
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs.
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry for a g iven inflation pressure. You
may not find this information on all tires be
cause it is no t req uired by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a t ire at the max i
mum permissible inflation pressure for that
tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated. Also called "maximum inflation pressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the
number of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the total seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle.
Outer diameter
means the overa ll diamete r of an inflated new
tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ
in g elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated parallel cords.
Tires and wheels 251
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those installed
regular production options we ighing over 5
lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and spec ial tr im .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which the ply cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan
tia lly 90 degrees to the center line of the
tread .
Recommended inflation pressure
see¢ page 250, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at h igher inflation pressures than the cor
responding standard tire. Reinforced tires
may be identified as "XL", "xl" , "EXTRA LOAD",
or "RF" on the sidewa ll.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a t ire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Rim diameter
means nom inal diameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you will have to
purchase new tires to match the new rim di
ameter.
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width .
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges .
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
tread and bead.
•
•

The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is
l ocated on a label on the driver's side B-pillar.
Because tec hnical changes may be made to
veh icle equ ipment dur ing the model yea r, a l
ways compare the tire size designation on the
tire pressure label on your vehicle wit h the
tires on your vehicle . Make s ure that the tire
size information on the veh icle label is the
same as the s ize of the t ires on the vehicle.
This is especially important if the vehicle be
longs to someone else or you bought the veh i
cle with different rims/tires or you boug ht the
ve hicle as a previously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your pas
sengers also depends on mak ing su re that
l oad l imits are not exceeded. Vehicle load in
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
veh icle. These load limits are technically refer
red to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating ("GVWR") . The Gross Ax le Weight Rat
ing ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can
be app lied at each of the veh icle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle We ight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance st icker label located on the
driver's side B-p illar . The t ire pressure label on
your Aud i lists the maximum combined
weight of a ll of the occupants and luggage or
other cargo that the vehicle can carry. For the
l ocat ion of the tire pressure labe l
c;, fig. 204.
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Car rying more weight than yo ur vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in
crease the risk of a loss of veh icle con
trol.
- The brakes on a veh icle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance .
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload
ed can fail suddenly causing loss of con
t rol and a crash.
Tire s an d wheel s 255
-Always make sure that the total load be
ing transported - includ ing the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue we ight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehi
cle heavier than the vehicle's Gross Vehi
cle Weight Rating.
A WARNING
- Inco rrect tire pressures and/or underin
flation can lead to a ser ious or fatal acci
dent.
- Inco rrect tire pressures and/or underin
flation cause increased tire wear and can
affect the handling of the vehicle.
- Inco rrect tire pressures and/or underin
flation can a lso lead to sudden t ire fail
ure, including a blowou t and sudden de
flation, caus ing loss of veh icle contro l.
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires original
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressvre label located on driver's side 8-pil
lar.
T he recommended tire pressures are on the
ti re pressure label and in the table
c;, page 253, Cold tire inflation pressure .This
means that the pressure m ust be checked and
adjusted when the tire has not been dr iven for
more than a couple of miles (kilometers) at
low speeds during the previous three hours.
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
as a result of internal frict ion as it flexes in
use. The tire pressure is h igher when the tire
has warmed up t han when it is "cold."
It is the inflation pressure in a "cold" t ire that
counts. Therefore, you should never let a ir out
of a warm tire to match "Cold t ire inflat ion
pressure" recommendat io ns
c;, page 253 . The
ti res wo uld then be unde rinfl ated and co uld
fail suddenly.
T he tire pressure label on your Audi lists the
recommended co ld tire inflation pressures at
max imum capacity for the new, or ig inal
equipment tires that were on your vehi cle at
1J1>
•
•

258 Tires and wheels
mean that less weight can be carried as
luggage.
The tire pressure label on your Audi also lists
the maximum combined weight of all of the
occupants and luggage or other cargo that
the vehicle can carry. For the location of the
label ¢
page 253, fig. 204.
.&_ WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more weight than your vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in
crease the risk of the loss of vehicle con
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload
ed can fail suddenly, including a blowout
and sudden deflation, causing loss of
control and a crash.
- Always make sure that the total load be
ing transported -including the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehi
cle heavier than the vehicle's Gross Vehi
cle Weight Rating.
Determining correct load limit
Use the example below to cal
culate the total weight of the
passengers and luggage or oth
er things that you plan to trans
port so that you can make sure
that your vehicle will not be overloaded.
Steps for Determining
Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF QC
CU PANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX LBS" on your ve
hicle's placard (tire inflation
pressure label)¢
page 253,
fig. 204.
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and pas
sengers from "XXX" kilo
grams or "XXX" pounds
shown on the sticker
¢ page 253, fig. 204.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load capaci
ty. For example, if the "XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs.
and there will be five 150 lbs. passengers in your vehi
cle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load ca
pacity is 650 lbs. (1400-7 50
(5
X 150) = 650 lbs.)
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo ..,

260 Tires and wheels
-Vehicles with front-wheel drive experience
more tread wear on the front wheels com
pared to all-wheel drive (quattro ®).
- Please rotate tires as shown
¢fig. 207.
- Extra care must be taken when rotating di-
rection-specific tires
¢ page 2 78.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced .
H owever, various situations during everyday
driving can cause them to become unbal
anced , resu lting in vibrations you can usually
feel through the steering wheel.
Unba lanced wheels must be rebalanced to
avoid excessive wea r on steering , suspens ion
and tires . A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect whee l alignment can cause exces
sive tire wear, impair ing the safety of the vehi
cle .
If tires show excess ive wear, have the
wheel alignment checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles with quattro® must always have ti res
of the same size, construction and tread type.
F or details see
¢page 203.
A WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of con
trol, a crash and serious personal injury!
- Never drive a vehicle when the tread on
any tire is worn down to the wear indica
tors.
- Worn tires are a safety hazard, they do
not grip well on wet roads and increase
your risk of "hydrop laning" and loss of
control.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause
tire damage, such as grease, oil, gasoline
and brake fluid away from tires.
- Tires age even if they are not be ing used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years old can only be used in an emergency and then with specia
l care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mount used tires on your vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo
ry." Old used tires may have been dam
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in.
Fig. 208 Tir e spec ificatio n codes on the s idewall of a
tire
No.
©
®
®
0
®
®
@
Description
Passenger car tire (where applicable)
Nominal width of tire in mill imeters
Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
Rad ial
Rim diameter code
Load index and speed rating
U.S. DOT tire identification number
Aud i Original tire
Sever snow conditions
Tire ply composition and materials
used
Maximum load rating

-Never mount used tires on your vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo
ry." Old used tires may have been dam
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- All four wheels 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.
- If the spare tire is not the same as the
tires that are mounted on the vehicle -
for example with winter tires - only use
the spare tire for a short period of time and drive with extra care. Refit the nor
mal road wheel as soon as safely possi
ble.
- Never drive faster than the maximum
speed for which the tires on your vehicle
are rated because tires that are driven
faster than their rated speed can fail
suddenly.
- Overloading tires cause heat build-up,
sudden tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of control.
- Temperature grades apply to tires that
are properly inflated and not over or un
derinflated .
- For technical reasons it is not always
possible to use wheels from other
vehicles - in some cases not even wheels
from the same vehicle model.
- If you install wheel trim discs on the ve
hicle wheels, make sure that the air flow
to the brakes is not blocked. Reduced air
flow to the brakes can them to overheat,
increasing stopping distances and caus
ing a collision.
- Run flat tires may only be used on
vehicles that were equipped with them
at the factory. The vehicle must have a
chassis designed for run flat tires. Incor
rect use of run flat tires can lead to vehi
cle damage or accidents. Check with an
authorized Audi dealer or tire specialist
to see if your vehicle can be equipped
Tires and wheels 263
with run flat tires. If run flat tires are
used, they must be installed on all four
wheels. Mixing tire types is not permit
ted.
@ Note
- For technical reasons, it is not generally
possible to use the wheel rims from oth
er vehicles. This can hold true for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
- If the spare tire is different from the
tires that you have mounted on your ve
hicle (for example winter tires or wide
profile tires), then use the spare tire for a
short period of time only and drive with
extra care. Replace the flat tire with the
tire matching the others on your vehicle
as soon as possible.
- Never drive without the valve stem cap .
The valves could get damaged.
(® For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accordance with the
local requirements.
Uniform tire quality grading
-Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire side wall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width
~ page 260,
fig. 208 .
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA,
Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Feder
al Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades .
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
unde r contro lled conditions on a specified
government test course. •
•

26 6 T ire s and whee ls
- Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging t ires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into d irect con
tact with the wheel rim, can scratch or
damage it. Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered . Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow chain manufacturer when doing so.
- If the Adaptive Air Suspension should
malfunction, do not mo unt or use snow
cha ins beca use the veh icle will be ex
tremely low. If you do drive with snow
chains on while the vehicle is at this lev
el, the snow chains might severely dam
age the wheelhouse and other parts of
the veh icle.
Where snow chains are mandatory oncer
tain roads, this normally also applies to
veh icles with All Wheel Drive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque.
The design of whee l bolts is matched to the
factory installed rims. If different rims are fit
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the r ight
length and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted
securely and that the brake system functions
cor rectly .
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a different vehicle - even if it is the same model
~ page 298.
A WARNING
Imprope rly tightened o r maintained wheel
bolts can be come loose caus ing loss of control, a col
lision and serio us personal in
jury.
- Always keep the wheel bo lts and the
threads in the whee l hubs clean so the
wheel bo lts can turn easily and be prop
erly tightened.
- Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and
the threads in the wheel hubs. They can become loose while driv ing if greased or
oiled, even if t ightened to the specified
torque.
- Only use wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed .
- Never use different wheels bolts on your
veh icle.
- Always ma intain the correct tightening
torque for the whee l bolts 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
cle is mov ing. If the tig htening torq ue is
too high, the wheel bolts and threads
can be damaged and the whee l can be
come loose .
(D Note
The specified torque for the whee l bolts is
90
ft l b (120 Nm) with a tolerance of± 7,4
ft lb(± 10 Nm) . Torque whee l bolts diago
nally . After changing a whee l, the torque
must be checked as soon as possible with a
torque wrench -preferably by an author
i zed Audi dealer or qualif ied workshop.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equ ipped w ith low aspect
ratio tires . These tires have been thoroughly
tested and been se lected specifically fo r your
model for their superb perfo rman ce, road fee l
and hand ling under a variety o f driving condi
tions. Ask your authorized A udi dealer for
more details .
T he low aspect ratio of these tires is ind icated
by a numera l of
55 o r less in the tire's s ize
designation. The numeral rep resents the ratio
of the tire's sidewa ll height in relation to its
ll-

Spare wheel
Applies to vehicles: with spare wheel
The spare wheel is stored in the wheel well
underneath the floor panel in the luggage
compartment.
F ig. 21 6 Luggag e compartme nt: spare wheel
Taking out the sp are whee l
• Lift the cargo floor by the plast ic handle
c:> fig . 216.
• Hook the hand le into the luggage compart
ment weather strip .
• Turn the large screw
c:> fig. 216 counter
clockwise.
• Take out the spare tire.
• Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack*
and the replaced tire i n the luggage com
partment
c:> page 140 .
• Unhook the ca rgo floor before closing the
rear lid.
& WARNING
Loose items in the passenger compa rt
ment can cause serious pe rsonal in jury
during hard braking or in an accident.
- Never store the spare wheel or jack and
tools in the passenger compartment.
@ Tips
Check the inflat io n press ure of the spare
tire periodically to keep the tire ready for
use.
-
What do I d o now ? 273
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 failure, pull the
car well away from mov ing traffic and try to
reach
le vel ground before you stop c:> ,&.
• All passengers should leave the car and
move to a safe location (for ins tance, behind
t he guardra il)
c:> ,& .
• Engage the parking brak e to prevent your
vehicle from rolling unintentionally
c:> ,& .
• Move sele ctor lever to po sit ion Pc:> &_ .
• If you are towing a trailer, unhitch the trail
er from your vehicle.
• Take the
jack and the spare tire out of the
luggage compartment
c:> page 271,
c:> page
272 .
& WARNING
You o r you r passengers could be i njured
while changing a wheel if you do not fo l
low these safe ty pre caut ions :
-I f you have a flat tire, move a safe d is
tance off the road. Turn off the e ngine,
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 and possib ly slipping off the
jack, always full y set the parking brake
a nd b lock the wheel d iagonally opposite
the wheel be ing changed. When one
front wheel is lifted off the ground, plac ing the Au tomatic Transmission in "P"
( P ar k) will
not prevent the vehicle from
mov ing .
- Before you chang e a whee l, be s ure the
g round is level and firm. If necessary,
use a sturdy board un der the jac k.
-

276 What do I do n ow ?
ho ld on to the car to keep your ba lance
and take care not to slip .
Raising the vehicle
The vehicle must be lifted with the jack first
before the wheel can be removed .
Fig. 220 Sill panels : m ark ings
Fig . 22 1 Sill: posit ion ing t he veh icle jack
.. Activate the vehicle jack mode in the MMI:
I CAR ! function button > Ca r sys tem s control
button>
S ervicing & checks > Air susp .:
jack mod e > On .
.. Engage the parking brake to prevent your
vehicle from ro lling u ninten tionally.
.. Move the
se lector l ever to po siti on P .
.. Find the marking (imprint) on the sill that
is nearest the wheel that will be changed
o
fig. 220 . Behind the marking, there is a
lifting point on the s ill for the vehicle jack .
.. Turn the
ve hicle jack located under the lift
ing point on the si ll to raise the jack until its
arm @o
fig. 221 is located under the des
i gnated plastic mount o ,& o0.
.. Align the jack so that its arm@o
fig. 221
engages in the designated lifting po int in
the door sill and the movable base @ lies
flat on the gro und. The base @ must be
ver
tical
under the lifting point @. ..
Wind the jack up fu rther until the f lat t ire
comes off the ground o
.&,.
Position t he vehicle jack only under the desig
nated lifting points on the si ll
c:> fig. 220.
There is exactly one locat ion for each wheel.
The jack must not be positioned at any other location
c:> .&, c:>Q).
An un stable surfac e under the jack ca n cause
the vehicle to slip off the jack . Always provide
a firm base for the jack on the ground . If nec
essary place a sturdy board or simi lar support
under the jack. On
hard, slipper y surfaces
(such as tiles) use a rubbe r mat or similar to
prevent the jack from slipping
c:> .&, .
A WARNING ~
-You or your passengers co uld be injured
while changing a wheel if you do no t fo l
low these safety p reca utio ns:
- Position the vehicle jack on ly at the
designated lifting points and align the
jack. Otherwise, the vehicle jack co uld
slip and cause an injury if it does not
have sufficient hold on the vehicle.
- A soft or unstable surface under the
jack may cause the vehicle to slip off
the jack . Always prov ide a firm base for
the jack on the ground. If necessa ry,
u se a st urdy boa rd under the jack.
- On hard, s lippery su rface (such as t iles)
use a rubber mat or sim ilar to prevent
the jack from slipping.
- To help prevent injury to yo urself and
your p asse ngers:
- Do not raise the vehicle until you are
sure the jack is securely engaged.
- Passengers must not remain in the ve
hicle when it is jacked up.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a
safe place away from the vehicle and
well away from the road and traffic .
- Make sure jack pos ition is correct, ad
just as necessary and then continue to
raise the jack.
- Changes in temperature or load can af
fect the height of the vehicle.