2015 AUDI A4 Owners Manual

Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can
cause excessive tire wear, im­
pairing the safety of the vehi­
cle. If tires show excessive
wear, have the wheel alignment checked by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop.
All wheel drive
Vehicles with quattro must al­
ways have tires of the same size, construction and tread
type. For details see
¢ page 190 .
A WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead
to loss of control, a crash and
serious personal injury!
-Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire is worn
down to the wear indica­
tors.
-Worn tires are a safety haz­ ard, they do not grip well on
wet roads and increase your risk of "hydroplaning" and
loss of control.
- Always keep chemicals that
can cause tire damage, such
as grease, oil, gasoline and brake fluid away from tires.
-
Tires and wheels 24 7
-Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail
suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more
than 6 years old can only be
used in an emergency and
then with special care and at lower speeds.
-Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not
sure of their "previous histo­ ry ." Old used tires may have
been damaged even though
the damage cannot be seen
that can lead to sudden tire
failure and loss of vehicle
control.
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248 Tires and wheels
New tires and replacing
tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to
be broken in.
Fig. 193 Tire specification codes on
the sidewall of a tire
No. Description
CD Passenger car tire (where
applicable)
@ Nominal width of tire in
millimeters
@ Ratio of height to width
(aspect ratio)
© Radial
® Rim diameter code
® Load index and speed rat-
1ng
(j) U.S. DOT tire identifica -
tion number
No. Description
® Audi Original tire
® Sever snow conditions
@ Tire ply composition and
materials used
@ Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and
temperature grades
@ Maximum permissible in-
flation pressure
The tires and rims are essential
parts of the vehicle's design.
The tires and rims approved by
Audi are specially matched to
the characteristics of the vehi­
cle and can make a major con­
tribution to good road holding and safe handling when in good
condition and properly inflated
¢ A .
We recommend that all work
on tires and wheels be per­
formed by an authorized Audi
dealer. They are familiar with recommended procedures and
have the necessary special tools
and spare parts as well as the
proper facilities for disposing of
the old tires.
Authorized Audi dealers have
the necessary information

about technical requirements
for installing or changing t ires
and rims.
Replacing tires and wheels
Tires should be replaced at least in pairs and not individu ­
ally (for example both front
tires or both rear tires togeth­ er) .
Be sure to read and heed the in­
formation to the tire pressure monitoring system*
¢ page 257.
Always buy replacement radial
tires that have the same specifi­
cations as the tires approved
for your vehicle by Audi. Re­
placement tires must always
have the same load rating spec­
ification as the original equip ­
ment or approved optional tires
listed in the table¢
page 234.
Audi-approved specification
tires are specially matched to
your vehicle and its load limits and can contribute to the im­
portant roadholding, driving
characteristics, and safety of
the vehicle. The table ( ¢
page 234) lists specifica­
tions of the tires approved for
I
Tires and wheels 249
the Audi models covered by
your Owner's Literature.
The tire pressure label located on driver's side B-pillar
( c::> page 234J fig. 190) lists the
specifications of the original
equipment tires installed on
your vehicle at the time it was
manufactured.
Federal law requires tire manu­
facturers to place standardized information on the sidewall of
all tires
¢fig. 193. This infor­
mation identifies and describes
the fundamental characteris­
tics, the quality grade of the
tire and also provides a tire identification number for safety
standard certification and in
case of a recall.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications
makes it easier to choose the
correct tires. Radial tires have
the tire specifications marked on the sidewall , for example:
P255 / 35 R19 96V XL
This contains the following in-
formation: ..,..
•
•
'

250 Tires and wheels
p Indicates the tire is for pas-
senger cars (where applica- ble)
255 Nominal tire width in mm
of the tire from sidewall
edge to sidewall edge. In
general, the larger the num-
ber, the wider the tire
35 Height/width ratio in per-
cent (aspect ratio)
R Tire construction: Radial
19 Rim diameter code (in in-
ches)
96 Load rating code
Y Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xl" "EXTRA LOAD" or , 1
"RF" Indicates that the tire is
a"Reinforced" or an "Extra
Load" tire
M+S (or "M/5") Indicates that
the tire has some mud and snow capability
The tires could also have the in-
formation of direction of rota-
tion
c:::> page 228.
Tire manufacturing date
The manufacturing date is also
indicated on the tire sidewall
l ) For t ires with a maximum speed ca­
pability ov er 149 mph (240 km/h) ,
tire manufacturers sometimes use
the letters "ZR."
(possibly only on the inner side
of the wheel):
"DOT ... 2214 ... " means, for
example, that the tire was pro-
duced in the 22nd week of
2014.
Speed rating (letter code)
The speed rating letter code on
the wheels indicates the maxi -
mum permissible road speeds
c:::> A in Winter tires on
page 255.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
s up to 110 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)1
)
z over 149 mph (240 km/h)1)
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)1
)
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)1)
Your vehicle is normally factory
equipped with tires, which pos-
sess excellent driving character- istics and give your Audi
....

Tires and wheels 251
optimum driving comfort. An tires because they meet the •
electronic speed limiter highest standards regarding • '
¢ page 30 will normally pre-
safety and driving characteris-
vent your vehicle from going tics when used correctly . Your
faster than the tire speed rating authorized Audi dealer will ¢
&,. . gladly provide you with more
U.S. DOT Tire Identification
information.
Number (TIN) and tire
Tire ply composition and
manufacture date materials used
This is the tire's "serial num-The number of plies indicates
ber" . It begins with the letters
the number of layers of rubber-
"DOT" and indicates that the coated fabric in the tire. In gen-
tire meets all federal stand -
eral, the greater the number of
ards. The next two numbers or plies, the more weight a tire
letters indicate the plant where can support. Tire manufactur-
it was manufactured, and the ers also must indicate the ma-
last four numbers represent the terials in the tire, which include
week and year of manufacture. steel, nylon, polyester, and oth-
For example , the numbers
ers.
2214 mean that the tire was
Maximum Load Rating
produced in the 22nd week of
2014. The other numbers are This number indicates the max-
marketing codes that may or imum load in kilograms and
may not be used by the ti re pounds that can be carried by
manufacturer. This information the tire.
is used to contact consumers if
Tire quality grading for
a tire defect requires a recall. treadwear, traction, and
Audi Original tire temperature resistance
Tires with the identification
Tread wear, traction and tern-
"AO " or "RO" have been special- perature
grades¢
page 254.
'"" N
ly matched with your Audi. We 0 ::.,: co ,....,
recommend using only these \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,

252 Tires and wheels
Maximum Permissible
Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest
amount of air pressure that
should ever be put in the tire
under normal driving condi­
tions.
.&_ WARNING
-Using incorrect or unmatch­ ed tires and/ or wheels or improper tire and wheel
combinations can lead to loss of control, collision and
serious personal injury.
-Always use tires, rims and wheel bolts that meet the
specifications of original
factory-installed tires or
other combinations that have been specifically ap­
proved by the vehicle manu­
facturer.
-Tires age even if they are
not being used and can fail
suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more
than 6 years old can only be used in an emergency and
then with special care and
at lower speeds.
-Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of their "previous
histo­
ry." Old used tires may have
been damaged even though
the damage cannot be seen
that can lead to sudden tire
failure and loss of vehicle
control.
-All four wheels must be fit­ ted with radial tires of the
same type, size (rolling cir­
cumference) and the same
tread pattern. 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 normal road wheel as soon as safely possible.
-Never drive faster than the maximum speed for which
the tires on your vehicle are
rated because tires that are
driven faster than their rat­
ed speed can fail suddenly.
-Overloading tires cause heat build-up, sudden tire fail ­
ure, including a blowout
..

and sudden deflation and loss of control.
-Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly in­
flated and not over or un ­
derinflated.
-For technical reasons it is not always possible to use
wheels from other vehicles_ 1n some cases not even
wheels from the same vehi­
cle model.
-If you install wheel trim discs on the vehicle wheels
I
make sure that the air flow
to the brakes is not blocked.
Reduced airflow to the
brakes can them to over­
heat, increasing stopping
distances and causing a col­ lision.
-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 and a factory­
installed tire pressure moni­
toring system* that indi­ cates a loss of tire pressure.
Incorrect use of run flat
tires can lead to vehicle damage or accidents. Check
Tires and wheels 253
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
I
they must be installed on all
four wheels. Mixing tire types is not permitted.
(D Note
-For technical reasons, it is not generally possible to
use the wheel rims from
other 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 vehicle
(for example winter tires or
wide profile tires), then use
the spare tire for a short pe­ riod of time only and drive
with extra care. Replace the
flat tire with the tire match­ ing the others on your vehi­
cle as soon as possible.
-Never drive without the valve stem cap. The valves could get damaged.
I),
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254 Tires and wheels
@ For the sake of the environment
Dispo se of old tires in accord­
ance with the local require­
ments.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- T raction AA A B C
- T empera ture ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire side wa ll between tread shou lder
and max imum sect ion width
¢ page 248,
fig. 193.
For example: Tread wear 200, Tract ion 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 spec ified
government test course .
For example, a t ire graded 150 would wear
one and one half (1 1/2) t imes as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relat ive performance of t ires depends
upon the actua l conditions of their use, how­
ever, and may depart significantly from the norm due to var iations in dr iving habits, serv­
ice practices and differences in road character­
istics and climate .
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the
tire's abil ity to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled cond it ions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire marked C may have poor
trac tion performance ¢&,. .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and C, representing the tire's resistance to
the generation of heat and its ability to dissi­
pate heat when tested under controlled condi­
tions on a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and red uce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure
¢ &,..
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform ­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stand­
ard No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher
levels of performance on the 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, hydroplaning or peak traction
characteristics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is es ­
tablished for a tire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive load ing, either
separately or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible 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" tir es, 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 size and construction
type as the other tires on your vehicle. .,.