
208 Tires and wheels
handling when in good condition and properly
inflated ¢
.&..
We recommend that all work on tires and
wheels be perfo rmed by an authorized A udi
dealer. They are familiar with recommended
procedures and have the necessary special
tools and spare parts as well as the proper fa
cilities for disposing of the old tires .
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary information about technica l requirements for
installing or changing tires and r ims.
Replacing tires and wheels
Tires should be rep laced at least in pairs and
not individually (for example both front tires
or both rear tires together).
Be sure to read and heed the information to
the tire pressure monitoring system
¢ page 214.
Always buy rep lacement radial tires that have
the same specifications as the tires approved
fo r your vehicle by Audi. Replacement tires
must always have the same load rating speci
fication as the original equipment or approved
optional tires listed in the table ¢
page 200.
Audi-approved specification tires are specially
matched to your vehicle and its load limits,
and can contribute to the important road hold
ing, driving characteristics, and safety of the
vehicle. The table
( q page 200) lists specifica
tions of the tires approved for the Audi mod
els covered by your Owner's Literature .
The tire pressure labe l located on driver's side
B-pillar
( q page 200, fig. 143) lists the speci
f ications of the orig inal equipment tires in
stalled on your veh icle at the time it was man
ufactured .
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to
place standardized information on the s ide
wall of all tires
¢ fig. 146. This information
identifies and describes the fundamental
characterist ics, the quality grade of the tire
and also provides a tire ident ificat ion number
fo r safety standard certificat ion and in case of
a recall.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it eas
ier to choose the correct tires. Radial ti res
have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewa ll, for examp le:
P245/45R1795H
This conta ins the following information :
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars
245 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire
from sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In
general, the larger the number, the wider
the tire
45 Height/w idt h ratio in percent (aspect ra-
t io)
R Tire construct ion: Radial
17 Rim diameter code (in inches)
95 Load rating code
H Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF") indicates
t h at the t ire is a"Reinforced" or an "Extra
Load " tire
M+S (or "M/5") Indicates that the ti re has
some mud and snow capability
The tires could also have the information of
direction of rotat ion
q page 196.
Tire manufacturing date
The manufact uring date is also indicated on
the tire sidewall (possibly only on the
inner
side of the wheel):
"DOT ... 2211 ... "means, for examp le, that
the tire was produced in the 22nd week of
2011.
Speed rating (letter code)
The speed rating letter code on the whee ls in
dicates the maximum permissible road speeds
¢.&. in Winter tires on page 212 .
p up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph ( 170 km/h)
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)

210 Tire s and wheel s
Driving with different tires reduces vehi
cle handling and can lead to a loss of
co ntrol.
- If the spare tire is not the same as the
t ires that are mounted on the veh icle -
for example with winter tires - on ly use
the spare tire for a short period of time
and dr ive with extra ca re. Refit the nor
ma l road whee l as soon as safely possi
ble.
- Never drive faste r than the maximum
speed for which the tires o n your veh icle
are ra ted because ti res th at are driven
faster than their rated speed can fail
sudden ly .
- Over loading t ires c ause heat b uild- up,
sudden tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of control.
- T emperature grades app ly to tires t hat
are properly inflated and not over o r un
derinflated.
- F or technical reasons it is not a lways
possible to use wheels from other
vehicles -in some cases not even w heels
from the same vehicle model.
- If you insta ll wheel trim discs on t he ve
hicle whee ls, make sure that the air f low
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 t ires may on ly be used on
vehicles that were equ ipped w it h them
at the facto ry. The vehicle must have a
chassis des igned for run f lat t ires and a
fac to ry-installed t ire p ress ure moni to r
ing system that ind ic a tes a loss of tire
pressure. Incorrect use of run flat tires
can lead to vehicle damage or accidents .
Check with an a uth orized Audi dea ler or
t i re spec ialist to see i f your vehicle can be
equipped with run flat tires. If r un flat
t ires a re used, they must be installed on
all four wheels . M ixing tire types is not
permitted . (D Note
-For technical reasons, it is not generally
poss ible to use the w heel rims from oth
er ve hicles. T his can hold tr ue for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
- If the spare tire is diffe rent from the
tires that you have mounted on your ve
hicle (for example winter tires or wide
profi le tires), then use the spare tire for a
short period of time only and drive w ith
extra care. Replace the flat tire w it h the
ti re mat ching the othe rs on your vehicle
as soon as possi ble.
- N ever d rive without the valve stem cap.
T he v alves co ul d get damaged.
@ For the sake of the environment
Dis pose of o ld tires in accordance w ith the
l ocal requirements.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Tra ction AA A B (
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicab le
o n the tire s ide wall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width
¢ page 207,
fig. 146.
For example: Tread wear 200 , Traction AA,
Temperature A.
All passenger car ti res must conform to Feder
al Safety Req uirements in add ition to these
grades .
Tread wear
The tread wear g rade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
u nder contro lled conditions o n a specified
government test course.
F o r example, a tire gra ded 150 wo uld wear
one and one ha lf (11/2) times as well on the
government course as a ti re graded 100.

The relative perform a nee of ti res depends
upon the actua l conditions of their use, how
ever, and may depart sign ificantly from the
norm due to var iat ions in dr iving habits, serv
ice practices and differences in road character
istics and climate .
Trac tion
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled cond itions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance ¢,&. .
Temp erature
The temperature grades are A (the h ighest),
B, and
C, representing the t ire's resistance to
the generat ion of heat and its ability to dissi
pate heat when tested under controlled condi
tions on a specified i ndoor 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 ti re fa ilu re ¢ ,&. .
The grade
C corresponds to a level of perform
ance which all passenger car tires must meet
u nder the Federa l Moto r Veh icle Safety Stand
ard No.
109. G rades Band A represent h igher
l eve ls of perfo rmance on the laboratory tes t
wheel than the minimum required by law .
A WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on stra ight-ahead b raking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplan ing or peak traction
character istics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this t ire is es
tablished for a t ire that is p roperly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed, un
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
-
Tire s an d wheel s 211
separately or in combinat ion, can ca use
heat bui ldup and possible tire failure.
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 winter or "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread. These tires should
o nly be used in pairs and be installed on all
four wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
t ires that are the same size and construction
type as the other tires on your vehicle.
If your vehicle is equipped w ith all-whee l
drive*, th is w ill improve traction during winter
driv ing, even with the standa rd tires. Howev
er, we strongly recommend that you always
equip all fou r wheels o n your veh icle w ith cor
rect ly fitted winter tires o r all-season t ires,
when winter road condit ions are expe cted .
T his also improves the veh icle's braking per
formance and reduces stopping distances.
Summe r tires provide less grip on ice and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted
o n all fo ur wheels .
Ask your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop for permitted
winter tire siz es. Use
only rad ial w inter t ires.
Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
0 .157 inch
(4 mm) .
Only drive w ith w inter t ires under w inter con
dit ions. Summer t ires handle better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °() .
If you have a flat tire, see notes on spare
whee l
¢page 207.
Please a lways remember that winter tires may
have a lower speed rating than the tires origi -
nally installed on your vehicle at the time it .,.
•
•

216 Tires and wheels
Inflate the tire pressure to the proper
pressure as indicated on the vehicle's tire
pressure label¢
page 200. Driving on a
significantly under-inflated tire causes
the tire to overheat and can lead to tire
failure. Under-inflation also is likely to
impair the vehicle's handling and stop
ping ability .
- The driver is responsible for maintaining
the correct tire pressures. You must
check the tire pressures regularly.
- Under certain conditions (such as a spor
ty driving style, winter conditions or un
paved roads), the pressure monitor ind i
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 veh icle or accidents
could also result.
- If you switch between standard and run
flat tires, an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop must reprogram the
control module .
@ 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 t ires with
the "AO" or "RO" identification on the
tire sidewall ¢
page 207. We recom
mend using these tir es.
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
(Stepl)
Applies to veh icles: w ith tire pressure monitoring system
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels are ro
tated or changed, the TPMS must be reset in
the menu display.
----- ®
Fig. 148 Wipe r lever: Contro ls fo r the menu d isplay
Fig. 149 Disp lay: S ta rt m enu
I Rese t I button @ and rocker switch @
¢
fig. 148 functions:
To open the menu
" Press the I Reset ! button @ unt il the menu
disp lay
~fig. 149 appears
Selections and settings
" Press the rocker switch @ to reach a menu
disp lay. The switch is operated the same as
the display (up/down) .
Entering and confirming
" Press the I Reset I button @.
Returning to the Start menu
" Press the I Rese t I button longer than 2 sec
onds to return from any menu level to the
Start menu.

218 Tires and wheels
When it is not possible to continue
driving , even with run-flat tires?
-If the E lectronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
is not working or keeps coming on.
- If the
Tire Pr essure Monitoring System does
not work .
- If the tire has been severely damaged, in a
crash , for example. The tread can separate
from a damaged tire as the wheel turns, and
hit parts of the vehicle, such as the fuel tank
filler neck , fuel lines or brake lines.
- Do not continue driving if severe vibration occurs or if the tire starts to smoke because
the tire is running hot.
- Do not continue driving if damage to the
tire, such as cracks in the sidewall, appears.
A WARNING
Improper use of run-flat tires can cause
vehicle damage that can lead to loss of ve
hicle control, a crash and serious personal
lnJUry.
- Run-flat tires can only be used with spe
cial rims.
- Run-flat tires must always be mon itored
with a properly programmed Tire Pre
ssu re Monit oring Sys tem.
- Always inspect a tire that has lost air to
make sure it is safe to drive with the tir e
in the run-flat mode.
- Never drive with run-flat tires that have
been damaged in a collision.
- Never drive with run-flat tires if heat
build-up causes the tire to give off
smoke.
- Never drive with run-flat tires if the vehi
cle shakes or vibrates severely.
- Never drive with a run-flat tire that de
velops sidewall cracks or other damage
wh ile in use .
-If you switch between standard and run
flat tires, an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop must reprogram the
control module.
(D Note
Run-flat tires have specia l characteristics
and requirements, that are very different
from conventional tires. Run-flat tires re
quire special rims for run-flat use and can
not be used on conventional wheel rims.
(D Tips
- If you are not able to cont inue driv ing
w ith run-flat tires, please seek professio
nal assistance.
- Please contact your authorized Audi
dealer or Audi of America, Inc. if you
have questions about tires and rims .
Driving with run-flat tires
Applies to vehicles: wit h Run -flat tires
Handling characteristics change when tire
pressure is low .
Driving on tires with low tire pressure changes
the way a veh icle handles, particularly when
cornering and braking. The handling charac
teristics of run-flat tires do not seem to
change a lot even when driving on low pres
sure or in the run-flat mode . Nevertheless you
must still take spec ia l precautions when oper
at ing a vehicle on run-flat tires when tire pres
sure is low o r the tire(s) is flat:
.,. Th e Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
must be switched on.
.,. Never drive faster than SO mph (80 km/h)
q &_ .
.,. Plan ahead when driving and anticipate
what you will have to do considering traffic
and road conditions up ahead .
.,. Accelerate carefully.
.,. Avo id unnecessary and sudden steering and
brak ing maneuvers .
.,. Reduce your speed in plenty of time before
intersections, curves and other places where
you may have to react qu ickly.
Please see:
qpage 218, When it is not possi
ble to continue driving, even with run-flat
tires?

Handling characteristics change when
driving with low air pressure or with flat
tires even with special run-flat tires
A low pressure or flat front tire affects vehicle
handling characteristics by pu lling the vehicle
slightly to the side where the tire is mounted
and reduces braking performance .
A low pressure or flat
rear tire also affects
driving character istics by pulling to the side
where the tire is mounted and also reduces
brak ing performance. The effect on vehicle
handling is most not iceable when driving
around curves.
A WARNING
Changed vehicle handling character istics
when driving in the run -f lat mode can
cause loss of vehicle contro l, a crash and
serious personal injury.
- Driving on special run-flat tires in the
run-f lat mode wi ll change vehicle han
dling characteristics during braking,
when cornering and under heavy acceler
ation.
- Never drive faster than the maximum
rated speed of 50 mph (80 km/h) when
dr iv ing in the run -flat mode.
- Always adjust vehicle speed to traffic,
road and weather cond itions and drive
slower than the max imum rated speed if
necessary weather and road conditions
are taken into account.
- Always obey speed limits and other traf
fic laws.
Q) Note
We always recommend driving w ith even
more care when using these special t ires in
the run-flat mode . Always avo id sudden
maneuvers.
Tires and wheels 219
Replacing run-flat tires and rims
App lies to veh icles : w it h Run -flat t ires
Your vehicle was especially designed to use
special run-flat tires.
You may use and combine only approved run
flat tires and special matching rims that have
been designed for run-flat tires . Mounting
special run-flat tires on standard wheels will not work and w ill not prov ide the advantages
fo the ru n-falt feature . Never use spec ial run
flat tires on standa rd wheel rims.
After dr iving with a tire i n the run-flat mode,
always have the vehicle and affected tire(s)
and rim(s) inspected by a n authorized Audi
dealer. Tires that have been driven in the run
f lat mode must be rep laced .
A WARNING
-Use of damaged run-flat tires and rims can
cause vehicle damage that can lead to loss
of vehicle control, a crash and serious per
sonal injury.
- Always have the vehicle and affected
tire(s) and r im(s) inspected by an author
ized Audi dealer after driving a tire in the
run-flat mode .
- Tires that have been dr iven in the run
flat mode must be replaced.
•
•

Consumer Information
Warranty coverages
Your Audi is covered by the following war
ranties :
-New Vehicle Limited Warranty
- Limited Warranty Against Corrosion Perfo-
ration
- Emissions Control System Warranty
- Emissions Performance Warranty
- California Emissions Con trol Warranty (USA
vehicles only)
- California Emissions Performance Warranty
(USA vehicles only)
Detailed information regarding your warran
ties can be found in your
Warranty & Mainte
nance booklet .
Operating your vehicle
outside the U.S.A. or
Canada
Government regulations in the United States
and Canada require that automobiles meet
specific emission regulations and safety
standards. Therefore, veh icles built for the
U.S.A. and Canada differ from vehicles sold in
other countries .
If you p lan to take your vehicle outside the
continental limits of the United States or Can
ada, there is the possibility that:
- unleaded fuels for vehicles with cata lytic
converter may not be available;
- fuel may have a considerably lower octane
rating . Improper fuel may cause engine
damage ;
- service may be inadequate due to lack of
proper service facilities, tools or testing
equipment ;
- replacement parts may not be readily availa
ble.
- Navigation systems for vehicles built for the
U.S.A. and Canada will not necessari ly work
in Europe, and may not work in other coun
tries outside of North America.
Consumer Information 243
@ Note
Audi cannot be responsible for mechanical
damage that could result from inadequate
fuel, service or parts availab ility.
Audi Service Repair
Manuals and Literature
Audi Offic ial Factory Service Manuals and Lit
erature are published as soon as possible after
model introduction. Service Manuals and liter
atu re are availabl e to order from the Audi
T echnical Literature Ordering Center at:
www.audi.techliterature.com
Maintenance
' General
Your vehicle has been designed to help keep
maintenance requirements to a minimum.
However, a certain amount of regular mainte
nance is still necessary to assure your vehicle's
safety, economy and reliability . For detailed
vehicle maintenance consult your Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet.
Under difficult operating conditions , for ex
ample at extremely low outside temperatures ,
in very dusty regions, etc., some service work
shou ld be pe rformed between the intervals
specified. This applies particularly to:
- oil changes, and
- cleaning or replacing the air fi lter.
@ For the sake of the environment
By regu larly maintaining your vehicle, you
help make sure that emission standards
are maintained, thus min imizing adverse
effects on the environment.
Important considerations for you and
your vehicle
T he increasing use of electron ics, soph isticat
ed fuel injection and emission control sys
tems, and the generally increasing technica l
complexity of today's automobiles, have ..,_
•
•

24 4 Con sum er Inf ormation
steadi ly reduced the scope of maintenance
and repairs which can be carried out by vehicle
owners.
Als o, sa fe ty a nd en vir onm ent al con
cerns place very strict limits on the nature of
repairs and adjustments to engine and trans
miss ion parts which an owner can perform .
Maintenance, adjustments and repa irs usua lly
require special tools, testing devices and oth
er equipment available to specially trained
workshop personnel in order to assure proper pe rformance, reliab ility and safety of the vehi
cle and its many systems.
Improper maintenance, adjustments and re
pa irs can impair the operation and reliab ility
of your vehicle and even void your vehicle war
ranty. Therefore, proof of servic ing in accord
ance w ith the ma intenance schedule may be a
condition for upholding a poss ible warranty
claim made within the warranty period.
Above all, operational safety can be adversely
affected, c reating unnecessary risks for you
and your passengers.
If in doubt about any se rv icing, have it done
by your author ized Audi dealer or any other
p roperly equipped and qualified workshop.
We strong ly urge you to give yo ur autho rized
Audi dealer the opportunity to perfo rm all
schedu led maintenance and necessary repairs.
Your dea ler has the facilities, original parts
and trained specialists to keep your vehicle
running properly.
Performing limit ed m aint enance yours elf
The following pages describe a limited num
ber of proced ures which can be performed on
your vehicle with ordinary too ls, shou ld the
need arise and trained personnel be unavaila
ble. Before performing any of these proce
dures, always thoroughly read all of the app li
cable text and carefully follow the instruc
tions given . Always rigorously obse rve the
WARNINGS p rovided.
Before you ch eck anything in th e eng ine
co mpartm ent , alway s re ad and h eed all
WA RNINGS
c::> .&. and c::> .&. in Working in the
engine compartment on page 180.
_& WARNING
- Serious personal injury may occur as a re
sult of improperly performed mainte
nance, adjustments or repa irs.
- Always be extremely careful when work
ing on the vehicle. Always follow com
monly accepted safety pract ices and gen
eral common sense. Never r is k personal
inju ry.
- Do not attempt any of the maintenance,
checks or repairs descr ibed on the fol
lowing pages if you are not fu lly fam iliar
with these or other procedures with re
spect to the vehicle, or are uncertain how
to proceed .
- Do not do any work without the proper
too ls and equipment. Have the necessa ry
work done by your authorized A udi deal
er or another proper ly equipped and
qualified workshop.
- The engine compartment of any motor
veh icle is a potentially hazardous area.
Never reach into the area around or
touch the radiator fan. It is temperature controlled and can sw itch on suddenly -
even when the engine is off and the igni
tion key has been removed. The rad iator
fan switches on automatical ly when the
coo lant reaches a certain temperature
and will continue to run until the coo lant
temperature drops .
- Always remove the ign ition key before
anyone gets under the vehicle.
- Always support your vehicle with safety
stands if it is necessary to work under
neath the vehicle. The jack supplied with
the vehicle is not adequate for this pur
pose and cou ld collapse causing serious
personal injury.
- If you must work underneath the vehicle
with the wheels on the ground, always
make sure the vehicle is on leve l ground,
that the wheels a re a lways secure ly
b locked and that the engine cannot be
started.
- Always make sure the transmission se
lector lever (automatic transmission) is