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 . ..,.
~ Use the hexagonal socket in the screwdriver
handle to screw in and tighten all wheel
bo lts
slightly .
~ Remove the alig nment pin and insert and
t igh ten the remaining wheel bolt s light ly
Like t he rest.
~ Turn th e jack handle* counter-clockwise to
l ower the vehicle unti l the jack* is fully re
leased .
~ Use the whee l bolt w rench to t ighten a ll
whee l bolts firmly <=>
page 2 75. Tighten
them
crosswise, from one bolt to the (ap
proximate ly) opposite one, to keep the
whee l centered.
Q;) Note
When removing or installing the wheel,
the rim could hit the brake rotor and dam
age the rotor. Work carefully and have a
second person help you.
(D} Tips
Never use the hexagonal socket in the han
dle of the screwdriver to loosen or tighten
the wheel bolts .
- Pull the reversib le b lade from the screw
driver before yo u use the hexagonal
socket in the handle to t urn the whee l
bo lts .
- When mounting tires with
unid irectional
tread design
make sure the tread pat
te rn is poi nted the right way
<=> page 2 77.
- The wheel bolts should be clea n and easy
to tu rn . Check for d irt and corrosion on
the mat ing s urfaces of both the wheel
and the hub. Remove a ll dirt from these
su rfaces before remo unting the wheel.
What do I do now? 277
Tires with unidirectional tread design
Tires with unidirectional tread design must be
mounted with their tread pattern pointed in the right direction .
Using a spa re tire with a tread pattern
intended for use in a specific direction
When using a spare t ire wi th a tread pat ter n
intended for use in a spec ific d irect ion, please
note the fo llowing :
- The d irect io n of rotation is marked by an ar
row on t he side of the ti re .
- If the spare tire has to be insta lled in the in
correct d irect ion, use the spare tire only
temporarily s ince the t ire will not be able to
achieve its optimum performance cha racte r
is tic s w it h regard to aquap la ni ng, no ise and
wear .
- We recommend that you pay part icu lar at
t en tion to th is f act d uring we t wea ther and
t ha t you adjus t you r speed to m atch r oad
conditions .
- Repla ce the fl at t ire wi th a new o ne and
have i t installed on your vehicle as soo n as
possible to resto re the han dling advantages
of a u nidirectional tire .
Notes on wheel changing
Please read the information¢ page 258, New
tires and replacing tires and wheels
if yo u a re
go ing to use a spare tire w hich is different
from the tires on yo ur vehicle .
After you change a tire:
- Check the tire pre ssure on the spare imme
diately after installation.
- Have the wheel bolt tightening torque
checked with a torque wrench as soon a s
possible by your authorized Audi dealer or
a qualified workshop.
- With steel and alloy wheel rims , the wheel
bolts are cor re ctly tightened at a torque of
105 ft lb (140 Nm).
- If you notice that the wheel bolts are cor
roded and diff icult to turn while changing
a tire, they should be replaced before you
check the t ightening torque. .,,.
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