2014 AUDI S4 flat tire

24 6 T ire s and whee ls
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 t ires shou ld
only be used in pairs and be installed on all
four wheels. Make sure you pu rchase snow
tires that are the same size and const ruction
type as the other tires on your vehicle.
Your veh icle is equipped with all whee l drive ,
this wi ll improve tract ion du ring w inter driv­
ing,
even with the standard tires. However, we
strongly recommend that you a lways equip a ll
four wheels on you r vehicle with correctly fit­
ted winter tires or all -se ason tires, when w in ­
t e r r oad conditions are expected . This also im­
proves the vehicle's braking performance and
reduces stopping distances .
Summe r tires provide less grip on ice and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted
on all four wheels.
Ask your autho rized Aud i dea ler or qualified
workshop for permitted
wi nter tir e si zes . Use
only radia l winter tires.
W inter t ires lose the ir effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
0.15 7 inch
(4 mm).
Only drive with winter tires unde r winter con­
d itions . Summer tires hand le better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is
above 45 °F (7 °C).
I f you have a flat tire, see notes on spare
wheel
9 page 242.
Please always remember that w inter t ires may
have a lower speed rating than the t ires origi­
na lly installed on your vehicle at the t ime it
was manufactured. Please see
9 page 243,
Speed rating (letter code)
for a List ing of the
speed rating letter codes and the maxim um
speed at which the tires can be driven . The speed rating letter code
(
¢ page 233) is
on the side wall of the tire
9 poge 242.
A WARNING ,-
Winter t ires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than your vehicle's max­
i mum speed. Always know the max imum
speed before dr iv ing off . Never dr ive faster
than the speed permitted for yo ur specific
winter tires. This wi ll cause damage to the
tires leading to an accident and ser ious
personal injury to you and your passen­
gers .
A WARNING ,..___ -
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 ser ious per­
sonal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately .
- W inter 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 yo ur vehicle are rated .
A WARNING
-Always adjust your dr iv ing to the road and
traffic condit ions . Never let the good ac­
celeration of the winter t ires and al l wheel
drive tempt yo u into taking ext ra risks. Al­
ways remember:
- When braking, an all wheel drive vehicle
handles in the same way as a front drive
vehicle .
- Drive ca refully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads,
even w inter tires
cannot help under black ice conditions .
@ For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires whe n weather condi­
tions permi t. T hey are qu ieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumption .

248 Tires and wheels
diagonally. After changing a wheel, the
torque must be checked as soon as possi­
ble with a torque wrench -preferably by an
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect
ratio tires. These tires have been thoroughly
tested and been selected specifically for your
model for their superb performance, road feel
and handling under a variety of driving condi­
tions. Ask your authorized Audi dealer for more details.
The low aspect ratio of these tires is indicated
by a numeral of
55 or less in the tire's size
designation. The numeral represents the ratio
of the tire's sidewall height in relation to its
tread width expressed in percentage. Conven­
tional tires have a height/width ratio of 60 or
more.
The performance of low-aspect-ratio tires is
particularly sensitive to improper inflation
pressure. It is therefore important that low
aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure 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 23 7, Checking tire pressure.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more
easily by impact with potholes, curbs, gullies
or ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is
underinflated.
In order to minimize 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 carefully 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 Audi dealer. Replace a damaged
tire 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, which could eventu­
ally cause tire failure.
If you believe that a
tire may have been damaged, replace the
tire as soon as possible.
- These tires may wear more quickly than oth­
ers.
- Please also remember that, while these tires
deliver responsive handling, they may ride
less comfortably and make more noise 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 conditions. If
you drive under those circumstances, you
should equip your vehicle with all-season or
winter tires, which offer better traction under
those conditions. We suggest you use the rec­
ommended snow or all-season tires specified
for your vehicle , or their equivalent.
Refer to
~ page 246 for more detailed infor­
mation regarding winter tires.

Tire pressure monitoring system
UJ General notes
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monito ring system
Each t ire, i ncluding the spare (if provi ded),
should be chec ked month ly w hen cold and in­
flated to the inflation pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacture r o n the vehicle
placar d or tire infla tion pressure label. (If your
veh icle has t ires of a diff erent siz e than the
size ind icat ed on the vehicle p lacard or tir e in ­
flation pressure label, you should deter mine
the proper tire inflation pressure for those
tires).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire pressure monitor ing
system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
pr essu re tellta le when one or mo re of your
tires is significantly under -inflated . Accord ing ­
l y, when the low tire p ress ure telltale illumi­
nates, you should stop and check your tires as
soon as possible, and inflate them to the
proper pressure. Driv ing on a signif icantly un­
der-inflated tire causes the tire to overheat
and can lead to tire failure. Under -inflation al ­
so reduces fuel efficiency and tire t read life,
and may affect the ve hicle's handling and
stopping ab ility.
Please note that the TPMS is not a subst itute
for p roper t ire mainte nance , and it is the dr iv­
e r's responsib ility to ma inta in cor re ct t ire
p ress ure, even if under- infla tion has no t
reached the leve l to trigger ill umin ation of the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your veh icle has also bee n equ ipped with a
TPMS malfunc tion indica to r to indica te when
the system is not opera ting properly. The
TPMS mal function indicato r is combined wi th
the low tire press ure tellta le . When the sys­
tem detects a malf unct ion, the te lltale will
flash for approximately one minute and then remain cont inuo usly illuminated. This se­
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the ma lf u nction ex ists .
Tire s an d wheel s 249
When the malfunction indicator is illum inat ­
ed , the system may not be ab le to detect or
s ignal low tire pressure as intended . TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a var iety of rea­
sons, including the insta llation of replace­
ment or alternate tires or wheels on the vehi ­
cle that p revent the TPMS from functioning
proper ly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
te lltale after rep laci ng one or more tires o r
whee ls on you r vehicle to e nsur e th at the re­
placement or alterna te t ires and wheels a llow
the TPMS to continue to func tion p roperly.
Tire pressure indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
The tire pressure indica tor in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
Low or if there is a system malfunction.
Fi g. 194 D isp lay: un de rin flat io n warni ng
U sing the ABS sensors, the tire pressure mo ni­
toring system compares the tire tread c ircum­
ference and vib rat ion character istics of the in­
dividua l tir es . If the pressure decreases i n one
o r more t ires, this is indicated in the inst ru­
ment cluster with a
RI] war ning symbol and a
message ¢
fig. 194. T he d river message in the
display goes o ut afte r 5 seconds . The driver
message can be displayed again by pressing
the
ISE TI button. If only one t ire is affected,
the d isplay w ill indicate its position.
T he tire pressure monitoring system m ust be
reset via radio or M MI* each time the pres ­
sures are ad justed (e.g. when switc hing be­
tween part ial and f ull load pressure) o r after
changing or rep lacing a tire on your ve hicle
¢
page 250. T he TPMS indicato r o nl y mo ni-
tors the t ire p ress ure t hat yo u have p revio usly ..,.
•
•

250 Tire s and wheel s
stored. You can find the recommended tire
pressures for your vehicle on the label on driv­
er 's side 8-p illar ¢
page 234.
Tire tread c ircumference and vibration charac­
teristics can change and ca use a tire pressure
warning if :
- the tire pressure in one or more t ires is too
low,
- the tire has st ructu ral damage,
- the tire pressure was changed, wheels rotat-
ed o r replaced but the TPMS was not reset
¢page 250.
Warning s ymbols
rD] Loss of pressure in at least one tire¢& .
Check the tire or tires and replace or repair if
n ecessary. The
rD] indicato r light in the instru­
ment cluster also illuminates
¢ page 13.
Check/correc t the pressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS via radio or
MMI* .
Ill (T ire Pressu re M onitor ing System) Tire
pr essur e: Syst e m malfuncti on!.
Iflll appears after switching the ignit ion on
or while driving and the
rD] i ndicator light in
the instrument cluster blinks for approxi­ mately one mi nute and the n stays on, the re is
a system ma lfunction.
Attempt to store the correct tire pressure
¢ page 250. If the ind icator light does not
turn
off or if it tu rns o n short ly thereafter, im­
mediately drive your veh icle to an autho riz ed
Aud i dea ler or autho rized repair facility to
have the ma lfunction corrected.
A WARNING
- If the tire pressure indicator appears in
the instrument cl uster d isplay, one or
more of your tires is s ignificantly under­
inflated. Reduce your speed immediately
and avoid any hard steering or braki ng
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and
check the t ires and the ir pressures. In­
flate the tire pres sure to the proper p res­
s u re as in dic ated on the vehicle 's t ire
pressure label¢
page 234 . Driving on a
significantly under-inf lated tire ca uses the tire to overheat and can
lead to tire
fa ilure. 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 regu larly .
- Under certain conditions (such as a spor­
ty driving style, winter conditions or un­ paved roads), the pressure monitor indi ­
cato r may be delayed .
-Ask your authorized Aud i dea ler if run­
flat t ires may be used on you r vehicle.
Your vehicle registration becomes invalid
if you use these t ires when not perm it­
ted. Damage to your vehicle or accidents
could a lso result.
(D Tips
- The tire pressure mon itoring system
stops work ing whe n there is an ESC/ABS
m alfu nction.
- Us ing snow chains may result in a system
ma lf u nction.
- The tire pressure mon itoring system on
your Audi was deve loped using tires with
t he "AO" or "R O" ident ifi cat ion on the
tire sidewa ll¢
page 242 . We recom ­
mend using these tires.
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
Appl ies to vehicles: wit h tire p ressu re mo nito rin g system
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels are ro ­
tated or changed, the TPM5 must be reset via
radio or MMI*.
" Before resetting t he TPM S, the c urrent pres­
sures of a ll four tires must correspond to
the specified values . Ad just the tire p ressu re
and reset the pressure in the tire pressure
mon itoring system according to the load
you are carrying
¢ page 234.
"Turn on the ign ition.
" Select: the
I CAR I funct io n button > Tire pr es­
sure monitoring
> Store now . Or
" Select: the
I CAR I funct ion button > Car sy s­
tem s*
cont ro l button > Servi cing & che ck s > ..,..

.. Turn the large screw q fig . 197 counter ­
clockwise.
.. Take out the spare tire.
.. Always store the vehicle too l kit, the jack *,
and the replaced tire in the luggage com­
partment
c:> 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 only intended for
emergenc ies until you can reach a repair shop.
Replace it as quickly as possible with a stand­
ard wheel and t ire .
There are some restrictions on the use of the
compact spare t ire . The compact spare t ire
has been des igned specifically for your type of
veh icle.
It must not be swapped with a com­
pact spare t ire from another type of veh icle.
Snow chain s
For technical reasons, the use of snow chains
on the compact spare tire is
not p erm itted .
If you do have to drive with snow chains and a
front tire fails, mount the spare whee l w ith
tire instead of a rear tire. Install the snow
chains on the rear t ire and use it to replace
the defective front tire.
.,&. WARNING
- Never use the spare tire if it is damaged
or if it is worn down to the tread wear in­
dica to rs.
- If the spare tire is mo re tha n 6 years o ld,
use it only in an emerge ncy and w ith e x­
t reme cau tion a nd careful d riving .
- T he spare tire is intended only fo r tem­
porary and sho rt-term use.
It should be
rep laced as soon as possib le w ith the
normal wheel and t ire.
- After mount ing the compac t spare ti re,
the tire pressu re must be che cked as
soon as possible . The tire pressure of the
compact spa re tire m ust 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 accident.
What do I d o now ? 253
-Avoid full-thrott le acceleration, heavy
brak ing, and fast cornering. You risk hav­
ing an accident .
- 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 w heel
rim .
- For technical reasons, the use of tire
chains on the spa re tire is not permitted .
If it is necessary to drive with t ire chains,
the spare wheel must be mounted on the
fro nt axle in the event of a flat in a rear
tire. The newly available fron t wheel
m ust then be inst alled in place of the
rear whee l with the flat tire. Installing
the tire chain before mounting the whee l
a nd tire is recommended.
- Loose items in the passenger compart ­
ment can cause serious personal injury
during hard brak ing or in an accident.
Never store the spare tire or jack and
too ls in the passenger compartment.
Inflatable spare tire
App lies to vehicles: wi th inflatable spa re tire
The inflatable spare tire expands to its full di­
ameter when it is inflated .
Fig. 19 8 I nflatable spare t ire w it h compressor
Removing inflatable spare tire
.. Lift up the cargo floor us ing the handle .
.. Tur n the large screw ¢
fig. 198 counte r-
clockw ise.
.. Take out the in fla table spare tire.

2 54 Wh at do I d o now ?
• Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack *
and the replaced tire in the luggage com­
partment ¢
page 134.
Stowing the infl ata ble spare tir e
• Release the air by unscrew ing the va lve
stem.
• Screw the valve stem back in afterwards.
• Wait a few hours before p lacing the wheel in
the spare wheel well¢.&_ .
• Secure the wheel with the large screw.
• Fold the cargo floor back down.
Aft er usi ng th e inflat able sp are wh eel
The inflatable spare tire can be re-used as
long as it is not damaged and is not worn
down to the tread wear indicators¢&. .
When you let the air out of the inflatable
spare tire, it does not assume its folded shape
again for several hours . Until then, it cannot
be p laced back in the spare wheel well and
stowed securely .
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 w ith extreme caut ion and carefu l
dr iv ing .
- The inflatable spare tire is intended only
for temporary and short-term use.
It
should be replaced as soon as possible
with the norma l wheel and tire.
- T he tire pressure value for the inflatable
spare t ire is located on the drive r's side
8-pilla r
¢page 234, fig. 190.
-Maximum perm iss ible speed is SO mph
(80 km/h).
- Avoid full-throttle acce le rat ion, heavy
braking, and fast corner ing.
- When the air is let out of the inflatable
spare wheel, it does not assume its fold­
ed shape for severa l hours. Until then, it
cannot be placed back in the spare wheel
we ll 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
perm itted. If it is necessary to drive with
tire chains, the inflatable spare wheel
must be mounted on the rear axle in the
event of a flat in a front tire . The newly
availab le rear whee l must then be instal­
led in place of the front whee l with the
f lat t ire. Instal ling the tire chain before
mount ing the wheel and tire is recom­
mended .
- L oose 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 too ls in the passenger com­
partment.
(D Note
- The inflatable spa re tire has been deve l­
oped specifically for this vehicle model.
It must not be exchanged or used for
other vehicle models. Sim ilarly, inflata­
ble t ires from other vehicle models must
not be used.
- Normal summer or w inter tires must not
be installed on the inflatable t ire rim.
Inflating inflatable
spare tire
Applies to veh icles: w ith inflatable spare t ire
F ig. 199 Lu gg age compart ment: co mpressor
• Remove the cover for the veh icle tools and
remove the compressor. For some vehicle
models, the compressor is located in a hold-
er under the spare tire. .,.

~ Unscrew the va lve stem from the s pare tire .
~ Screw the tire filler hose from the compres­
sor firm ly onto the valv e of the spare tire.
~ In se rt the p lug from the compress or into a
socket of the vehicle¢
page 64.
~ Switc h the compressor on .
~ Let the compressor run until the valu e speci­
fied on the tire pressure label is reached ¢
page 234, fig . 190. Switch the compres­
so r off afte r runn ing for 12 minutes at the
most -danger of overhea ting!
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.
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 fa ilure, pu ll the
ca r well away from moving traffic and try to
r e ach
level gro und before yo u stop ¢ LI)..
~ All p assengers sho uld leave the car and
move to a safe loca tion (for instance, beh ind
the guardrai l) ¢
A .
~ Engage the parking brake to prevent your
vehicle from ro lling un intentionally ¢
A.
~ Shift into 1st gear on vehicles with manua l
transmission, o r move the
selector lever to
the P po sition
on veh icles with au toma tic
t ransmission .
~ If you are tow ing a tra ile r: u nhi tch the trail­
er from your veh icle.
~ T ake the jack ¢ page 252 and the spare tire
¢ page 253 out of the luggage compart ­
ment.
What do I do now? 255
A WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured
while c hanging a wheel if you do not fo l­
low these safety precaut ions:
- If you have a flat tire, move a safe d is­
tance off the road . T urn off the engine,
tur n the eme rg ency flashers on and use
other wa rn in g devices to a le rt othe r mo­
torists.
- Ma ke sur e that passengers wait in a safe
p lace away from the vehicle and well
away from the ro ad and traffic.
- T o help prevent the vehicle from moving
suddenly and possib ly sli pping off the
j a ck, alw ay s full y se t the par king br ake
an d block the wheel d iagonally opposi te
the whee l be ing changed w ith the fol d­
ing chocks or other objects. 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
grou nd is level and firm. I f necessary,
use a sturdy board unde r the jack .
- Always sto re the vehicle tool kit, the
jack* and the replaced tire in the luggage compa rtment
¢page 134.
(D Note
If you are changing the whee l on a steep
i ncline, use a rock or s imilar object to
block the opposite whee l to prevent the
vehicle from moving.
(D Tips
Obey all laws.
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel , follow these­
quence described below step-by-step and in
exactly that order .
l. Remove the decorative wheel cover* or
-
the wheel bolt caps* . For more details see..,.
•
•

256 What do I do now?
also c:> page 2 5 6, Decorative wheel cov ­
ers
or c:> page 256, Wheels with wheel
bolt caps .
2. Loosen the wheel bolts c:> page 2 5 7.
3 . Locate the proper mount ing point for the
jack and align the jack below that point
<=> page 257.
4. Lift the car with the jack c:> pag e 257 .
5. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and
the n in st all the
spare tire c:> poge 258 .
6. Tigh ten all wheel bo lts light ly .
7 .
Lower the ve hicle with the jack .
8 . Use the wheel bolt wrench and
firmly
tighten all whee l bolts in a crisscross pat ­
tern
<=> page 257.
9. Replace the decorative wheel cover* or
the
wheel bolt caps* .
A WARNING
Always read an d follow all WAR NIN GS and
inf orma tion
c:> .&. in Raising the vehicle on
p age 258
and c:> pa ge 259.
After changing a wheel
A wh eel change is no t complete without th e
doing th e following .
.,. Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack*,
and the replaced ti re in the l uggage com­
partment
c:> page 13 4 .
.,. Check the tire pressure o f the spa re tire as
s oo n as pos sib le .
.,. As so on as possible, have t he
tightening
torques
on a ll w heel bo lts checked wi th a
tor que wrench . The correct tightening t or­
que is 90
ft l bs. (120 Nm) .
.,. Have the flat tire
replaced as soo n as poss i­
ble .
(j) Tips
-If you notice t hat the whee l bolts are
corroded and difficult to t urn w hile
c hanging a t ire, they should be replaced
be fore yo u ch eck the tighte ning torqu e.
- Driv e at reduc ed s peed unt il you have the
t ig hten ing torques checked .
Decorative wheel covers
Applies to vehicles: with decorative wheel covers
The decorative wheel covers must be removed
first to access the wheel bolts .
Fig. 200 Cha ng in g a w hee l: r em ovi ng t he w hee l cover
Removing
.,. Inse rt th e hook prov ided with the vehicle
t oo l kit in the ho le in the hub.
.,. Pull o ff the
decor ative wheel cover
<=>fig . 20 0.
Wheels with wheel bolt caps
Applies to vehicles: with wheel bolts with caps
The caps mus t be removed firs t from the
wheel bolts before the bolts can be un ­
screwed .
Fig. 201 Cha ng in g a w hee l: re m ovi ng t he w hee l bo lt
caps
Removing
.,. Pu sh the plastic clip provi ded with t he vehi­
cle tool ki t ove r the w heel bolt ca p until it
engage s.
.,. Pull on the
plastic clip to remove the cap
r:!) fig . 201.