196 Cleaning and protection
Use only special acid -free cleaners form ulated
for a lloy rims. Safe products are available at
your author ized Audi dealer . Never leave the
cleaner on the rims longer than specified on
the label.
If no t rinsed off promptly, the acid
contained in some cleaners can attack the
threads on the wheel bolts .
Never use abras ive or metal polishing clean
ing agents. If the protective coating has been
chipped, e .g . by k icked up road dirt, touch it
up as soon as poss ible.
A WARNING
- Moist ure and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency ~
page 178. Test the
br ake s ca refully each time you wash the
vehicle.
- Always read and heed all WARNI NGS and
other informa tion ~
page 189.
Body cavity sealing
-
The body cavity sealing does not need to be
checked.
A ll body cavities wh ich could be affected by
corrosion have been thoroughly protected at
the facto ry.
T his sea ling does not require any inspection or
addit io nal treatment. If any wax should seep
out of the cav ity when the ambient tempera
ture is high, it can be removed w it h a plastic
scrape r and a su itab le so lven t.
A WARNING
So lvents can be dange rous.
- B enzine is flammable and t oxic.
If you
use benzine for removing the w ax, keep
spar ks, flame and lighted cigaret tes
away. Never dump benzine on t he
ground, into open streams or down sew
age drains.
- Be sure to observe all safety and env iron
menta l regulations . Follow all instruc
t ions on the container.
- Always read and heed all WAR NIN GS and
other information
¢ page 189. 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 cor ros io n.
Any damage to the unde rcoating ca used by
road ha zards should be repaired prompt ly.
A WARNING ....__
Too much undercoating in the wrong p la
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additional undercoating or
r u stp roof ing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con
ver ter or heat shields. While driving, the
substance used fo r undercoating could
overhea t and cause a fire.
- Always read and heed all WAR NINGS and
o ther info rmation ¢
page 189.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and o ther co rrosive materials w ill
damage the mate ria l in the e xhaus t ta il pipes
i f they are not cleaned regular ly . Do not clean
the tail pipes with w hee l cleaner, pa int polish,
c h rome polish or other ab rasive cleane rs .
Clean the tail pipes with car care products
t h at are suitable for sta inless steel.
Your a uthorized Audi dea ler can prov ide clean
ing products that have been tested and ap
proved for your vehicle .
Care of interior
Infotainment components
The Rad io/MM !* disp lay may be cleaned w ith
a soft cloth and comme rcially-ava ilable "LCD
cl eaner". The clot h should be coated lightly
whe n the cleaning solution w hen clea ning t he
display.
T he M MI* con trols m ust be clean ed first wi th
a b rush so tha t dirt does not en ter the uni t or
enter between the buttons an d the housing.
The n wiping the controls with a cloth ..,.
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)
1
)
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)1
)
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)1
)
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)1>
Your vehicle is no rma lly facto ry equipped with
tires , which possess excellent driving cha rac
ter istics and give yo ur Audi opt imum driving
comfort .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Numbe r (TIN)
and tire manufactur e date
This is the t ire's "serial n umber". It beg ins
with the le tte rs "DO T" and indicates that the
tire meets all federal standards . The next two
numbers o r letters indicat e the p lant wher e it
was manufactured, and the l ast four numbers
represen t the week and year of manufacture.
For example, the numbers 2212 mean that
the t ire was produced in the 22nd week of
20 12. Th e other numbe rs a re marketing co
des that may or may not be used by the t ire
manufacturer. This informa tion is used to con
tact consume rs if a t ire defect requires a re
call.
Audi Original tire
T ires with the ident ificat ion "ROl" have been
specia lly matched w ith your Audi. We re com
mend using only these t ires be ca u se they
meet the highest standards rega rding safety
and dr iving characteristics when used correct
l y. Your authorized A udi dealer wi ll gladly pro
vide you with more information .
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of p lies ind icates the n umbe r of
l ayers of rubber-coated fabri c in the t ire. In
general, the greater the number of plies, the more weight a tire can s upport . Tire manufac
turers a lso must indic ate the mate rials in the
ll Fo r tires wit h a m ax im um s pee d ca pabil ity over
1 4 9 mp h (24 0 k m/h) , tire m an ufa ctur ers somet ime s
use th e let ters "ZR."
Tire s an d wheel s 235
tire, which incl ude stee l, nylon, po lyester, and
others .
Maximum Load Rating
This number ind icates the max imum load in
kil ograms and po unds that can be ca rr ied by
the tire .
Tire quality grading for treadwear ,
tract ion , and temperature resistance
T read wear, t raction and tempe ra tur e grades
<:!vpage 236 .
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest amount of a ir
pressure that should ever be put in the tire
u nder norma l dr iv ing cond itions .
.&_ WARNING
-Using incorrect o r unm atc hed tires and/
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
comb inat ions can lead to loss of control ,
collision and serio us personal in jury.
- A lways use t ires, rims and whee l bolts
that meet the specifications of original
factory- insta lled tires or other combina
tions that have been specifically ap proved by the vehicle manufacturer.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fai l sudden ly, especially at hig h
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith special care and at lower
speeds .
- Never mo unt used tir es on your veh icle if
you are not sur e of the ir "previo us histo
ry ." O ld used tires may have been dam
a ged even thoug h the damage cannot be
seen tha t can lead to sudden tire f ail u re
and loss of vehicle control.
- All f our whee ls must be fitte d wit h ra dial
tires of the same type, size (rolling cir
cumference) an d the same tread pattern .
.
Driving with different tires reduces ~
•
•
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 . .., •
•
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.
24 6 What do I do no w?
• Engage the par king br ake to prevent your
vehicle from rolling unintentionally
c> _&..
• Move the sel ector le ver to the P po sition.
• Take the jack c> page 243 out of the luggage
compartment.
A WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured
wh ile cha nging a wheel if you do not fol
low these safety precautions:
- If you have a flat t i re, move a safe dis
tance off the road . Turn off the engine,
tu rn the emergen cy flashers on and use
other wa rning dev ices to alert other mo
torists.
- Make su re that passengers wait i n a safe
pla ce away from the vehicle and well
away from the road and traff ic.
- T o help prevent the veh icle from mov ing
sudden ly and possibly slipping off the
jack, a lways fully set the parking brake
and block the whee l diagona lly opposite
the whee l being changed with the fo ld
ing chocks or other objects. When one
front whee l is lifted off the ground, plac
ing the Automat ic Transmiss ion in "P"
(Pa rk) w ill
not prevent the vehicle from
moving.
- Before you change a wheel, be sure the ground is level and firm . If necessary,
use a sturdy board unde r the jack.
- Always store the vehicle tool kit, the
jack* and the replaced tire in the luggage
compartment
c> page 124.
(D Note
If you are chang ing the wheel on a steep
incline, use a rock or similar object to
b loc k the opposite wheel to prevent the
veh icle from mov ing.
Obey all laws.
-
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow these
quence described below step-by-step and in
exactly that order .
l. Remove the wheel bolt caps* . For more
details see also
c> page 247, Wheels with
wheel bolt caps.
2. Loosen the wh eel bolts c>page 247.
3. Locate the p roper mounting point fo r the
ja ck a nd align the jack below that point
c>page248 .
4. Lift the car with the jack c> page 248 .
5. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and
then insta ll the other wheel
c> page 249.
6. Tighten all wheel bolts lightly.
7.
Lower the vehicle with the jack .
8. Use the wheel bolt w rench and
firmly
t ighten all wheel bolts in a crisscross pat
te rn
c> page 247.
9. Replace the wheel bolt cap s*.
A WARNING
Always read and fo llow all WARN INGS and
informat ion c> .&. in Raising the vehicle on
page 248
and c> page 250 .
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not comple te without the
doing the following .
• Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack*,
and the rep laced tire in the luggage com
partment
c> page 124.
• As soon as possib le, have the t ightening
torque s
on all whee l bolts checked with a
torque wrench. The correct tightening tor
que is 90 ft lbs. (120 Nm).
• Have the flat tire
re plac ed as soon as possi
ble.
(D Tips
- If you not ice that the wheel bolts are
corroded and difficult to turn while
chang ing a tire, they should be replaced
before you check the tightening torque .
-Drive at reduced speed until you have the
tightening torques checked.
Wheels with wheel bolt caps
Applies to vehicles: with wheel bolts wit h caps
The caps must be removed first from the
wheel bolts before the bolts can be un
screwed .
Fig. 194 C hangin g a whee l: removing the wheel bo lt
caps
R em oving
.,. Push the
pla stic clip provided w it h the vehi
cle tool kit over the wheel bolt cap until it
engages.
.,. Pull on the
pl as tic clip to remove the cap
¢fig . 194 .
Refitting
.,. Place the caps ove r the wheel bo lts and
push them back on .
The caps are to protect and keep the wheel bolts clean.
What do I d o now ? 24 7
Loosening and tightening the wheel
, bolts
The wheel bolts must be loosened before rais
ing the vehicle.
F ig . 1 95 Changing a whee l: loosen ing t he wheel bolts
Loos en ing
.,. Insta ll the
w heel bolt wre nch over the
wheel bo lt 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
clockwi se
about one single turn in the direc
tion of arrow ¢
fig. 195 .
Tightening
.,. Insta ll the
wheel bolt w ren ch over the
wheel bo lt and push it down as far as it will
go .
.,. Take tight hold of the
end of the wrench
handle and turn each wheel bolt
clockw ise
until it is seated .
.&_ WARNING
- Do not use fo rce or h urry whe n chang ing
a wheel - you can ca use the vehicle to slip
off the jack and cause serious personal
inj uries.
- Do not loosen the wheel bo lts more than
one turn
befo re you raise the vehicle with
the jack . - Yo u risk an injury .
{D Tips
- Never use t he hexagona l so cket in the
hand le of the screwdr iver to loosen or
tighten t he wheel bolts .
- If a wheel bo lt is very tigh t, you may find
it eas ier to loosen by carefully pushing ..,.
CD Note
Do not lift the vehicle by the sill. 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 a wheel
Follow these instructions step-by-step for
changing the wheel.
Fig. 198 Changing a wheel: using the screwdrive r han ·
die (with the blade removed) to turn the bolts
Fig . 199 Ch anging a wheel: alignment pin inside the
top hole
After you have loosened all wheel bolts and
ra ised the vehicle off the ground, remove and
replace the wheel as follows :
Removing the wheel
.. Remove the topmost wheel bolt completely
with the
he xa gona l socket in the screwdriv
er handle (vehicle tool kit) <=>
fig. 198 and
set it as ide on a
clean surface.
.. Screw the threaded end of the
alignm ent
pin
from the tool k it hand-tight into the
empty bolt hole
r=>fig. 199.
.. Then remove the other wheel bo lts as de
scribed above.
What do I d o now ? 249
.. Take off the whee l leaving the a lignment pin
in the bo lt ho le
r=> (D.
Putting on th e other wh eel
.. Push the whee l over the alignment pin.
.. Screw on the wheel bo lts and tighten them
slightly us ing the hexagonal socket .
.. Remove the alignment pin and insert and
tighten the rema ining wheel bolt slightly
like the rest.
.. Turn the jack handle counter-clockwise to
lower the veh icle until the jack is fully re
leased .
.. Use the wheel bolt wrench to tighten all
wheel bo lts firm ly
r=> page 247. Tighten
them
in a crisscross pattern, from one bolt
to the (approximately) opposite one, to keep
the wheel centered .
.. Perform the steps required after changing
the whee l
r=> page 246, After changing a
wheel.
T he hexagonal socket makes it easier to re
move t he wheel bolts from the rim . Care
shou ld be taken when removing the reversib le
blade .
CD Note
When removing or i nstalling the whee l,
the r im could hit the brake rotor/ceramic
brake rotor* and damage the rotor. Work
carefully and have a second person to help
you.
(D Tips
- When mount ing tires w ith unidi rectional
tread design
make sure the tread pat
tern is po inted the right way
~page 250.
-The wheel bo lts should be clean and easy
to turn. Check for dirt and corrosion on
the mating surfaces of both the wheel
and the hub. Remove all d irt from these
surfa ces before remounting the whee l.
- Do not use the hexagonal socket in the
s cr ewd river handle to loosen or t igh ten
t he whee l bolts.
250 What do I do now?
Tires with unidirectional tread design
Tires with unidirectional tread design must be
mounted with their tread pattern pointed in the right direction .
Using a replacement tire with a tread
pattern intended for use in a specific
direction
When using a re p la cemen t tir e wi th a tread
pattern inte nded for use in a speci fic dire c
tion, please note the fo llow ing :
- T he direction of rotation is marked by a n
ar
row on the side of the tire .
-If the r eplacement tire has to b e insta lled in
t h e inc orre ct direction, use the tire on ly
tempor arily since the t ire will no t be ab le to
a chieve i ts op timum perfo rm ance cha rac ter
ist ics with rega rd to aq uap laning, noise and
wea r.
- W e recommend that you pay particular a t
tent io n to this fact du ring wet weat her and
t h at you adjust your spee d to matc h roa d
condit ions .
- Repl ace the flat tire w ith a new one and
have it installed on your veh icle as soon as
poss ible to resto re the handling advantages
of a unid irect iona l tire .
Notes on wheel changing
Please read the information 9 pag e 233, New
tires and replacing tires and wheels
i f you are
go ing to use a rep lacemen t tire w hich is dif
feren t fro m th e tires on you r veh icle.
After you cha nge a t ire :
-Check the t ire pressure on the replacement
tire immediately after installation.
- Have the wheel bolt tightening torque
checked with a torque wrench as soon as
possible by your authorized Audi dealer or
a qualified workshop .
- With steel and alloy wheel rims , the wheel
bolts are correctly tightened at a torque of
90 ft lbs . (120 Nm ).
- If you notice that the wheel bolts are cor
roded and difficult to turn while changing a tire
, they should be replaced before you
check the tightening torque.
- Replace the flat tire with a new one and
have it installed on your vehicle as soon a s
possible. Remount the wheel cover.
Until then , drive with extra care and at re
duced speeds.
A WARNING
- If yo u are going to e quip your ve hicl e
wit h tires or rims which differ from those
which were factory installed, then be sure to read the information
9 page 233,
New tires and replacing tires and
wheels .
-Always make sure the damaged wheel o r
even a flat tire a nd the jack a nd tool kit
ar e prope rly secu red in the luggage com
pa rtment an d are no t loose in the pas
s e nge r compa rtm en t.
- In an accid ent or sudde n man euver they
co uld f ly forw ard, inju ring anyo ne in the
ve hicl e.
- Always s to re damaged wh eel, jack a nd
t oo ls se curely in the luggage co mpa rt
men t. Ot he rwi se, in an a ccident or sud
d en maneu ve r t hey co uld f ly forw ard,
causing inj ury to p assen gers in the ve hi
cle.
(D Note
Do not use comm erc ia lly availabl e tire
se alant s. Oth erwise, the e lec trical co mpo
nen ts of the tire press ure moni to ring sys
tem * w ill n o longe r wor k properly an d the
senso r fo r the tire pressure mon itor ing
system * will have to be replaced by a
q ualified wor ks hop.