Driving with different tires reduces vehi
cle handling and can lead to a loss of
control.
- If the spare tire is not the same as the
tires that are mounted on the vehicle -
for example with winter tires -only use
the spare tire for a short period of time and drive with extra care. Refit the nor
mal road wheel as soon as safely possi
ble.
- Never drive faster than the maximum
speed for which the tires on your vehicle
are rated because tires that are driven
faster than their rated speed can fail
suddenly.
- Overloading tires cause heat build-up,
sudden tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of control.
- Temperature grades apply to tires that
are properly inflated and not over or un
deri nflated.
- For technical reasons it is not always
possible to use wheels from other
vehicles -in some cases not even wheels
from the same vehicle model.
- If you install wheel trim discs on the ve
hicle wheels, make sure that the air flow
to the brakes is not blocked. Reduced air
flow to the brakes can them to overheat, increasing stopping distances and caus
ing a collision.
- Run flat tires may only be used on
vehicles that were equipped with them at the factory . The vehicle must have a
chassis designed for run flat tires. Incor
rect use of run flat tires can lead to vehi
cle damage or accidents. Check with an
authorized Audi dealer or tire specialist
to see if your vehicle can be equipped
with run flat tires. If run flat tires are used, they must be installed on all four
wheels. Mixing tire types is not permit
ted.
(D Note
- For technical reasons, it is not generally
possible to use the wheel rims from oth-
Tires and wheels 257
er vehicles. This can hold true for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
- If the spare tire is different from the
tires that you have mounted on your ve
hicle (for example winter tires or wide
profile tires), then use the spare tire for a
short period of time only and drive with
extra care. Replace the flat tire with the
tire matching the others on your vehicle
as soon as possible.
- Never drive without the valve stem cap .
The valves could get damaged .
(® For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accordance with the
local requirements.
Uniform tire quality grading
-Tread wear
- Tract ion AA A B C
- Temperature AB C
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire side wall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width
c;, page 254,
fig. 204.
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA,
Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Feder
al Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades.
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded ISO would wear
one and one half (11/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual conditions of their use, how
ever, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, serv
ice practices and differences in road character-
istics and climate.
ll-
•
•
258 Tire s and whee ls
Tra ction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. T hose grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance
c:> .&. .
Te mp eratu re
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and
C, representing the t ire's resistance to
the generation of heat and its ability to dissi
pate heat when tested under con trolled condi
tions on a specified i ndoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure
c:> ,& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform
ance which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Veh icle Safety Stand
ard No .
109 . Grades Band A represent h igher
l eve ls of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the m inimum required by law.
.&_ WARNING
T he traction grade assigned to this t ire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydrop laning o r peak traction
characteristics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is es
tablished for a t ire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed, un
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible tire fa ilu re.
-
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 w inter o r "snow" t ires, those
with very deeply cut tread . T hese tires should
o n ly be used in pairs and be installed on a ll
f o ur wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
ti res that are the same size and construction
type as the othe r tires on yo ur vehicle.
If your vehicle is equ ipped w ith all-whee l
drive*, t his w ill improve traction during win ter
driv ing, even with the standard tires . Howev
er, we strongly recommend that you always
equip all four wheels on your vehicle w ith cor
rect ly fitted winter tires or all-season t ires,
when winter road condit ions are expected.
This also improves the veh icle 's brak ing per
formance and reduces stopping d istances .
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on all fo ur whee ls .
Ask your au thorized A udi dealer or qualified
workshop for permit ted
winter ti re size s. Use
only radial winter tires .
Winter tires lose their effec tivenes s whe n the
tread is wo rn down to a depth o f
0.157 inch
(4 mm) .
Only d rive w ith w inter t ires under w inte r co n
ditions. S umme r tir es handle bette r whe n
there is no snow o r ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °C) .
If you have a flat ti re, see notes on spare
whee l
c:> page 254 .
Please always remember that winter tires may
have a lowe r speed rating than the tires o rigi
nally i nstalled on your vehi cle at the time it
was ma nufactu red. P lease see
c:> page 255,
Speed rating (Letter code)
for a lis ting o f the
speed rating lette r codes and the max imum
speed at which the tires can be driven . ..,.
The speed rating letter code (c::> page 246) is
on the side wall of the tire
c::> page 254.
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
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.
@l 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.
-
Tires and wheels
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,S mm) , including the lock.
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putting snow chains on your vehicle
c::> (]) . 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 ..,.
259
•
•
260 Tire s and wheel s
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.
(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 installed 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 fitted
secure ly 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 mode l
¢page 287.
_& WARNING
Imprope rly tig htened o r maintained whee l
bolts can be come loose ca using loss of
contro l, a co llision and serious persona l in
jury.
- Always keep the wheel bol ts an d the
threads in the wheel hubs clea n so the
wheel bolts can tu rn easily and be prop
er ly tightened .
- Never grease or oil the wheel bo lts and
the threads in the wheel h ubs. They can
become loose w hile driving if greased or
oiled, 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 correct tighten ing
torq ue for the wheel bo lts to reduce the risk of a whee
l loss. If the tightening tor
que of the 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 high, the wheel bolts a nd threads
can be damaged and the whee l can be
come loose.
([) Note
The specified torque for the whee l bolts is
90 ft lb (120 Nm) with a tolerance of± 7,4
ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torque whee l bolts diago
nally. Afte r changing a whee l, the torque
must be checked as soon as possible wi th a
torque wrench -pre ferably by an au thor
ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped 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 hand ling u nder a var iety of d riv ing condi
t ions . As k your author ized 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 rep resents the ratio
of the t ire's s idewa ll height in relation to its
t read width ex pressed in percentage. Conven
t iona l tires have a he igh t/w idth rat io of 60 or
more.
The performanc e of low -a sp ec t-ratio tires i s
pa rticularly sensitive to improper inflation
pre ssure . It is therefore important that low
a spect ratio tires are inflated to the specified
pre ssure and that the inflation pressure i s
regularly checked and maintained. Tire pre s
sures should be checked at least once a month and always befo re a long trip
¢ page 249, 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 ith potholes, curbs, gull ies .,..
or ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is underinflated .
I n o rder to m inim ize the occu rrence of impact
damage to the t ires of your veh icle, we recom
mend that you observe the following precau
tions :
- Always maintain recommended inflat ion
pressures. Chec k 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 a lso
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 possible .
- Inspect 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 underinflation, wh ich could eventu
ally cause tire failure . If you be lieve that a
t ir e may have been damaged , replace the
t ire as soon as possible.
- T hese tires may wea r mo re qui ck ly than ot h
ers.
- Please a lso remember that, whi le these tires
deliver respons ive handling, they may ride
l ess comfortably and make mo re noise than
othe r choices.
Reduced performance in winter /cold
season condition s
All tires are des igned for certa in pu rposes.
The low aspect ratio, ultra high performance
tires originally installed on your veh icle 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 dr ive under those circums tances, you
should equip your veh icle with all -season or
winter tires, which offer better traction under
those cond itions . We suggest you use the rec
ommended snow or all-season tires specified
for your ve hicle, or their equ ivalent.
Tire s an d wheel s 261
Refer to q page 258 for more detailed infor
mation regard ing winter tires.
Tire pressure
monitoring system
ill General notes
Applies to veh icles: w ith t ire pressure monitoring system
Each tire, incl uding the spare (i f provided),
shou ld be checked monthly when co ld and in
flated to the inf lation pressure recommended
by the veh icle manufacturer on the veh icle
placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your
vehicle ha s tires of a different size than the
s ize indicated on the vehicle placard or tire i n
flat ion pressu re labe l, you shou ld dete rm ine
the p roper t ire inflation p ress ure fo r th ose
t ir es).
As an added safety feature , your ve hicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure mon ito ring
system ( TPMS) that illum inates a low ti re
pressure te lltale when one or more of your
tires is significant ly under -inflated . Acco rding
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 ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute
for proper tire ma intenance, and it is the driv
er's respons ibility to maintain co rrect tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not
rea ched the leve l to tr igger illum inat ion of the
T PMS low tire p ressure tellta le .
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
T PMS ma lfunction indicator to ind icate when
the system 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 ..,_
•
•
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.
•
•
264 What do I do now?
What do I do now?
Emergency warning
triangle
App lies to vehicles: with emerge ncy warning triangle
The warning triangle is located on the inside
of the trunk lid .
-
"' M ~ 0 6
~ ~
Fig. 207 Tr unk lid: Warning triang le
.,. To open the cover , turn the locking mecha
nism and pull the cover downward .
" m
.,. Remov e the warning triang le from its hold
er.
The rear lid is only designed to hold the warn
ing triangle offered by the original accessories
program. If you would like to retrofit your ve
hicle with a warning triangle, p lease contact
your authorized Audi dealer.
Vehicle tool kit
Vehicle tool kit and jack
The vehicle tool kit is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover.
Fig. 208 Lu ggage compartme nt: cargo floor cover
folded upward/spa re t ire
Fig. 209 Trunk lid: Veh icle tool kit
.,. Fold the floor to the seatback with the help
of the handle .
.,. Turn the handwheel counter-clockwise
~ fig. 208 and remove the spare t ire to
reach the vehicle tool kit.
The onboard tool k it includes:
- Hooks to remove the wheel covers*
- Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers*
- Wheel bolt wrench
-Alignment pin for changing wheels
- Screwdriver with reversible blade
- Towing 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 pe rsonal 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 sho uld it be used to
lift
heavy veh icles or other loads; you risk in
juring yo urself.
- Never start the engine when the vehicle
is raised, which could cause an accident.
- Support the vehicle securely with appro
p riate stands if work is to be performed
underneath the vehicle; otherwise, there
is a potential risk for injury. .,.