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 given 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 245
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 244, 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
re sp onding 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.
•
•
248 Tires and wheels
Bear in mind that the tire press ure monitoring
system* can only monitor the tire pressures
you have stored . The system does not recog
n ize the load condit ion of yo ur vehicle.
T he effectiveness of the tire p ressu re monitor
ing system * will be impaired if you store nor
mal load pressures but the n operate the vehi
cle at its max imum load
c:> &. .
See the i llustra tion c:> fig. 2 00 for the location
of the la b el on dr iver's side B-pillar (co lor of
the act ua l labe l and exact location on the ve
h icle w ill vary slig htly).
Model / Tire designation
Note that the fo llowing ta ble is acc urate at
t h e time of going to press and is s ubject to
c h ange . In the event of d iscrepancies, the t ire
pressure label is located on the d river's side B
pillar always takes precedence.
T he table below lists t he recommen ded cold
t ir e inflat ion pressu res for the Audi mode l
cove red by your Owner's Lite rat ure at the vehi
cle's capacity weig ht and the t ire sizes instal
l ed on the respective models as or ig inal
equipmen t, or as a factory opt ion.
Tire pressure
Engine normal load condition full load condition
fronta > reara
>
front rear
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
A7 : 235/55 Rl 7 99Y
32 220 29 200 35 240
38 260 3.0 liter High Performance
6-cylinder 255/45 R18 99H
All Season
3 2 2 20 29 200 35 24 0 3 8 260
255/45 Rl8 99Y 32 220 29 200
35 2
4 0
38 260
High Perfo
rmance
255 /40 R19 lOOH XL
35 240 32 220 38 260 280 All Season 4 1
255/40 Rl9100YXL
36 2 50 32 220 38 260 41 280 High Performance
265/35 R20 99H XL
35 240
32 220 38 260 41
280 All Season
265 /35 R20 99Y XL
36 250 32 22 0 38 26 0 41 280 High Performance
S7: 255/40 Rl9 lOOY XL
39
270
33 230
42 290 42 290 4.0 liter High Performance
a-cylinder 265/35 R20 99V XL
High Performance
41 280 35 240 44 300 44 300
XL= reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xl, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire side-
wall.
al no
rm al load co ndi tio n r:::., page 24 7.
The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is
l ocated o n a label o n the dr ive r's side B -pillar .
Because technical changes may be made to
ve hicle equ ipment dur ing the model year, a l
ways compare the tire size designation on the
tire pressure labe l on your vehicle w it h the t
ires on you r vehicle. Make sure that the tire
s ize informa tion on the vehicle labe l is the
same as the size o f the tires on the veh icle .
-The use of incorrect tire pressure values
can lead to accidents or other damage.
Therefore it is essential that the driver observe the specified tire pressure values
for the tires and the correct pressu res for
the funct ion of the tire pressure mon itor
ing system*.
- Always inflate t ires to the recommended
and correct tire pressure before driving
off.
- Driv ing with under inflated tires bend
more, letting them get too hot resu lting
in tread separation, sudden t ire fa il u re
and loss o f control.
- Excessive speed and/ove rloading can
cause heat bui ld-up, sudden tire fail ure
and loss o f control.
- If the t ire pressure is too low or too high,
the tires w ill wear prematurely and the
vehicle will not hand le we ll.
- If the t ire is no t flat and you do not have
to change a wheel immediate ly, drive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta
tio n to check the tire pressure and add
air as required.
(D Note
Dr iving without va lve stem caps ca n cause
damage to the tire va lves. To prevent this,
always make sure that factory installed
valve stem caps on all wheels are secure ly
mounted on the va lve.
@ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will a lso increase the
fue l consumption .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or
weight that any veh icle and any t ire can carry .
A vehicle that is overloaded w ill not handle
well and is more difficult to stop . Overload ing
can not on ly lead to loss of vehicle con trol,
b ut can a lso damage important par ts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden tire failure, in
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the vehicle to crash.
Tire s an d wheel s 251
Your safety and that of your passengers also
depends on making sure that load limits are
not exceeded. Vehicle load includes everybody
and everything in and on the veh icle. These
load lim its are technically referred to as the
vehicle's
Gro ss Ve hicle Wei ght R ating
("GVWR") .
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic
vehicle, all factory installed accessories, a full
tank of fuel, o il, coolant and other fluids plus
maximum load. The max imum load includes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is
in tended to carry ("seat ing capac ity") with an
assumed we ight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each
passenger at a designated seating posit ion
and the total weight of any luggage in the ve hicle . If you tow a trai ler, the weight of the
trailer hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded tra iler must be included as part of the
vehicle load.
The
Gr oss Ax le We ight R ating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each
of the vehicle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety comp liance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar. Your Audi has 4 seat ing
pos itions, 2 in the front and 2 in the rear for
total seating capacity of 4 . In some vehicles
there are 5 seating pos it ions, 2 in the front
and 3 in the rear for tota l seating capacity of
5. Each seat ing position has a safety belt
~ page 140, Safety belts .
The fact that there is a n upper limit to you r
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the total weig ht of whatever is being car
ried in the vehicle ( includ ing the weight of a
trailer hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded trai ler) is limited . The more passen
gers in the vehicle or passengers who are
heavier than the standard we ights assumed
mean that less we ight can be carried as lug
gage .
The tire pressure label on your Audi also lists
the maximum combined weight of a ll of the
occupants and luggage or other cargo that ..,.
•
•
262 Tires and wheels
remain continuously illuminated. This se
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is ill uminat
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 installat ion of replace
ment or alternate tires or wheels on the vehi
cle that prevent the TPMS from funct ioning
properly . Always check the TPMS malfunction
tellta le after replacing one or more t ires or
wheels on your veh icle to ensure that the re
placement or alternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
Tire pressure indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
The tire pressure indi cator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig. 205 Display: underi nflatio n warn ing
Fig. 206 Display: System mal functio n
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni
toring system compares the t ire tread circum
ference and vibration characteris tics of the in
dividual tires. If the pressure decreases in one
or more tires, this is indicated in the i nstru- ment
cluster with a warning symbol
RE and a
message
c:> fig. 205 .
The tire pressure monitoring system must be
reset via MMI each time the p ress ures are ad
justed (e.g . when switching between partial
and full load pressure) or after changing or re
plac ing a tire on your vehicle
c:> page 263 . 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 dr iver's side 8-pillar
<=:>page 247 .
Tire tread circumference and vibrat ion charac
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
wa rning if:
- the t ire 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
<=:> page 263.
Warning symbols
RE Lo ss of pressure in at least one tire c:> .&..
Check the tire or tires and replace or repair if
necessary. The indicator light
RE in the instru
ment cluster also illuminates
c:> page 12 .
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS via MMI.
film (T ire Pressure Monitor ing System) Tire
pressure! System malfunction .
If film appears after switching the ignition on
or while dr iving
c:> fig. 206 and the indicator
light
[ti] in the instrument cluster blinks for
approximately one minute and then stays on,
there is a system malfunction .
Attempt to store the correct tire pressu re
<=:> page 263 . If the indicator light does not
turn off or if it turns on shortly thereafter, im
mediately drive your vehicle to an author ized
Audi dealer or authorized repair facility to
have the malfunct ion corrected .
A WARNING 1= •
-If the tire pressure indicator appears 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 steering or braking
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and
check the tires and their pressures . In
flate the tire pressure to the proper pres
sure as indicated on the vehicle's tire
pressure label¢
page 247. Driving on a
signif icantly 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 abi lity .
- The driver is responsible for ma inta ining
the cor rect t ire pressures. You must
check the t ire pressures regularly.
- Under certain cond itions (such as a spor
ty driving style, w inter condit ions or un
paved roads), the pressure monitor ind i
c ator may be de layed.
- Ask your author ized Audi dealer if run
flat tires may be used on your veh icle.
You r vehicle registrat ion becomes inva lid
i f you use these tires when not permit
ted. Damage to your vehicle o r acc idents
cou ld also resu lt.
@ Tips
- The t ire pressure monitoring system
stops working when there is an ES C/A BS
malfunction.
- Using snow chains may resul t in a system
malfunction.
- The t ire pressure moni toring sys tem on
you r A udi was developed using t ires with
the "AO" or "RO" identification on the
tire sidewall ¢
page 254. We recom
mend using these t ires.
Tire s an d wheel s 263
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
Applies to veh icles : w ith tire p ress ure mo nito rin g syste m
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels are ro
tated or changed, the TPMS must be reset via
MMI .
.,. Switch o n the ignition.
.,. Select in the MMI:
ICA RI function button >
(Car )* syste m s control button > Servicing &
ch eck s > Tire pr essure monitoring > Store
tire pre ssur es> Yes, stor e now .
(D Tips
Do not s to re the tire pressure if there are
snow cha ins on t he tire.
•
•
266 What do I do now?
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 moving traffic and try to
reach
level ground before you stop o ,&.
... All passengers should leave the car and
move to a safe location (for instance, behind
the guardrail)
o A-
.. Engage the parking brake to prevent your
vehicle from rolling unintentionally
o ,&.
... Move selector lever to position Po ,& .
• If you are towing a trailer, unhitch the trailer
from your vehicle .
... Take the
jack and the spare tire out of the
luggage compartment
o page 264,
o page265.
A WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured
while changing a wheel if you do not fol
low these safety precautions:
- If you have a flat tire,
move a safe dis
tance off the road. Turn off the engine,
turn the emergency flashers on and use
other warning devices 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 traffic.
- To help prevent the vehicle from moving
sudden ly and possibly slipping off the
jack, always fully set the parking brake
and block the wheel diagonally opposite
the wheel being changed . When one
front wheel is lifted off the ground, plac
ing the Automatic Transmission 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 tire in the luggage com
partment
opage 136.
@ Tips
Before changing the whee l, you must acti
vate the jacking mode, so that the auto
matic controls for the Adaptive Air Sus
pension* do not make it more difficult to
lift the vehicle with the jack
o page 268 .
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow these
quence described below step-by-step and in
exactly that order.
l. Activate the vehicle jack mode*
opage 268 .
2. Remove the decorative wheel cover* . For
more details see also
o page 267, Deco
rative wheel covers
or o page 267,
Wheels with wheel bolt caps.
3. Loosen the wheel bolts o page 268.
4. Locate the proper mounting point for the
jack and align the jack below that point
opage 268.
5. Raise the car with the jack o page 268.
6. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and
then install
the spare opage 270.
7. Tighten all wheel bolts lightly .
8.
Lower the vehicle with the jack .
9 . Use the wheel bolt w rench and
firmly
tighten all wheel bolts o page 268.
10. Replace the decorative wheel cover*.
11. Deactivate the vehicle jack mode * in the
MMI:
I CARI function button > (Ca r)* sys
tems
control button > Servicing & checks
> Air susp.: jack mode > Off.
The vehicle jack mode* switches off automati
ca lly at speeds above 6 mph (10 km/h) .
A WARNING ,-
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and
in format ion
o .&. in Raising the vehicle on
page 269
and opage 271.
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 replaced tire in the luggage com
partment
Q page 136.
• Check the tire pressure on the spare wheel
immediately after mou nting it.
• As soon as possible, have the
tightening
torques
on al l wheel bolts checked with a
torque wrench. The correct tightening tor
que is 90 ft lb (120 Nm).
• Have the flat tire
replaced as soon as possi
ble.
(D Tips
- If you notice that the wheel bolts are
corroded and difficult to turn wh ile
changing a tire, they should be replaced
before you check the tightening torque.
- Drive at reduced speed until you have the
tightening torques checked .
- After changing a wheel, the tire pressure
i n all four tires must be checked/correct
ed and the tire pressure mon itor ing indi
cator must be stored in the MMI
Qpage263 .
Decorative wheel covers
Applies to vehicles: with decorative wheel covers
The decorative wheel covers must be removed
first to access the wheel bolts .
Fig. 210 Ch ang ing a whee l: Removing the wheel cove r
Removing
.. Insert the hook (provided with the veh icle
tool kit) in the hole in the wheel hub cover.
What do I do now? 267
• Pull off th e decorative wheel cover
Qfig. 210.
Wheels with wheel bolt caps
Applies to vehicles: with wheel bolts with caps
The caps must be removed first from the
wheel bolts before the bolts can be un
screwed.
Fig. 211 C hanging a whee l: removing the wheel bolt
caps
Removing
• Push the plastic clip (provided with the vehi
cle too l kit) over the wheel bo lt cap until the
inner retainers on the clip align w ith the
edge of the cover.
.. Remove the cap with the
plastic clip (veh icle
tool kit)
Qfig . 211 .
Refitting
• Place the caps over the whee l bolts and
push them back on.
The caps are to protect and keep the wheel
bo lts clean .
268 What do I do now ?
loosening and tightening the wheel
bolts
The wheel bolts must be loosened before rais
ing the vehicle.
Fig. 212 Changing a wheel: loosening the whee l bo lts
loosening
.. Slide the
w heel wr ench onto the wheel bolt
as far as it will go .
.. Take tight hold of the
end of the wrench
handle and turn the wheel bolts co unte r
clock w ise about one single turn in the direc
t ion of arrow
c:> fig. 212 .
Tighten ing
.. Slide the wheel wrench onto the wheel bolt
as far as it will go.
.. Take tight hold of the
end of the wrench
handle and turn each wheel bolt
clock wise
until it is seated.
A WARNING
- Do not use force or hurry when changing
a whee l - you can cause the vehicle to slip
off the jack a nd cause serious persona l
injuries.
- Do not loosen the wheel bolts more than
one turn
before you raise the veh icle with
the jack. - You risk an injury.
@ Tips
- Never use the hexagonal socket in the
handle of the screwdriver to loosen o r
tighten the wheel bo lts.
- If a wheel bolt is very tight, you may fi nd
i t easier to loosen by ca refully p ushi ng
down on the end of the wheel bolt
wrench with
one foot only . As you do so, hold on to the car to keep your balance
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. 213 Sill panels: markings
Fig. 2 14 Sill: pos ition ing t he ve hicle jack
.. Activate the vehicle jack mode* in the MMI:
!CARI function button> (Car) * syst ems con
trol button>
Serv icing & ch eck s> Air su sp .:
ja ck mode > On .
.,. Engage the parki ng brake to prevent your
veh icle from rolling unintentionally .
.,. Move the
sele cto r lever to p osition P .
.. Find the mark ing (imprint) on the sill tha t is
nearest the whee l that will be changed
c:>fig. 213. Be hind the marking, there is a
lifting point on the sill for the vehicle jack.
.. Ve hicles with a si ll: remove the cover from
the sill before lift ing the veh icle w ith a vehi
cle jack c:>
page 269 .
.,. Turn the ve hicl e ja ck located under the lift
ing point on the sill to ra ise the jack until its
arm @c:>
fig. 214 is located under the des
ignated plastic moun t c:>
£ c:> (D .
.. Align the jack so that its arm @c:>
fig. 214
engages in the designated lifting point in
the door sill and the movable base @ lies
IJJ>