2014 VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG Owners Manual

Wear indicators show when the tires are worn down. The tires must be replaced no later than when the tread pattern is worn down to the wear indicators.
WARNING
Worn tires are dangerous and can cause loss of vehicle control including serious personal injuries.
x Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire is worn down to the wear indicators, replace them sooner.
x Worn tires do not grip the road properly, especially on wet roads, increasing your risk of “hydroplaning” and loss of control.
x Worn tires reduce the ability of your vehicle to handle well in normal and difficult driving situations and increase braking distances and the risk of skidding.
Tire wear and damage

Wheel alignment – Incorrect wheel alignment causes excessive and uneven tire wear, impairing vehicle safety. If you notice excessive or uneven tire wear, have the wheel alignment checked by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility.
WARNING
Unusual vibrations or pulling to one side can indicate tire damage.
x Reduce speed immediately and stop when it is safe to do so.
x Check tires and wheel rims for damage.
x Never drive with a damaged tire or rim. Get expert assistance instead.
x If no external damage is visible, slowly and carefully drive to the nearest authorized Volkswagen dealer or authorized Volkswagen Service Facility or other qualified workshop and have the vehicle checked.
Collapsible spare tire

Fig. 115 Under the luggage compartment floor panel: Collapsible spare tire with threaded retainer (left) and collapsible spare tire with fastening bolt and washer (right).

Fig. 116 Connection points in the engine compartment for the collapsible spare tire compressor.

Removing the collapsible spare tire
x Open the rear hatch: Lift up the luggage compartment floor panel and hook it to the top of the
luggage compartment or remove the reversible luggage compartment floor panel ⇒ Luggage compartment.
x Take the retainer ⇒ fig. 115 (1) from the middle of the collapsible spare wheel and fit it onto the fastening bolt (2); then unscrew the bolt completely counterclockwise.
x OR: Turn the fastening bolt with washer (3) counterclockwise and remove completely.
x Take the collapsible spare tire out of the vehicle.
x Inflate the collapsible spare tire to not more than 51 psi (3.5 bar / 350 kPa) before mounting it on
the vehicle ⇒ Inflating the collapsible spare tire.
Inflating the collapsible spare tire
x Take the compressor out of the luggage compartment ⇒ Vehicle tool kit.
x Screw the tire filler hose onto the valve of the collapsible spare tire.
x Open the engine hood ⇒ In the engine compartment.
x Connect the compressor with the 12 Volt clips only to the jump-start terminals in the engine
compartment ⇒ Jump starting. The red clip on the compressor cable is connected to the positive (+)
terminal; the black clip is connected to the negative terminal (-) ⇒ fig. 116.
x Route the connector cables so that they cannot get caught in rotating parts.
x Start the vehicle engine and let it run.
x Switch on the compressor. Make sure that the air bleed screw on the tire pressure gauge is closed.
x Inflate the collapsible spare tire to a pressure of 51 psi (3.5 bar / 350 kPa). The compressor must be switched off after 10 minutes at most to keep it from overheating.
Stowing the tire you removed
x Lift up the luggage compartment floor panel and hook it to the top of the luggage compartment or
remove the reversible luggage compartment floor panel ⇒ Luggage compartment.
x If necessary, return the vehicle tool kit to its location in the luggage compartment.
x Unhook the luggage compartment floor panel/replace reversible luggage compartment floor panel.
x Put the tire you took off the vehicle in the luggage compartment and secure it firmly.
x Close the rear hatch.
Driving with the collapsible spare tire
The collapsible spare tire is different in design from the road tires and must be used only in the event
of a flat tire, only for a brief time, and only when driving with extra caution ⇒ .
Replace it with a tire matching the others on your vehicle as soon as possible.
Please heed the following:
x Do not drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h)!
x Avoid full-throttle acceleration, hard braking and fast cornering!
x Do not use snow chains on the collapsible spare tire.
x After installing the collapsible spare tire, check the tire pressure as soon as possible ⇒ Checking tire inflation pressure.
Reusing the collapsible spare tire
The collapsible spare tire can be reused as long as it is not damaged and not worn down to the tread wear indicators.

It takes several hours for the collapsible spare tire to return to its collapsed form after you let the air out of it. Once this has happened, you can put it back in the spare tire well and secure it.
x Let the air out of the tire by unscrewing the valve core.
x Screw the valve core back in once the air has been released.
x Wait several hours before putting the collapsible spare tire back in the spare tire well.
x Once the time is up, open the rear hatch. Lift up the luggage compartment floor panel and hook it to the top of the luggage compartment or remove the reversible luggage compartment floor panel
⇒ Luggage compartment.
x Place the collapsible spare tire in the spare tire well and secure it with the fastening bolt (⇒ fig. 115 (2) or (3)).
x Fit the retainer (1) back into the middle of the collapsible spare tire .
x Unhook the luggage compartment floor panel/replace reversible luggage compartment floor panel.
x Close the rear hatch.
WARNING
Improper use of a collapsible spare tire can cause loss of vehicle control, a crash or other accident, and serious personal injury.
x Never use a collapsible spare tire if it is damaged or worn down to the wear indicators.
x The collapsible spare tire is identified by a sticker and the words “50 mph” or “80 km/h”. This is the maximum permissible speed when driving with this tire.
x Never drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h) with a collapsible spare tire. Avoid full-throttle acceleration, heavy braking, and fast cornering!
x Never drive more than 125 miles (200 km) if a compact spare wheel is installed on the front axle (drive axle).
x Replace the collapsible spare tire with a normal wheel as soon as possible. Collapsible spare tires are designed for brief use only.
x Regularly check U.S. DOT tire identification number (TIN) to determine the age of the
collapsible spare tire ⇒ Tire labeling. Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly, especially at higher speeds.
x Tires that are more than 6 years old can only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at lower speeds.
x The collapsible spare tire must always be secured with the wheel bolts provided by the factory.
x Never drive using more than one collapsible spare tire.
x After installing the collapsible spare tire, the tire pressure must be checked as soon as
possible ⇒ Tire inflation pressure.
x Snow chains cannot be used on the collapsible spare tire. If you need the snow chains, but one of the front tires is flat, you have to mount the collapsible spare tire on the rear axle. The tire taken off the rear axle can then be used to replace the flat front tire. Be sure to maintain the tire's direction of rotation. Install the snow chains on the full-sized road wheel.
If possible, fasten the collapsible spare tire or the wheel you took off the vehicle securely in the luggage compartment. On vehicles equipped with a tire mobility set, the tire you took off the vehicle cannot be secured.

Tire labeling

Fig. 117 International tire labeling.

Tire labeling (example) Meaning
E4 ... Labeling according to international regulations (E) including number of the approving country. The multi-digit approval number is listed next.
DOT BT RA TY5 1709 Tire identification number (TIN3 - In some cases the manufacturing date is only on one side of the tire:
DOT The tire complies with the requirements of the United States Department of Transportation, responsible for issuing safety standards.
BT Identification letter of the manufacturing site.
RA Manufacturer information regarding tire dimensions.
TY5 Tire characteristics provided by the manufacturer.
1709 Manufacturing date: 17th week in 2009.
TWI Marks the position of the treadwear indicator ⇒ page 183.
Made in Germany Country of manufacture.
MAX LOAD 615 KG (1356 LBS) United States maximum load rating per wheel.
MAX INFLATION 350 KPA (51 PSI) United States maximum permissible inflation pressure.
ROTATION Rotation direction (unidirectional tires)
SIDEWALL 1 PLY RAYON Tire ply composition and materials used: 1 layer of rayon.
TREAD 4 PLIES 1 RAYON + 2 STEEL + 1 NYLON
Tire tread composition and materials used: In this example there are 4 layers under the tread: 1 layer of rayon, 2 layers of steel belt and 1 layer of nylon.
Consumer information regarding comparison to specified base tires (standardized test
procedure) ⇒ page 548:
TREADWEAR 220 Relative service life expectancy of the tire referenced to a US-specific standard test.
TRACTION A Traction rating under wet conditions (AA, A, B or C).
TEMPERATURE A Temperature stability of the tire at increased test bench speeds (A, B or C).
Additional numbers found on the tire could either be tire manufacturer internal labels or country-specific labels (such as for Brazil and China).
Unidirectional tires
Unidirectional tires are designed to rotate only in one direction. Unidirectional tires have arrows on the sidewalls that show the direction of rotation. Make sure you mount the tire so that it rotates in the proper direction. The tire's performance with regard to hydroplaning, traction, noise, and wear is worse if it is not mounted in the proper direction of rotation.
If you have to mount a tire opposite to its proper direction of rotation, you must drive more carefully, since the tire is no longer being used as designed. This is particularly important on wet roads. You must replace or remount the tire as soon as possible in order to restore the correct direction of rotation.
3 TIN represents the serial number of the tire.

Load rating code
The load index indicates the maximum permissible load per individual tire in pounds (kilograms).
91 1356 lbs (615 kg)
92 1388 lbs (630 kg)
93 1433 lbs (650 kg)
95 1521 lbs (690 kg)
97 1609 lbs (730 kg)
98 1653 lbs (750 kg)
99 1709 lbs (775 kg)
100 1763 lbs (800 kg)
101 1819 lbs (825 kg)
102 1874 lbs (850 kg)
103 1929 lbs (875 kg)
104 1984 lbs (900 kg)
110 2337 lbs (1060 kg)
Speed rating code letter
The speed rating code letter indicates the maximum permissible road speed of the tires.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (160 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
S up to 112 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
U up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)
Y up to 186 mph (300 km/h)
Some tire manufacturers label tires with a maximum permissible road speed above 149 mph (240 km/h) with the letter combination “ZR.”

WARNING
Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/or wheels or improper tire and wheel combinations can lead to loss of control, collision and serious personal injury.
x Always use tires, wheels and wheel bolts that meet the specifications of the original factory-installed tires or other combinations that have been specifically approved by the vehicle manufacturer.
x All 4 wheels must be fitted with radial tires of the same type, the same size (tread circumference), and the same tread pattern. Driving with different tires reduces vehicle handling and can lead to a loss of control.
x Never drive faster than the maximum speed for which the tires installed on your vehicle are rated because tires that are driven faster than their rated speed can fail suddenly.
x Overloading tires can cause heat build-up, sudden tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation and loss of control.
x Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and not over- or underinflated.
Winter tires