
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)1l 
Y  up to  186  mph  (298  km/h)
1 ) 
Your veh icle is norma lly factory  equipped  with 
t ires, which posses s excellen t driving charac
ter istics  and  give your Audi opt imum  driving 
comfort . An electronic  speed  limiter 
~ page 30 w ill normally  prevent  your vehicle 
from  go ing faste r th an  the  tire  speed  rating 
~ &. -
U.S.  DOT T ire Identification  Number  (TIN ) 
and tire  manufactur e date 
This  is the  t ire's "serial  numbe r" . It begins 
with the  le tters  "DOT"  and  indicates  that  the 
tire  meets  all federal  standards . The next  two 
numbers  or letters  indicate  the  p lant  where  it 
was  manufactured,  and  the  last  four  numbers  represent  the  week and year  of manufactu re. 
Fo r example,  the  numbers  2212  mean  the  tire 
was  produced  in  the  22nd  week of 2012.  The 
other  numbers  are  market ing codes  that  may 
or  may not  be  used  by  the t ire manufacturer. 
This  informat ion  is used  to  contact  consumers 
if a t ire defect  requires  a  reca ll. 
Aud i Original  tire 
Tires with the  iden tifica tion "AO"  or "RO"  have 
been  spec ially matched  with your Aud i. We 
recommend  using  only these  tires  because 
they  meet  the  highest  standards  regard ing 
safety  and  d riving  charac ter istics  when  used 
correctly . Yo ur au thori zed  Audi dealer  w ill 
g lad ly provide you with  more  information. 
Tire ply composition  and materials  used 
The numbe r of p lies  ind icates  the  n umber  of 
l ayers of rubber-coated  fabric  i n the  t ire. In 
gener al, the  grea ter  the  numbe r of p lies, the 
more  weig ht  a tire  can s upport.  Tire man ufac
turers  a lso  must  indicate  the  materials  in the 
tire,  wh ich include ste el, nylon, polyest er, and 
others. 
ll  Fo r tires  wit h  a m ax im um  s pee d ca pabil ity  over 
1 4 9  m ph (24 0  k m/h) , tire m an ufa ctur ers  somet ime s 
use  the let ters  "ZR." 
Tire s an d wheel s 259 
Maximum  Load Rating 
This number  indicates  the  max imum  load  in 
k ilograms  and  po unds t hat  can be  ca rr ied  by 
the  tire. 
Tire quality  grading  for  treadwear , 
traction,  and temp eratu re  resistance 
T read  wear, t raction  and  tempe ra tu re grades 
¢ page 
260 . 
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 unmatched  tires  and I 
or wheels  or improper  tire  and wheel 
comb inat ions  can lead  to  loss  of control, 
coll is ion and  serious  personal  in jury. 
- Always use  t ires , rims and  whee l bolts 
that  meet  the  specif ications  of original 
factory- installed  tires  or other  combina
tions  that  have been  sp ecifically ap
proved by the  vehicle manufacture r. 
- 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 yea rs 
old can only be  used  in an  emergency 
and  then  w ith  special  care and  at  lower 
speeds. 
- Never mo unt  used  tires  on your veh icle if 
you are  not  sure  of the ir "previous histo
ry ." O ld used  tires may have been  dam
aged  even though  the  damage  cannot  be 
seen  that  can  lead  to  sudden  tire  fai lure 
and  loss of vehicle control. 
-All  four  whee ls must  be fitted  with  radial 
tires  of the  same  type,  size (rolling cir cumference)  and  the  same  tread  pattern . 
Driving with  different  tires  reduces  vehi
cle handling  and  can lead  to  a  loss  of 
control. 
• 
•  

274  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  spare  tire  w ith  a tread  pattern 
intended  for  use  in a specific  direction 
When  using  a  spa re  tire  w ith  a t read  patte rn 
i n tended  fo r use  in a  specific  direction,  please 
note  t he followi ng: 
- The  direction  of  rotation  is  marked  by a n ar
r ow  on  the  side  of the  tire. 
- If  the  spare  t ire  has  to  be  installed  in  the  in
correct  direction,  use  the  spare  tire  only 
tempora rily si nce  the  t ire  will  not  be a ble  to 
achi eve  its  optimum  perfo rm anc e  cha racter
i st ics w ith  reg ard  t o aqu aplani ng,  noise  and 
we ar. 
- W e  reco mmend  t hat  you  pay  pa rticular  at
te nti on t o this  fact  d uring  wet  we ather  and 
t h at  you  a dju st  yo ur  spee d  to m atc h  ro ad 
con ditions. 
- R epl ace  the  fla t  tire w ith  a  n ew  one  an d 
have  it  ins talled  o n your  ve hicle  as  soon  as 
p oss ible to  restore  the  handlin g ad vantages 
of a  uni direct io na l tire . 
Notes  on  wheel  changing 
Please  rea d the  informati on c> page  257 , New 
t ires and  replacing  tires  and  wheels 
if you  are 
go ing  t o  u se  a  spare  tire which  is d ifferent 
from  the  tires  on your  ve hicle. 
Afte r you  chan ge  a  t ire : 
-Check the  tire  pressure  on the  spare  imme
diately  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  service  station. 
- With  steel  and alloy  wheel  rims , the  wheel 
bolts  are correctly tightened  at  a torque  of 
90  ft  lb  (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  as 
possible.  Remount  the  wheel  cover . 
Until then , drive with  extra care and  at  re
duced  speeds. 
A WARNING 
-
- If  you  are  going  to  e quip your  ve hicl e 
with  tires  or  rims  which  differ  from  those 
which  were  facto ry  installed,  then  be 
sure  to  rea d the  informati on 
9 page  257, 
New  tir es and  replacing  tires  and 
w he els . 
- Always ma ke sure  the  damag ed wheel  o r 
even  a flat  tire  and  the  jack  a nd  tool  ki t 
ar e prop erly s ecu red  in the luggage  co m
p artm ent  and  are not  lo ose in the  pas 
s e ng er c ompa rtm ent . 
- I n an  acci dent  or  sudd en man euve r they 
could  fly  forwa rd,  inju ring  anyon e in  the 
v eh icle. 
- Always  store  d amag ed  wh eel, jack and 
too ls  secur ely  in the  lugg age  c ompart 
ment.  Otherwi se,  in  an  accident  or su d
de n maneuve r they  co uld  fly forw ard, 
causing  inj ury to  passe ngers  i n the  ve hi
cle.