256 Tires and wheels
The speed rating letter code( ¢ page 243) is
on the side wall of the tire¢ page
251.
A WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than your vehicle's max
imum speed . Always know the maximum
speed before driving off. Never drive faster
than the speed permitted for your specific
winter tires. This will cause damage to the
tires leading to an accident and serious
personal injury to you and your passen
gers.
A WARNING I>=
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your vehicle
were designed can cause tire failure in
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation,
loss of control, crashes and serious per
sonal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately.
- Winter tires have maximum speed rating
that may be lower than your vehicle's
maximum speed .
- Never drive faster than the speed for
which the winter or other tires installed on your vehicle are rated.
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and
traffic conditions. Never let the good ac
celeration of the winter tires and all-wheel
drive tempt you into taking extra risks . Al
ways remember :
- When braking , an all-wheel drive vehicle
handles in the same way as a front drive
vehicle.
- Drive carefully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot help under black ice conditions.
@) For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather condi
tions permit. They are quieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumption.
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the front
wheels, and only to certain tire sizes . Ask your
authorized Audi dealer on which tire sizes snow chains can be used.
If you are going to use snow chains, then you
must install them on the front wheels at
least.
The snow chains must have low-profile links
and must not be thicker than 0.4 inch
(10,5 mm) , including the lock.
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putting snow chains on your vehicle
¢ (!) . For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are avail
able from authorized Audi dealers.
A WARNING
=
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi-
cle or installing them incorrectly can in
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes . Always make sure to follow the in
structions provided by the snow chain manufacturer.
- When driving with snow chains never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations.
(D Note
- Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily .
- Snow chains, which come into direct 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 mount or use snow
11-
chains because the vehicle 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 severe ly dam
age the wheelhouse and other parts of
the veh icle .
@ Tips
Where snow cha ins are mandatory oncer
tain roads, this normally also applies to
veh icles with all -wheel dr ive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts mu st always be tigh tened to the
correc t torque .
The design of whee l bolts is matched to the
factory in sta lled r ims. If different rims are fit
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the right
length and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used . This ensures that wheels are f itted
secure ly and that the brake system f unctions
correctly .
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a d iffe rent vehicle -even if it
i s the same mode l
¢page 285.
A WARNING
Imprope rly tig hte ned or maintained whee l
bolts can be come loose causin g loss of
contro l, a co llision and serious persona l in
jury .
- Alw ays keep the w heel bolts and the
th reads in the wheel hubs clea n so the
wheel bolts can turn easily and be prop
er ly tightened .
- Never grease or oil the wheel bo lts and
the threads in the w heel h ubs. They can
become loose while driving if greased or
o iled, even if tightened to the specif ied
torque.
- Only use wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed.
- Never use different whee ls bolts on your
vehicle .
- Always maintain the co rrect tightening
torq ue for the wheel bo lts to reduce the
Tire s an d wheel s 257
risk of a wheel loss. If the tighte ning tor
que of t he wheel bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the vehi
cle is mov ing . If the tighte ning torque is
too h igh, the wheel bol ts and threads
can be damaged and the whee l can be
come loose.
(I) Note
The specified torque for the whee l bolts is
90 ft lb ( 120 Nm) with a tole ranc e of± 7,4
ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torq ue whee l bolts diago
nally. Afte r cha nging a whee l, the torq ue
must be checked as soon as possible wi th a
torque w rench -prefe rably by an au thor
i z ed Audi dealer or qualif ied workshop .
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is facto ry-eq uipped with low aspect
ratio tires. These tires have been thoro ughly
tested and been se lected specifically for your
model for their superb performance , road fee l
and handling under a variety of driving cond i
tions . Ask your authorized Audi dealer for
more details.
The low aspect ratio of these t ires is ind icated
by a numeral of
55 or less in the tire's size
designation . The numera l rep resents the ratio
of the t ire's sidewall height in relation to its
t read width ex pressed in perce ntage. Conven
tion al tires have a he igh t/w idth ratio of 60 or
more.
The performance of low-aspe ct-ratio tire s is
particularly sensitiv e to improper infla tion
pres sure. It is therefore important that l ow
a spect ratio tires are inflated to the specified
pre ssure and that the inflation pressure is
regularly checked and maintained. Tire pres·
sures should be checked at least once a
month and always before a long trip
¢ page 246, Checking tire pressure .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more
easily by impact w it h potholes , curbs, gul lies ..,.
•
•
258 Tires and wheels
or ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is
underinflated.
I n o rder to minim ize the occurrence of impact
damage to the tires of your vehicle, we recom
mend that you observe the following precau
tions:
- Always maintain recommended inflation
pressures. Check your tire pressure every
2,000 miles (3,000
km) and add air if neces
sary .
- Drive carefu lly on roads with potholes, deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from driving
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to your tires.
- After any impact, immediately inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest
authorized Aud i dealer. Replace a damaged
t ir e as soon as possible .
- Inspect your tires every 2,000 miles (3,000
km) for damage and wear . Damage is not al
ways easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of
air and underinflation, wh ich could eventu
ally cause t ire failure . If you be lieve that a
t ir e may have been damaged, replace the
tire as soon as possible.
- T hese tires may wea r mo re quick ly than oth
ers.
- Please a lso remember that, while these t ires
deliver respons ive handling, they may ride
less comfortably and make more no ise than
other choices.
Reduced performance in winter/cold
season conditions
All tires are designed for certain purposes.
The low aspect ratio, ultra high performance
tires originally installed on your vehicle are in
tended for maximum dry and wet road per
formance and handling. They are not suitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather condit ions. If
you drive under those circumstances, you should equip your vehicle with all -season or
winter tires, which offer better traction under
those cond it ions. We suggest you use the rec
ommended snow or all-season tires specified
for your vehicle, or their equivalent. Refer
to
q page 255 for more detailed infor
mation regarding winter tires.
Tire pressure monitoring system
ill General notes
Applies to veh icles: w ith tire pressure monitoring system
Each tire, including the spare ( if provided),
shou ld be checked monthly when co ld and in
flated to the inflation pressure recommended
by the veh icle manufacturer on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size than the
s ize indicated on the vehicle placard or tire in
flation pressure label, you should determine
the proper tire inflation p ressu re fo r those
t i res).
As an added safety feature, your ve hicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure mon itoring
system ( TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
tires is significant ly under-inflated. According
l y, when the low tire pressure telltale i llumi
nates, you should stop and check your tires as
soon as possible, and inflate them to the
proper pressure. Driving on a sign ificantly un
der-inflated t ire causes the tire to overheat
and can lead to tire fa ilure . Under-inflation al
so reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle 's handling and
stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute
for proper tire ma intenance, and it is the driv
er's responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not
reached the level to trigger illuminat ion of the
TPMS low tire pressu re tellta le .
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPM S malfunction indicator to ind icat e when
the system is not operating properly. The
T PMS ma lfunction indicator is combined with
the low tire pressure telltale. When the sys
tem detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximately one minute and then ..,_
remain continuously illuminated. This se
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminat
ed, the system may not be able to detect or
signal low tire pressure as intended . TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of rea
sons, including the installation of replace
ment or alternate tires or wheels on the vehi
cle that prevent the TPMS from functioning
properly . Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the re
placement or alternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
Tire pressure indicator appears
Appl ies to vehicles: with tire pressur e monitoring sys te m
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig. 200 Display : underinflation warning
Fig. 201 Display: System malfunction
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni
toring system compares the tire tread circum
ference and vibration characteristics of the in
dividual tires. If the pressure decreases in one
or more tires, this is indicated in the instru-
Tires and wheels 259
ment cluster with a warning symbol [I] and a
message
c::, fig. 200.
The tire pressure monitoring system must be
reset via MMI each time the pressures are ad
justed (e.g. when switching between partial
and full load pressure) or after changing or re
placing a tire on your vehicle
c::, page 260. The
TPMS indicator only monitors the tire pres
sure that you have previously stored. You can
find the recommended tire pressures for your
vehicle on the label on driver's side 8-pillar
~page 244.
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too
low,
- the tire has structural damage,
- the tire pressure was changed, wheels rotat-
ed or replaced but the TPMS was not reset
c::, page 260 .
Warning symbols
[I] Loss of pressure in at least one tire c::> &..
Check the tire or tires and replace or repair if
necessary. The indicator light
[I] in the instru
ment cluster also illuminates
c::>page 12.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS via MMI.
i:mJ) (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
pressure! System malfunction .
If@m appears after switching the ignition on
or while driving
c::, fig. 201 and the indicator
light
[I] in the instrument cluster blinks for
approximately one minute and then stays on,
there is a system malfunction.
Attempt to store the correct tire pressure
c::, page 260. If the indicator light does not
turn off or if it turns on shortly thereafter, im
mediately drive your vehicle to an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized repair facility to
have the malfunction corrected.
260 Tire s and wheel s
_&. WARNING
-If th e tire pressure indicator appea rs in
the instrument cluster d isplay, one or
more of your tires is s ignificantly under
inflated. Reduce your speed immediately
and avoid any hard stee ring or bra king
maneuvers . Stop as soon as possible and
check the t ires and the ir pressures. In
flate the tire pressure to the proper pres
sure as indicated on the vehicle 's t ire
pressure label
c> page 244. Driving on a
signif icant ly 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 ab ility .
- The driver is responsible for ma inta ining
the correct tire pressures. You must che ck the t ire pressures regula rly.
- Under certain cond itions (such as a spor
ty driving style, winter condit ions or un
paved roads), the pressure mon itor ind i
c ator may be de layed.
- Ask your author ized Audi dealer if r un
flat tires may be used on your veh icle.
Yo ur vehicle regist rat ion becomes inval id
if yo u use these tires when not permit
ted . Damage to your vehicle or acc idents
cou ld also resu lt.
(D 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
you r A udi was develope d using t ires with
the "AO" or "RO" identification on the
tire sidewall ~
page 251 . We recom
mend using these t ires.
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels are ro
tated or changed, the TPMS must be reset via
MMI .
.. Switch on the ignition.
.. Select in the MMI :
ICARI function button>
(Car)* system s control button > Servicing &
checks > Tire pres sure monitoring > Store
tire pre ssur es > Ye s, store now .
@ Tips
Do not sto re the tire pressure if there are
s now cha ins on the tire.
262 What do I do now?
Vehicle tool kit
Vehicle tool kit and jack
The vehicle tool kit is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover .
Fig. 204 Luggage compartment: cargo floor cover
folded upward/spare t ire
Fig . 205 Trunk lid: Vehicle tool kit
• Lift the cargo floor by the plastic handle
c:> fig. 204.
• Hook the handle into the luggage compart
ment weather strip.
• Turn the handwheel counter-clockwise
c:>fig. 204 and remove the spare tire to
reach the vehicle tool kit.
• Unhook the cargo floor before clos ing the
rear lid.
The onboard tool kit includes:
- Hooks to remove the wheel covers*
- Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers*
- Wheel bolt wrench
-Alignment p in for changing wheels
- Screwdr iver w ith reve rsible blade
- T owing loop
- Jack
Before storing the jack, make sure it is wound
back down as far as it will go.
A WARNING ,-
Improper use of the vehicle jack can cause
serious personal injuries.
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
tighten wheel bolts, since the bolts can
not attain the necessary tighten ing tor
que if you use the hex head, potentially
causing an accident.
- The factory-supplied jack is intended on
ly for your vehicle model. Under no cir
cumstances should it be used to lift
heavy vehicles or other loads; you risk in
juring yo urself.
- Never start the engine when the vehicle
is raised, wh ich could cause an accident.
- Support the vehicle securely with appro
priate stands if work is to be performed
underneath the vehicle; otherwise, there
is a potential risk for injury.
- Never use the jack supplied with your
Audi on another vehicle, particularly on a
heavier one. The jack is only suitable for
use on the vehicle it came with.
(D Tips
- Some of the onboard items listed above
are provided on certain models only or
are optional extras .
- Before you can raise your vehicle using
the jack, you must activate the jacking
mode
c::> page 266.
Space-saving spare tire (compact spare
tire)
The spare tire/wheel is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover . It
is intended for short-term use only.
Taking out the spare tire
.,. Lift the cargo floor by the p lastic handle
c::> page 262, fig . 204 .
.,. Hook the handle into the luggage compart
ment weather strip.
.,. Turn the large screw
c:> page 262, fig. 204
counter-clockwise .
.,. Take out the spa re tire.
.,. Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack*
and the replaced tire in the luggage com
partment ¢
page 134.
.,. Unhook the cargo floor before clos ing the
rear lid.
Using the spa re tire (compact spare tir e)
The compact spare tire is on ly intended for
emergencies until you can reach a repair shop .
Replace it as quick ly as poss ible with a stand
ard wheel and tire.
There are some restrictions on the use of the compact spare tire. The compact spare tire
has been designed specifically for your type of
veh icle. It must not be swapped with a com
pact spare t ire from another type of vehicle.
Snow chain s
For technical reasons, the use of snow chains
on the compact spare tire is
not permitted.
If you do have to dr ive w ith snow cha ins and a
front tire f ails, mount the spare whee l with
tire instead of a rear tire . Install the snow
chains on the rear tire and use it to replace
the defective front tire.
A WARNING
-Never use the spare tire if it is damaged
o r if it is worn down to the tread wear in
dicators .
- If the spare tire is more than 6 years o ld,
use it only in an emergency and w ith ex
treme caution and careful driving.
- The spare tire is intended only for tem
porary and short-term use. It should be
replaced as soon as possible w ith the
normal wheel and t ire.
- After mounting the compact spare tire,
the tire pressure must be checked as
soon as poss ible. The tire pressure of the
c ompact spare tire must be 4.2 bar; oth
erwise, you risk hav ing an accident .
- Do not drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/
h). You risk having an acc ident.
- Avoid fu ll-throttle acce le rat ion, heavy
braking, and fast corner ing . You risk hav
ing an acc iden t.
What do I do now? 263
- Never drive using more than one spare
wheel and tire. You r isk having an acci
dent .
- Normal summer or winter t ires must not
be mounted on the compact spare wheel
rim.
- For technical reasons, the use of tire
chains on the spare tire is not permitted .
If it is necessary to drive with t ire chains,
the spare wheel must be mounted on the
front axle in the event of a flat in a rear
tire. The newly available front wheel
m ust then be instal led i n place of the
rear whee l w ith the flat tire. Installing
the tire chain be fore mounting the whee l
and tire is recommended.
- Loose items in the passenger compart
ment can cause serious personal injury
during hard braking or in an accident. Never store the inflatable spare tire or
jack and tools in the passenger compart
ment.
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 t ire failure, pull the
car well away from mov ing traffic and try to
reach
l e vel ground before you stop ¢ _&.
.,. All passengers should le ave th e car and
move to a safe location (f or instance, behind
the guardrail) ¢
,&.
.. Engage the par king brake to prevent your
veh icle from rolling unintentionally
c:> _&.
.,. Move selecto r le ver to pos it ion P c:> _& .
.,. If you are towing a trailer, unhitch the trailer
from your veh icle.
.,. Take the
ja ck and the s par e tir e out of the
luggage compartment ¢
page 262,
¢page 262. .,.
•
•
264 What do I do now?
&_ WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured
while changing a wheel if yo u do n ot fol
low t hese safety precautions:
- If you have a flat t ire, move a safe dis
tance
off the road. Turn off the engine,
turn the emergency flashers on and use other warning dev ices to alert other mo
torists.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a safe
place away from the vehicle and well
away from the road and traff ic.
- T o help p revent the veh icle from mov ing
sudden ly and possibly slipping off the
ja ck, always fully set the parking b rake
and bloc k the whee l diagona lly opposite
the whee l being changed. When one
front whee l is lifted off the gro und, plac
ing the Automat ic Transmiss ion in P
(Park) will
not prevent the vehicle from
moving.
- Before you change a wheel, be sure the
ground is level and firm. If necessary,
use a sturdy board under the jack.
- Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack
and the replaced t ire i n the luggage com
partment
c> page 134.
Before chang ing the wheel, yo u m ust acti
vate the jacking mode, so that the auto mat ic cont rols for the Adaptive Air S us
pens ion* do not make it more difficult to
lift the vehicle with the jack
c> page 266.
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow these
quence described below step-by-step and in
exactly that order .
1. Activate the vehicle jack mode*
~page 266.
-
2. Remove the decorative wheel cov er* . For
mo re details see also
c> page 265, Deco
rative wheel covers
or c> page 265,
Wheels with wheel bolt caps.
3 . L oosen the wheel bolt s c> page 265.
4. Locate the proper mounting point for the
jack and alig n the jack below that point
c> page 266 .
5.
Raise the car with the jack c> page 266.
6. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and
then insta ll
the s pare c>page 267.
7. Tighten all whee l bolts lightly.
8 . Lower the vehicle with the jack .
9. Use the wheel bolt wrench and firmly
t igh ten al l w heel bo lts c> page 265.
10. Replace the decora tive wh eel co ver*.
11. Deactivate the vehicle jack mode * in the
MMI:
I CARI f u nction button > (Car )* sys
tems
control button > Se rvicing & chec ks
> A ir susp .: jac k mode > Off .
The vehicle jack mode * switches off automati
ca lly at speeds above
6 mph (1 0 km/h) .
&_ WARNING ,.__
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and
i nformat ion
c> &. in Raising the vehicle on
page 266
and c> page 268.
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not complete without the
doing the following.
.,. Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack*
and the rep laced tire in the luggage com
partment
c> page 134.
.,. Check the tire pressu re on the spare whee l
immed iate ly after mounting it .
.,. As soon as poss ible, have the
tight ening
torques
on all whee l bolts checked with a
t o rque wrenc h. The co rrect tighte ning tor
que is 90 ft lb (120 Nm).
.,. Have the fla t tire
replaced as soon as possi
b le.
(D Tips
- If you not ice th at the wheel bo lts a re
co rroded and difficult to turn while
changing a tire, they should be rep laced
before you check the tightening torque.
- Drive at reduced speed until you have the
tightening torques checked .
ll-