Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can cause exces
sive tire wear, impairing the safety of the vehi
cle. If tires show excessive wear, have the
wheel alignment checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
All wheel drive
Vehicles with quattro must always have tires
of the same size, construction and tread type.
For details see~
page 184 .
.8_ 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 "hydroplaning" and toss 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 being 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 special 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.
Tires and wheels 233
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in .
Fig. 186 Tir e specificat ion codes on t he s idewall o f a
tire
No. Description
@ Passenger car tire (where applicable)
@ Nominal width of tire in millimeters
@ Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
© Radial
® Rim diameter code
® Load index and speed rating
0 U.S. DOT tire identification number
® Audi Original tire
® Sever snow conditions
@ Tire ply composition and materials
used
@ Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and temperature
grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pres-
sure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the
vehicle's design . The tires and rims approved
by Audi are specialty matched to the charac
teristics of the vehicle and can make a major .,.
248 What do I do now?
(D Note
Do not lift the vehicle by the sil l. 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 the spare
tire
Follow these instructions step -by -step for
changing the wheel .
Fig. 195 Chang ing a w hee l: u sing t he screwdriver han
dle (with the blade removed) to turn th e bo lts
Fig . 196 Chan ging a w hee l: al ig nm en t pi n inside the
top hole
After you have loosened a ll wheel bolts and
raised the vehicle off the ground, remove and
replace the wheel as follows:
Removing the wheel
.. Remove the topmost wheel bolt completely
with the
hexagonal socket in the screwdr iv
er hand le (vehicle tool kit)
c::>fig. 195 and
set it aside on a
clean surface.
.. Screw the threaded end of the
alignment
pin
from the tool kit hand -tight into the
empty bolt hole
c::> fig . 196.
.. Then remove the other wheel bo lts as de
scribed above. ..
Take off the wheel leaving the alignment pin
in the bolt hole
c::> (D.
Putting on the spare tire
.. Push the spare tire over the alignment pin.
.. Screw on the wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly using the hexagonal socket .
.. Remove the alignment pin and insert and
tighten the remaining wheel bolt slightly
like the rest.
.. Turn the jack handle counter-clockwise to
lower the vehicle until the jack is fully re
leased .
.. Use the wheel bolt wrench to tighten all
wheel bo lts firm ly
c::> page 246 . 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 wheel
c::> page 245, After changing a
wheel.
The hexagonal socket makes it easier to re
move the wheel bolts from the rim. Care
should be taken when removing the reversible
blade .
(D Note
When removing or installing the wheel,
the rim cou ld hit the brake rotor and dam
age the rotor. Work carefu lly and have a
second person to help you.
(@ Tips
- When mounting tires with
unidirectional
tread design
make sure the tread pat
tern is po inted the right way
c::> page 249.
- The wheel bolts 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
surfaces before remounting the wheel.
- Do not use the hexagonal socket in the
screwdriver handle to loosen or t ighten
the whee l bolts .
