster blinks for app roxi
mately one minute and then stays on, there is
a system malfunct ion .
Attempt to sto re the co rrect tire pressu re
¢
page 242. If the ind ic a tor lig ht does not
turn off or i f it turns on sho rtly the rea fter, im
med iate ly dr iv e your vehicle to an authorized
A udi dealer or authorized repair faci lity to
have the malfunct ion corrected.
A WARNING
- If the tire pressure ind icator appears in
the instrument cluster display, one or more of your t ires is sign ificant ly unde r
inflated . Reduce you r speed immediately
a nd avoid any hard steer ing or b rak ing
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possib le and
check the tires and their pressu res . In
f late the tire pressure to the prope r pres
sure as indicated o n the vehicle's tire
pressure labe l
¢page 226. D riving on a
sign ificantly under-inflated tire causes
the t ire to overheat and can lead to tire
fa ilure. Under-inflation also is likely to
impair the vehicle's ha ndling and stop
ping ab ility .
- The drive r is responsib le for maintaini ng
the co rrect tire pressures . You must
check the tire pressures regu larly. .,..
•
•
242 Tires and wheels
-Under certain conditions (such as a spor
ty driving style, winter conditions or un
paved roads), the pressure monitor indi
cator may be delayed.
- Ask your authorized Audi dealer if run
flat tires may be used on your vehicle.
Your vehicle registration becomes invalid
if you use these tires when not permit
ted. Damage to your vehicle or accidents
could also result.
@ Tips
-The tire pressure monitoring system
stops working when there is an ESC/ABS
malfunction.
- Using snow chains may result in a system malfunction .
- The tire pressure monitoring system on
your Audi was developed using tires with the
"ROl" identification on the tire side
wall ~
page 233. We recommend using
these tires.
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels are ro
tated or chang ed, the
TPMS must be reset via
radio or
MM!* .
.. Before resetting the TPMS, the current pres
sures of all four tires must correspond to
the specified values. Adjust the tire pressure and reset the pressure in the tire pressure
monitoring system according to the load
you are carrying
~ page 226 .
.. Turn on the ignition .
.. Select : the
ICAR I function button > Tire pres
sure monitoring > Store now .
Or
.. Select : the ICA RI function button > Car sys
tems*
control button > Servicing & checks>
Tire pressure monitoring > Store tire pres
sures.
@ Tips
Do not store the ti re pressure if there a re
snow chains on the tire.
What do I do now?
Vehicle tool kit
The tools ore stored underneath the floor
panel in the luggage comportment.
F ig . 191 Lug gage compartment: tool kit
When you need access to the veh icle tool kit
or jack*, you will need to take o ut the cover.
The vehicle tool kit includes:
- Tire repair kit (Tire Mobility System)
- Plastic cl ip for removing wheel bo lt caps*
- Al ignment p in for ch anging the whee l
- Screwdriver with reversible blade
- Tool for chang ing light bulbs
- Reversible bit (reversible Torx bit for chang-
ing light bulbs)
- Rod for jack
- Jack *
- Lug wrench
- T owing eye
Some of the vehicle items listed above a re
prov ided o n certain models on ly o r are option
a l extras.
Before returning the jack * to its place, retract
the jack arm fully.
..&, WARNING
-
- Never use the screw d river hex head to
t igh ten whee l bol ts, si nce the bolts can
not at tain the necessary tightening tor
que if you use the hex head, poten tially
causing an accident.
- T he factory -supp lied jac k is intended on
ly for your vehicle model. Under no cir
c u mstances should it be used to lift
What do I d o now ? 243
heavy veh icles or other loads; yo u risk in
juring yourself.
- Never start the engi ne when the vehicle
is raised, which could cause an acc ident.
- Support the vehicle secure ly wit h appro
priate stands if wor k is to be performed
underneath the vehicle; otherwise, there
is a pote ntia l risk for injury.
Tire repair
General and safety pointers
Tire repair is intended only for temporary,
short-term use.
F ig . 1 9 2 Tire damage fo r wh ich the Tire Mob ility Sys
tem is not suited
Your vehicle is equipped with a tire repa ir k it,
the
Tir e Mobility Sy stem (TMS ).
In the event of a tire failure, the TM S is in the
luggage compartment under the floor. It con
s ists of the tire sealant and an electric air
pump .
Using
TM S, tire damage caused by foreign
bodies up to about
0.1 6 inch (4 mm ) in diam
eter can be sea led reliably.
The foreign object must stay in the tire .
The tire sealant must not be used:
-for cu ts or punctures in t he tire w hich a re
large r th an 0. 16 inc h (4 mm) <=>fig. 192
©
-for damage to the rim @
- if you have been driving with very low t ire
pressu res or tires with no air@
Using the
TMS is descr ibed in the section
<=> page 244.
244 What do I do n ow ?
TMS can be used at temperatures down to
-4°F(-20°C).
.&_ WARNING
Take the following precautions after re
pairing the tire:
- Do not d rive faster than 50 mph (80 km/
h)!
- Avoid full-throttle acce leration, heavy
braking and fast cornering.
- The veh icle's road behav ior can be affect
ed.
- Tires sealed with
T M S are intended only
for
temporar y, short-te rm use . Dam
aged tires must be replaced . Drive care
fully to the next professional repair fa
cility.
- After using the tire sea lant the tire pres
sure monitoring system may no longer
work properly. Drive carefully to the next
professional repair fac ility.
- TM S must NOT be used,
- for cuts or punctures in the tire which
are larger than 0.16 inch (4 mm)
- for damage to the r im
- if you have been dr iv ing with very low
tire pressures or t ires with no air
- Seek professional assistance if it is not
poss ible to repair the tire with the tire
sealant.
- The tire sealant must not come into con
tact with sk in, eyes or clothing.
- If you get any tire sealant in your eyes or
com e into contact with i t, rinse the af
fected area tho roughly w ith clean wate r.
Find a physician immediate ly!
- Change any clothing contaminated w ith
t ire sealant immed iate ly.
- Do not inhale t he vapo r!
- If you have swallowed t ire sealant , rinse
yo ur mouth thorough ly r ight away and
dr ink p lenty of water.
- Do not induce vomiting! Find a physi
cian immediate ly!
- If you have a llergic reactions, f ind a
physician immediate ly.
- Keep the t ire sealant away from chi ldren.
(D Note
Do not use commercially avai lab le tire
sea lants. The electr ica l components of the
tire pressure monitoring system will no
l onger work properly.
«!) For the sake of the environment
Used sealant bottles ca n be dropped off at
a recycling facility .
(D Tips
-If sea la nt has run out, allow it to dry .
Then you can peel it off .
- Have the t ire sea lant rep laced eve ry 4
years at a dealersh ip.
Making a tire repair
Fig . 19 3 Mak ing a t ire repa ir
Preliminary steps
"' If you have a flat tire, park the vehicle as far
as poss ible from moving traffic.
"' App ly the par king b rake firmly.
"' Move the se lector lever to the P position
"' Check whether a repair using the Tire Mobili
ty System is possible
c:::> page 243.
"'Have all passengers leave the vehicle and
stay away from the danger zone
c:::> _&..
"'Take the sealant bottle and the electric air
pump from the luggage compartment under
the floo r<=;>
page 243.
"' Remove the "max . SO mp h" (80 km/h) s tick
er from the sea lant bottle and affix i t to the
instr ument clus ter in the drive r's view .
Filling a tire
"' Shake the bott le thoroughly before filling. Ill>