2014 AUDI Q5 tires

26 2 T ire s and wheel s
The relat ive performance of tires depends
upon the actua l conditions of their use, how ­
ever, and may depart sign ificantly from the
norm due to va riat ions in dr iving habits, serv­
ice practices and differences in road character­
istics and climate.
Tr action
The traction grades , from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. Those g rades 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 ¢.&, .
Temperature
The tempera ture grades are A (the h ighest),
B, and
C, representing the tire's resistance to
the generat ion of heat and its abi lity to dissi ­
pate heat when tested under controlled cond i­
tions on a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
materia l of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden ti re fa il ur e~ .&, .
The grade
C corresponds to a level of perform ­
ance which all passenger ca r tires must meet
u nder the Federa l Moto r Veh icle Safety Stand­
a rd No.
1 09. Grades Band A represent higher
l eve ls of performance on t he laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required by law .
A WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking 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 properly inflated
and not overloaded . Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, eithe r
-
separately or in combination, can ca use
heat bui ldup and possib le 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
only be used in pairs and be installed on all
four wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
tires that are the same s ize and construction
type as the othe r tires on your vehicle .
Your vehicle is equipped with all-wheel drive,
th is will improve traction during winter driv ­
i ng, even with the standa rd t ires. However, we
strong ly recommend that you always equip all
four wheels on you r vehicle wi th cor rectly fit­
ted win ter tires o r all -season tires, when win­
te r road cond itions are expected . This also im­
proves the vehicle's braking performance and
reduces stopping distances.
Summe r tires provide less grip on i ce and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on all four whee ls .
Ask your author ized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop for permitted
winter tir e siz es. Use
on ly rad ial winter t ires .
Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
O .15 7 inch
(4 mm).
Only drive w ith w inter t ires under winter con ­
ditions. 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 ti re, see notes on spare
whee l
¢page 258.
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 .,.

was manufactured. Please see ¢ page 259,
Speed rating (letter code) for a listing of the
speed rat ing letter codes and the maximum
speed at which the tires can be driven .
The speed rating letter code(¢
page 250) is
on the side wall of the tire
c::> page 258.
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
w inte r tires . This will cause damage to the
tires leading to an ac cident and serious
pe rsonal inj ury to you and yo ur passen­
gers .
A WARNING
Driv ing faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your vehicle
were designed can ca use tire fai lure in­
cl uding a blowout and sudden deflat ion,
loss of control, crashes and serious per­
sonal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
rep laced immed iate ly.
- Winter tires have maximum speed rat ing
that may be lower than your veh icle's
maximum speed .
- Never drive faster than the speed for
w hich the winter or other tires installed
on your veh icle are rated .
A WARNING
Always adjust your d rivi ng to the road and
traffic conditions. Neve r let the good ac­
c eleration of the w inte r ti res and all-whee l
drive temp t you in to taking extra r is k s . A l­
ways remember:
- When bra king, an a ll-wheel d rive vehicle
hand les in the s ame way as a front drive
vehicle.
- Drive carefu lly and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot he lp under blac k ice conditions.
Tire s an d wheel s 263
'
@) For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather condi­
tions permit. They are qu ieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumpt ion.
Snow chains
Snow cha ins may be fitted only to the rear
wheels, and o nly to certain tire sizes . Ask your
autho rized Aud i deale r on which tire sizes
snow cha ins can be used .
The snow chains must have low-prof ile links
and must not be th icker than 0.53 inch
(13.5 mm) , includ ing the lock .
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putt ing snow cha ins on your vehicle
c::> Q) . For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are ava il­
able from autho rized Aud i dealers.
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chai ns for your vehi­
cle o r insta lling them incorrect ly can in­
crease the risk of loss of cont ro l leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes. A lways make sure to follow the in­
structions p rov ided by the snow chain
manufacturer.
- When driving with snow chains never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specif ic snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations .
(D Note
-Remove snow chains before dr iv ing o n
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wea ring the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con ­
tact with the whee l rim , can scratch or
damage it . Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered. Check
the pos ition of the snow chains after
•
•

264 Tire s and wheel s
driving a few yards and correct if neces­
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow cha in manufacturer when doing so.
(D Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory oncer ­
tain roads, this normally also applies to
veh icles with all-wheel dr ive .
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque.
The design of whee l bolts is matched to the
factory insta lled rims . If different rims are fit ­
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the right l ength and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures that wheels are f itted
securely and that the brake system functions
correctly .
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a different vehicle -even if it
is the same model
¢ page 295.
.&_ WARNING
Improperly tig htened or maintained wheel
bolts can become loose ca using loss of
cont ro l, a co llision and serious p ersona l in­
Jury.
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in t he wheel hubs clea n so the
wheel bolts can tu rn easily and be prop­
erly tigh tened.
- N ever grease or oil the wheel bo lts and
the threads in the wheel h ubs. They can
become loose w hile d riving if greased or
oiled, even if tightened to the specified
torq ue.
- Only use wheel bolts that be long to the
rim being installed.
- N ever use different whee ls bolts on your
vehicle.
- Always mai nta in the co rrec t tighte ning
tor que fo r the wheel bo lts to reduce the
risk of a wheel loss . If the tightening tor­
que of the wheel bo lts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the veh i- cle is moving.
If the tightening torque is
too high, the wheel bolts and threads
can be damaged and the wheel can be­
come loose.
(D Note
The specified torque for the whee l bolts is
105 ft lb (140 Nm) with a to lerance of
± 7,4 ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bolts
diagonally . After changing a wheel, the
torque must be checked as soon as poss i­
ble with a to rque wrench -preferab ly by an
a uthorized Aud i dea le r or qualified wor k­
shop.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your A udi is factory -eq uipped w it h low aspect
ratio tires. These tires have been thoroughly
tested and been se lected specifically for your
model for their superb performance, road fee l
and handling under a variety of driving condi­
t ions . Ask your authorized Audi dealer for
more details .
The low aspect ratio of these tires is ind icated
by a numeral of
55 or less in the tire's s ize
designation . The numeral represents the ratio
of the tire's sidewall height in relation to its
t read width exp ressed in percentage. Conven­
tiona l tires have a he ight/w idth rat io of 60 or
more.
Th e performanc e of low-a spect-ratio tire s is
pa rticularly sensi tive to improp er inflation
pre ssure. It i s ther efor e important that low
a spe ct ratio tir es are inflated to the spe cified
pre ssure and that the inflation pre ssure i s
regula rly checked and mainta ined. Tire pre s­
sure s should be checked at lea st once a
month and al way s befo re a long trip
¢ page 2 53, Checking tire pressure.
What you can do to a void tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more
easily by impact w ith potholes, curbs, gul lies
or ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is
underinflated . ..,.

In o rder to minimize the occurrence o f 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 a ir 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 ire as soon as poss ible .
- In spect your t ires 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 unde rinflation, wh ic h could eventu­
ally cause ti re fail ure.
If yo u be lieve that a
ti re may have been damaged , replace the
tire as soon as possible.
- These tires may wear more quick ly than oth ­
ers.
- Please a lso remembe r that, whi le these t ires
deliver respons ive handling, they may ride
less comfortably and make more noise than
other c hoices.
Reduced p erformance in winter /cold
s ea son condit ion s
All ti res are designed for certain purposes .
The low aspect ratio, ultra hig h performance
tires originally installed on your veh icle are in­
tended for max imum dry and wet road per­
formance and handling . They are not suitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather cond it ions . If
you dr ive under those circumstances, you
should equip your vehicle with all-season or
winter tires, whi ch offe r better traction under
those cond it ions . We suggest you use the rec­
ommended snow or all -season tires specified
for your ve hicle, or their equiva lent .
Refe r to ~
page 262 for mo re deta iled info r­
mat io n regarding w in ter t ires.
Tire s an d wheel s 265
Tire pressure
monitoring system
ill General notes
App lies to vehicles : wi th tire p ress ure mo nito rin g system
Each tire, incl uding 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 veh icle
placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your
vehicle has tires of a d ifferent size than the
s iz e indicated on the vehicle placard or tire in­
flat io n pressu re labe l, you shou ld dete rmine
the p roper t ire inflation p ress ure fo r those
t i r es).
As an added safety feature, your veh icle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system ( TPMS) that illum inates a low ti re
pressure te lltale whe n one or more o f your
ti res is significant ly under -inflated . According­
ly, when the low tire pressure te lltale i llumi­
nates, you shou ld stop and check your tires as
soon as possib le, 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 effic iency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle 's hand ling and
stopp ing abil ity.
Please note that the TPMS is not a subst itute
fo r proper tire ma intenanc e, and it is the d riv­
er's respo nsibility to maintain co rrect tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not
reached the leve l to tr igger illum inat ion of the
T PMS low ti re p ressu re tellta le .
You r vehicle has also been equipped with a
T PMS ma lf u nction indicator to ind icate w hen
the sys tem is not operating prope rly . T he
T PMS ma lfunction indicator is combined w ith
the low tire pressure te lltale. When the sys ­
tem detects a malfunction, the telltale wi ll
flash for approximate ly one min ute and then
rema in con tinuously i llum inated . T hi s se­
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunct ion exists . ..,.
•
•

266 Tire s and wheels
When the malfunction indicator is illuminat­
ed, the system may not be able to detect or
signal low t ire 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 funct ioning
properly . Always check the TPMS malfunct ion
tellta le after replacing one or more t ires or
wheels on your veh icle to ensure that the re­
p lacement or a lternate 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 indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
N
I
Fig. 210 Display: underinflation warning
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, th is is indicated in the instru­
ment cluster w ith a
IE warning symbol and a
message
¢fig . 210. The dr iver message in the
display goes out after 5 seconds. The driver
message can be displayed again by pressing
the
! SET ! button. If on ly one tire is affected,
the display will indicate its position.
The tire pressure monitoring system must be
reset via radio or MMI * each time the pres­
sures are adjusted (e. g . when switching be ­
tween partia l and full load pressure) or after
changing or replacing a tire on your vehicle
¢
page 267. The TPMS indicator only moni­
tors the tire pressure that you have prev iously stored
. You can find the recommended tire
pressures for your vehicle on the label on driv­
er's side B-pillar ¢
page 251.
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac­
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- the tir e pressure in one or more tires is too
low,
- the tir e has structural damage,
- the tir e pressure was changed, wheels rotat-
ed or replaced but the TPMS was not reset
¢page 267.
Warning symbols
IE Loss of pressure in at least one tire¢ .&..
Check the tire or tires and replace or repa ir if
necessary. The
IE indicato r light in the inst ru­
ment cluster als o illuminates
¢ page 14.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS via radio or MMI*.
ffim (T ire Pressure Mon itor ing System) Tire
pressure: System malfunction!.
If@m appears after switching the ignition on
or while dr iving and the
IE indicator light in
the instrume nt cluster blink s for app rox i­
mately one minute and then stays on, there is
a system malfunction.
Attempt to store the correct tire pressure
¢
page 267 . If the indicator light does not
tu rn
off or if it turns on shortly thereafter, im­
mediately drive you r vehicle to an authorized
A udi dealer or authorized repair facility to
have the malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
=
- If the tire pressure indicator appears in
the instrument cluster display, one or
more of your tires is sign ificant ly under­
inflated. Reduce your speed immediately
and avoid any hard steer ing 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 ind icated on the vehicle's tire
p ressu re lab el¢
page 251. 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 indi­
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 vehicle or accidents
could also result.
@ 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 tires with the "AO" or "RO" identification on the
tire sidewall¢
page 258. We recom­
mend using these tires.
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
radio or MMI* .
.,. Before resetting the TPMS, the current pres­
sures of all four tires must correspond to
the specified values. Adjust the tire pressure and reset the pressure in the tire pressure
monitoring system according to the load
you are carrying
¢ page 251 .
.. Turn on the ignition .
.,. Select :
I CARI function button > Tire pressure
monitoring
> Store now . Or
.,. Select: I CARI function button > Car systems*
control button > Servicing & checks > Tire
pressure monitoring
> Store tire pressures.
Tires and wheels 267
(D Tips
Do not store the tire pressure if there are
snow chains on the tire.
•
•

2 70 What do I do now?
A WARNING
-Never use the spare tire if it is damaged
or if it is worn down to the tread wear in­
dicators.
- If the inflatable spare tire is more than 6
years old, use it only in an emergency
and with extreme caution and careful
driving.
- The inflatable spare tire is intended only
for temporary and short-term use. It
should be replaced as soon as possible
with the normal wheel and tire.
- The tire pressure value for the inflatable
spare tire is located on the driver's side
8-pillar
¢ page 251, fig. 206.
- Maximum permissible speed is SO mph
(80 km/h).
- Avoid full-throttle acceleration, heavy
braking, and fast cornering .
- When the air is let out of the inflatable
spare wheel, it does not assume its fold­
ed shape for several hours. Until then, it
cannot be placed back in the spare wheel
well and stowed securely.
- Never drive with more than one inflata­
ble spare tire.
- For technical reasons, the use of tire
chains on the inflatable spare tire is not
permitted .
If it is necessary to drive with
tire chains, the inflatable spare wheel
must be mounted on the front axle in the
event of a flat in a rear tire. The newly
available front wheel must then be in­
stalled in place of the rear wheel with
the flat tire. Installing the tire chain be­
fore mounting the wheel and tire is rec­
ommended.
- 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 com­
partment.
Q) Note
- The inflatable spare tire has been devel­
oped specifically for this vehicle model.
It must not be exchanged or used for
other vehicle models. Similarly, inflata­
ble tires from other vehicle models must
not be used.
- Normal summer or winter tires must not
be installed on the inflatable tire rim.
Inflating inflatable spare tire
Applies to vehicles : wit h in flatable spa re tire
Fig. 215 L u ggage compartment left side : compressor
.,. Remove the left trim panel in the luggage
compartment.
.,. Open the Velcro strap and remove the com­
pressor ¢
fig. 215.
.,. Unscrew the valve stem from the spare tire.
.,. Screw the tire filler hose from the compres­
sor firmly onto the valve of the spare tire .
.., Insert the plug from the compressor into a
socket of the vehicle
r=;, page 75 .
.., Switch the compressor on.
.., Let the compressor run until the value speci­
fied on the tire pressure label is reached
r=;, page 251, fig. 206. Switch the compres­
sor off after running for 12 minutes at the
most -danger of overheating!
A WARNING
= The compressor and the tire filler hose can
become extremely hot while they are run­
ning -danger of burns!
(D Note
Switch the compressor off after running
for 12 minutes at the most -danger of
overheating! Allow the compressor to cool
down for a few minutes before you use it
again .

Tire repair
General information and safety
precautions
Appl ies to vehicles: with tire repair kit
The tire r epair is only m eant for tempo rary
use.
Fi g. 2 16 Tire damage, fo r which the tire repair kit is
not su itab le
Your veh icle is equipped with a tir e repair kit
(Tire Mob ility System) .
In the event of a flat tire, the tire repair kit is
found in the luggage compartment behind
the right side trim panel, and is made up of
tire sealant and a comp resso r
Q page 104,
fig. 112.
Only tire damage caused by fore ign objects up
to approximately 0.16 in
( 4 mm) in diameter
can be safely sealed with the tire repa ir k it .
The foreign object can stay in the t ire.
Th e tire sealant may not b e us ed :
- If the t ire has cuts or punctures that are
larger than 0 .16 in (4 mm)
Qfig. 216@.
-If the rim is damaged @.
-If you drove wi th very low t ire press ure o r
without a ir in the tire @.
Tire repair kit usage is descr ibed in
Perform­
in g th e repair
Q page 2 72 and in the inst ruc­
tions wi th the sea lant bottle.
The tire repair kit is able to be used at temper­
atures as low as -4
°F ( -20 °().
A WARNING
Pay attention to t he fo llowing after repa ir­
ing the t ire:
What do I d o now ? 271
-Do not dr ive faster than SO mph (80 km/
h).
- Avoid hard acce leration, braking s harply,
and fast cornering.
- The vehicle may become more diffic ult to
contro l.
- Tires sea led with the tire repai r kit are
only meant to be used
temporar ily .
Damaged tires must be rep laced .
- The tire repair kit may
NOT be used
- If the ti re has cuts or punctures that
are la rger than 0.16 in (4 mm).
- If the rim is damaged.
- If you drove with very low t ire pressure
or without air i n the tire.
- Obta in qua lified help if it is not poss ible
to perform the repair with the t ire seal­
ant.
- The tire sea lant must not come in con­
tact with skin, eyes, or clothes.
- If tire sea lant gets in your eyes or on
your skin, thoroughly rinse the affected
area immed iately w ith clean water .
- Change yo ur clothes immediately if they
get t ire sea lant on t hem.
- Do not inha le the fumes.
- If t he tire sealant is swa llowed, thor -
ough ly rinse out your mouth and drink
lots o f water.
- Do not induce vomiting . Seek medical at­
tention immediately.
- If an a llergic reaction occurs , seek imme ­
diate medical attention.
- Keep the tire sealant away from children.
@ For the sake of the environment
Used sealant bottles may be retu rned to
your auth orized Audi dea le r for disposa l.
@ Tips
- If
sea lant has spilled out, let it dry and
then yo u can remove it by peeling it away
like a foil.
- Note the expi rat ion date on the sealant
bott le. Re pla ce the t ire sealant at an a u­
t horize d Au di dealership.