206 Tires and wheels
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of
different things including proper installation
and balancing, correct tire pressure and driv
ing style.
Fig. 144 Tire tread: tre ad wea r ind icators (TWI)
l --------- ---
Fig. 145 Rotating t ires for more ev en wea r
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The original tires on your vehicle have
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear indicators"
c::> fig . 144 running across the tread. Depend
i ng on the make, there will be six to eight of
them evenly p laced around the tire. Marks on
the tire sidewa ll (for example "TWI" or other
symbols) indicate the positions of the tread
wear ind icators . Worn t ires must be replaced .
Different figures may apply in other countries
c::> & .
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear
and can cause sudden t ire blow-out. For th is
reason, tire pressure must be checked at least
once a month
c::> page 202 .
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy acceleration
and hard braking increase tire wear.
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the
same service life, we recommend that the
front and rear tires are rotated according to
the tire manufacturer's suggested tire rota
tion intervals. Please remember the follow
ing :
- Tire rotation intervals may differ from the
vehicle service interva ls outlined in your
Warranty
& Maintenance Booklet.
- The longer one tire is used in one location
on the vehicle, the more it wears at certain
points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufacturer's suggested
tire rotation intervals .
- Vehicles with front-wheel drive experience
more tread wear on the front wheels com
pa red to all-wheel drive (quattro ®).
- Please rotate tires as shown
c::> fig. 145.
-Extra care must be taken when rotating di-
rection-specific tires
c::> page 22 7 .
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced.
However, various situations during everyday
driving can cause them to become unbal
anced, re sulting in vibrat ions you can usually
feel through the steer ing wheel.
Unbalanced wheels must be rebalanced to
avoid excessive wear on steering, suspension
and tires. A whee l must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can cause exces
sive tire wear, impairing the safety of the veh i
cle. If tires show excessive wear, have the
whee l alignment checked by an authori zed
Audi dealer or qualif ied workshop.
all-wheel drive
Vehicles with quattro ® mus t always have tires
of the same size, construction and tread type .
For details see
c::> page 155. ..,.
224 What do I do now?
What should I be
aware of when
changing a tire?
General information
The following sections will provide you with
important information on how to change a
tire using the vehicle tool kit.
However, we recommend that you have a
qualified service center change the tire and
perform all work associated with changing it .
Wheels with cap-covered wheel bolts
Applies to vehicles: with cap-covered whee l bolts
The caps must be removed first from the
wheel bolts before the bolts can be un
screwed .
Fig. 157 Wheel change: removing the wheel bolt caps
Removing
• Push the plastic clip provided with the on
board tool kit down over the wheel bolt cap
u ntil it engages.
• Pull on the properly engaged
plastic clip to
extract the cap¢
fig. 157 .
Refitting
• Place the caps over the wheel bolts and
push them back in.
The caps are there to protect and keep the
wheel bolts clean.
Decorative wheel covers
Applies to vehicles: with decorative wheel covers
The decorative wheel covers must be removed
first to access the wheel bolts .
Fig. 158 Wheel change: removing the wheel cover
Removing
• Insert the hook prov ided with the on board
tool kit into the hole on the center hub
piece.
• Pull off the
decorative wheel cover
¢fig. 158.
Loosening and tightening the wheel
bolts
The wheel bolts must be loosened before rais
ing the vehicle.
Fig. 159 Wheel change: loosening the wheel bolts
Loosening
• Fit the wheel bolt wrench over the wheel
bolt and push it down as far as it will go.
• Close your grip around the
end of the
wrench handle for maximum torque and
turn the wheel bolts
counter-clockwise
about one single turn in the direction of ar -
row
r:!> fig. 159. .,..
(D Note
When removing or installing the wheel,
the rim could hit the bra ke rotor and dam
age the rotor . Wor k carefully and have a
second person help you.
N ever use the hexa gonal s ocket in the ha n
d le of the screwdriver to loosen or t ighten
the wheel bolts.
- Pull the reversib le blade from the screw
drive r before yo u use the hexagonal
socket in t he handle to t urn the whee l
bo lts .
- When mounting tires with
unid irectional
tread design
make s ure the tread pat
te rn is poi nte d the r ight way
¢pag e 227.
-The wheel bolts should be clea n and easy
to tu rn . Ch eck for dirt and corros ion on
the mat ing su rfaces of both the whee l
a nd th e hu b. Remove a ll dir t fro m these
s ur fa ces before remo unting the wheel.
Notes on wheel change
Pl ease rea d the information ¢ page 207, New
tires and replacing tires and wheels,
i f you are
going to use a spare t ire which is different
from the tires on your ve hicle.
Afte r you change a tire:
- Check the tire pressure on the spare imme
diately after mounting .
- Have the wheel bolt tightening torque
che cked 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 while changing a tire that the
wheel bolt s are co rroded and diffi cult to
turn , then they should be replaced before
you check the t ightening torque.
What do I do now? 227
- 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 go ing to e quip your ve hicl e
wit h tires o r rims which differ from those
which were factory installed, t hen be
sure to read the information¢
page 207,
New tires and replacing tires and
wheels .
-Always sto re the tools secu rely in lug
gage compartment. Othe rwise, in a n ac
cident o r su dd en maneuv er they cou ld fly
forwa rd, causi ng injury to passe ngers in
the vehicle.
Tires with unidirectional tread design
Tires with unidirectional tr ead design must be
mounted with their tread pattern pointed the
right dire ction.
A u nidirectional tire can be identified by ar
rows on the sidewall,
which point in the direc
tion of t he rota tion. Yo u m ust follow the
s p ecifie d direction of rot ation. This i s nece ssa
r y in order fo r these tires to develop t heir op
timum character istics regard ing grip, road
no ise, wear, and hydrop la ning.
•
•
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 ..,_
•
•
250 Index
Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Driver information system Boost .......................... .. 28
E ng ine oi l tempe ratu re d isplay .. .. .... 26
Engine oil temperatu re indicator ...... 28
Menu button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Menu display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Open door or front lid warning . . . . . . . . 22
Outside temperature display .. .. .. .. . . 22
Red symbols ................. ...... 13
Service interval display ...... .. .. .. .. 28
Setting .. .. ... .... ...... ... ... .. .. 26
Sound system display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Trip computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
ye llow symbo ls ......... .. .. .. .. .. .. 13
Driver seat
refer to Seat ing pos ition . ........ .. .. 91
Driving Run-flat tires . ........... .... .... . 218
Driving safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Driving through water ........ .. .. ... 160
Duplicate key .............. ... .... .. 32
Dust filter . ... .............. .. .. .. .. 67
E
Efficiency program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Fuel economy messages ..... .. .. .... 27
Memory levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Other equipment ........... .. .. .. .. 27
Elapsed time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Electro-mechanical power assist . . . 17, 155
E lectronic diffe rent ial lock (EDL) .. .. ... 150
Warn ing/ indicator lights ....... .. .... 18
Electronic immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 33
Electronic power control EPC warning/indicator light . ..... .. .. 19
E lect ronic speed limiter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Warning/indicator lights ..... .. .. .. . . 17
Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) . .. 150
E mergency flasher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Warn ing/ indicator l ights ... .... .... .. 21
Emergency locking ............. .... .. 37
Emergency operation
Rear lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
E mergency starting ........ .... ..... 232 Emergency towing
.............. .... 234
Energy management . ............ ... 156
Battery power ................ .... 157
Driver notification ............. .. .. 157
Engine Checking and filling locations .... .. .. 182
Coolant . .. ... ... .. .......... ... .. 187
Hood . .... .. .. .. ............. .. .. 180
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71, 72
Starting with jumper cables ... .. .. .. 232
Stopping .. .... .. .. .............. .. 73
Engine compartment ......... ... .. .. 182
Safety instructions ... .......... .. .. 180
Working in the eng ine compartment 180
Engine coolant system Malfunction ..... ... ........... ... . 16
Radiator fan . .. .. ..... ..... ... .. .. 189
Temperature gauge ....... ..... .. .. . 11
Engine cooling system ........... .... 187
Adding coolant ................ .... 188
Checking the engine coolant level ..... 187
Engine data ..... .. ................ . 240
Engine hood
Closing . .. .. .. .. ............... .. 180
How to release the hood .......... .. 180
Engine oil ...... .. .. ..... ... ... .. .. 182
Adding . ...... .. .. ..... ... ... .. .. 185
Additives .. .. .. .. .. ... ........ .... 185
Changi ng ... .. .. ............. .. .. 186
Checking the engine oil leve l ..... .... 185
Indications and conditions requiring ex-
tra checking ..... ................ . 185
Oil consumption . ................. . 184
Oil grades . ................... .... 182
Recommended oil check intervals . .. .. 185
Specification and viscosity . ...... .. .. 182
Temperature display ........ ... .. .. . 26
Engine oil level .... ................ .. 19
Engine oil pressu re (ma lfunction) .... .. . 16
Engine oil sensor defective . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Engine oil temperature indicator ........ 28
Engine speed limitation . ......... .. .. . 19
Environment Break-in period .................... 159
Catalytic converter ....... ...... .. .. 160
Dispos ing of your veh icle battery . . . . . 191
Driving at high speeds . ...... ... .. .. 161
Roof rack Loading .... ..... ..... ... .. .. .. .... 61
Mounting locations ...... ... .. .. .. .. 61
Safe mounting ........... .... .. .... 60
Roof weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Run-flat tires ............... ... ... .. 217
Driving .................... ... ... 218
I ntroduct ion ............. .... .. .. . 217
Replacing defects parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
s
SAFE ...... ... ................ .... . 12
Safe driving hab its . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Safety belt posi tion ........ .. .. .. .. . 105
Safety belts worn by p regnant women . 105
Safety belt prete nsioner
Service and disposal ...... .. .. .. .. . 107
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Cleaning . .. ............. .... .. ... 174
Danger to passe ngers who do not wear a
safety belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Fasten ing .. .. .............. ... ... 104
I mp roperly worn ......... .. .. .. .. . 106
N ot wo rn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 2
pretensioners .... ..... ... .. .. .. ... 106
Safety belt position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Safety instructions ..... ... .. .. .. .. . 103
Secur ing ch ild safety seats . .. .. .. .. . 140
Special cons iderations for pregnant
women .. .. ............. .... .. ... 105
Unfasten ing .. ........ ...... .... .. 106
War ning/ indica to r light .. .. .. .. .. .. . 100
WhyYOU MUSTwea rthem . .. .. .. .. . 100
Wo rn properly ........... .. .. .. .. . 10 2
Safety belt warn ing light . . . . . . . . . 16, 100
Safety compliance sticker ... .. .. .. .. . 238
Safety equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Safety features for occupant restra int and
protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Safety guide lines
Seat adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Safety instructions Eng ine compartment ...... .. .. .. .. . 180
fo r us ing chi ld safety seats . .. .. .. .. . 133
F or using safety be lts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Mo nitoring the Advanced Airbag Sys-
tem ... .. .. ... .. .. ..... ... .. .. ... 121
Inde x 255
Safety lock (Ignition key) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Seat adjustment Drive r's seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Front passenger's seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
F ron t seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Head restraints .. .. . ... .... ... .. .. . 94
Head restraints , front seat ... ... .. .. . 57
Manua l controls . ... .. .. .... ... .. .. . 55
Power seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Safety gu idelines . ................. . 54
seatback ang le . ... ............... .. 55
Seating capacity ..... . .. ..... ... .. .. 100
Seat ing position
D rive r .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. . 91
F ron t passenger .. ................. . 92
How to ad just the front seats . ... .. .. . 92
Incorrect seat position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Occ upants ... .. .... . ... ...... ... .. . 91
Rear passengers .. .... ............. . 93
Seats Number of sea ts .... .. ..... ... .. .. 100
Se lector lever emerge ncy release . . . . . . . 86
Se lector lever positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Se rv ice and d ispos al
Safe ty be lt pre tensioner ........ .. .. 107
Se rv ice interval display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Se rvice position for windshield wipers . .. 50
Set me nu ... .. .. .. .. . .............. . 26
Setting Date d isp lay
D igital clock
S ide a irbags ..
... .. ..... ........... 11
11
Description .. .. .. ... ............ .. 126
How they work . .. ............. .... 127
S ide marker lights ... . ... .... ... .. .. . 42
Snow cha ins .. .. .... .......... ..... 212
Sockets .... .. .. .. ................. . 63
Sound sys tem disp lay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Sources of information about child re -
stra ints and their use .... ....... .... . 149
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Speed ra ting letter code . ......... .... 208
Speed warning system ... ..... ... .. .. . 74
Sport b utton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Sport mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78, 1S2
Starting ass istance . ................. 233
•
•
256 Index
------------------------------------
Starting on hills
H ill hold ass ist . ....... ... .. .. .... ..
74
Starti ng the eng ine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 1, 7 2
Wha t should I do if the eng ine does no t
s ta rt? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7 2
Steel wheels ........... .... ... .. ... 169
St ee ring
refer to Ele ct ro -me chanic al power as -
s is t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17, 155
Steer ing column
A dj usting . .... .. ..... ... .. .. .... ..
7 1
Lock ing the st eering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 1
Steps fo r de termining co rrect load lim it . 205
Stopp ing the eng ine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Sto rage ..... ... .. ..... ... .. .. .... .. 64
Compartment in the front seats ... .. . . 64
Cup holde r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Glove compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Storage compartment
E xpanding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
59
S tron ic .... ........... ........ ... .. 80
Dr iving Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 2
Eme rgency program .. .... .. .. .... .. 85
Emergency release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
K ick -down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Launch Con tro l Program ... .. .... .. . . 85
Selector leve r lock ..... ... .. .. .... .. 81
Selector lever pos it ions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
T iptronic controls on t he steering wheel 84
Sun v isors .... .. .. ..... ... .. .. .... .. 4 6
Sw itches
E me rgency flasher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4 5
Symbo ls
Red symbols in the center d isp lay .. ....
13
Yellow symbols in the center d isp lay ... 13
also refer to War ning/Ind icator lights .. 12
T
Tachometer .. .......... ........ ... .. 10
Tank flap
Un lock ing the fue l fille r flap by hand ..
17 9
Tec hni cal mo difi cat ions . .. .. .. .. .... . 24 6
Temper ature ........... ........ ... .. 67
Temperature display
Engin e oi l ... .. .. ..... ... .. .. .... ..
26
Teth er anchors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Tether st rap ...... ................ . 147
The first 1,000 miles (1,500 km) and afte r-
wards .. .... .. .. .. ...... ....... ....
159
T ie-downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59, 97
T ighte ning whee l bo lts ... ........... . 224
Tips for the envi ronment
S aving fuel .. .. .. .... ... ... .. ..... .
62
Tire mob ility system ...... ....... .... 22 0
Tire pressure ........... ........... . 202
Tire p ressure mo nitor ing system ... .. .. 214
Loss of a ir pres sure ..... ..... .. .... 215
Malfun ction . .. .. .... ... ... ... .. .. 215
Rese tting tire press ures ...... .. 216,217
Tire repa ir k it ... .. .. .... .... ... .. .. 220
T ires .......... .................... 196
Rep lac ing . .. .. . .. ... ... ... .. ... .. 2 0 7
run-fl at ... .. .. .. ... .. ..... ... .... 2 17
Serv ice life .... .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. 2 06
speed ra ting lette r code ..... .... . .. 2 08
Ti re manufact uri ng date ..... ... .. .. 208
T ir e specifications ...... ....... .... 208
Tread dep th . .. .. .... ... ... .. ..... 206
Uniform tire quali ty grad ing . .... .... 210
Winter tires ..... ................ . 211
Tires/Wheels
Low aspect rat io ti res .. ... ... ... .. ..
2 13
Ti re mob ility sy stem ... .. ... ... .. .. 220
Ti re pressure moni toring system . .. .. 214
Tire repair kit .. ............ ....... 2 20
T ires and vehicle load limits .... ... .. .. 204
T ires and wheels
Checking t ire p ress ure . ... ... ... .. ..
2 02
Co ld tire infla tion press ure ... ... .... 200
Dimens ions . ..... .. ... ..... ... .. .. 2 07
Gen eral notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
G lossary of tir e and loading t erm inolo-
gy ....... .... .. ...... ... ... .....
197
New tires and wheels .. ... ... ... .. .. 207
Replac ing ... .. .. ... .. ..... ..... .. 208
S now cha ins . .. ............ ....... 212
Tires and veh icle load limits ......... 204
Whee l bolts . .. .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. 2 13
Winter tires . .. .. .... ... ... ... .. .. 2 11
Tire service life .. .. ... .. ..... ..... .. 206
Too l kit . ... .... .. ... .. ..... .... . .. 220
To uch -u p pa int .. .. .... ... ... ... .. .. 168
258 Index
Glossary of tire and loading termino lo-
gy .. .. .... ............. .. .. .... .
197
New tires and wheels ...... .. .. .... . 207
Tires and vehicle load lim its .. .. ..... 204
Wheels/T ires
Steel whee ls ........... .. .. .. .... .
169
When must the airbag system be inspect-
ed? ... .. .. ............... .... .. .. .
119
When should I ad just the tire pressures? 203
When shou ld I check the tire pressures? . 203
Where are lower anchorages located? .. . 144
Where can I find the tire pressures for my
car? .. .. .. .. ..... ........ .. .. .... .
202
Why safety belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100, 101
W indows
C leaning .................. ...... . 168
Conven ience close/open feature . .. .. ..
40
D efrost .. .. ... .......... ...... .. .. 69
Windshield washer fluid .............. 20
Windshield wipers
Folding up ............ .. .. .. .... .. 51
Replacing windshie ld wiper blades ..... 51
Service position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SO
Washer fluid reservoir .............. 194
Winter operation Battery ..... .. .......... .. .. .... .
190
Coolant system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Defrosting windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
69
He ated seats (climate control) . . . . . . . . 70
Tires .. .. ................. ...... . 155
W indows .. ... .. ..... ......... .. . 168
Winter tires ........................
211
All-wheel drive .................... 211
Wiper and washer system ....... .... .. 48
In termi ttent wiping ........ .... ... .. 48
One-tap wiping ......... .... .. .... .. 48
X
X enon-Lights .... .......... .. .. .... . 231