Wheels
A WARNING
Wheel bolts that are tightened or repaired in
correctly can become loose and resu lt in loss
of vehicle control , which increases the risk of
an acc ident. For the correct tightening specifi
cat ion, refer to
c:> page 261, After changing a
wheel.
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the threads
in the wheel hub clean and free of grease.
- Only use wheel bo lts that fit the r im .
- Always have damaged rims repaired by an
authorized Aud i dealer or authorized repair
facility. Never repair or disassemble rims
you rself, because this increases the risk of
an accident.
Winter tires
W inter tires sign ificantly improve the vehicle's
handling when driving in w inter condit ions . Be
cause of the ir construction (width, compo und,
tread pattern), summer t ires prov ide less traction
on ice and snow.
.., Use winte r tir es on all four whee ls .
.., Only use winter t ires that are approved for your
vehicle.
.., Please note that the maximum permitted
speed may be lower with winter tires
c:> .&,.
Your authorized Audi dealer or authorized re
pai r facility can inform you about the maximum
permitted speed for your tires.
.., Check the tire pressure after installing wheels
c:> page 245.
The effectiveness of winter tires is reduced great
ly when the tread is worn down to a depth of
0 .1S7 inch (4 mm). The characteristics of w inter
tires also decrease greatly as the tire ages, re
gardless of the remaining tread.
A WARNING
-Never dr ive faste r than the maximum per
mitted speed for your t ires. This could cause
the tires to heat up too much . Th is increases
the risk of an accident because it can cause
the tire to burst .
250
-Always adapt your driving to the road and
traffic cond itions. Drive carefully and reduce
your speed on icy or slippery roads. Even
w inter t ires can lose traction on black ice.
@ For the sake of the environment
Reinstall summer tires at the appropriate
time, beca use they provide better handling
when roads are free of snow and ice. Summer
tires cause less road noise, tire wear and fuel
consumpt ion.
(D Tips
You can a lso use all season tires instead of
winter tires. Please note that in some coun
tries where w inter t ires are required, only win
ter tires with the
& symbol may be permit
ted.
· Snow chains
Snow chains improve traction in the snow .
.., Only install snow chains on the rear wheels .
.., Check and correct the seating of the snow
chains if necessary after driving a few feet. Fol
low the instruct ions from the manufacture r.
.., Note the maximum permitted speed when dr iv
ing w ith snow chains . Do not exceed 30 mph
(SO km/h) .
Snow cha ins not onl y improve the
driving in w in
ter road conditions , but also the
braking .
Use of snow chains is only permitted with certain
rim/tire combinations due to technical reasons .
Check with a n author ized Audi dealer or author
iz ed repair facility to see if you may use snow
c hains.
Use
fine-mesh snow chains. They must not add
more than 0.53 inch (13.5 mm) in he ight, includ
i ng the cha in lock.
You must remove the chains when driving on
roads that are
free of snow. When roads are free
of snow , snow cha ins can impair hand ling and
damage the tires, and the chains will quick ly be
destroyed. .,.
Emergency assistance
"' Use the hexagonal socket in the screwdriver
handle to screw in and tighten all wheel bolts
slightly.
"'Remove the alignment pin and insert and tight
en the remaining wheel bolt slightly like the
rest.
"'T urn the jack handle* counter-clockwise to low
er the vehicle until the jack* is fully released .
"'U se the whee l bolt wrench to tighten all wheel
bolts firmly¢
page 261. Tighten them cross
wise,
from one bolt to the (approximately) op
posite one, to keep the wheel centered.
@ Note
When removing or installing the wheel, the
r im could hit the brake rotor and damage the
rotor. Work carefu lly and have a second per
son help you.
(D Tips
Never use the hexagonal socket in the handle
of the screwdriver to loosen or tighten the
wheel bolts.
- Pull the reversib le blade from the screwdriv
er before you use the hexagonal socket in
the handle to turn the wheel bolts.
- When mounting tires with
unidirectional
tread design
make sure the tread pattern is
pointed the right way
¢page 264.
-The wheel bolts should be clean and easy to
turn. Check for dirt and corrosion on the
mating surfaces of bot h the wheel and the
hub. Remove all dirt from these surfaces be
fore remounting the wheel.
Tires with unidirectional tread design
Tires with unidirectional tread design must be
mounted with their tread pattern pointed in the
right direction.
Using a spare tire with a tread pattern
intended for use in a specific direction
When us ing a spare tire w ith a tread pattern in
tended for use in a specific direct ion, please note
the following:
- The direction of rotation is marked by an arrow
on the side of the tire .
264
-If the spare tire has to be installed in the incor
rect direction, use the spare tire only tempora
r il y since the tire w ill not be ab le to achieve its
optimum performance character istics with re
gard to aquaplaning, noise and wear.
- We recommend that you pay part icu lar atten
tion to th is fact during wet weather and that
you adjust your speed to match road condi
tions.
- Replace the flat tire with a new one and have it
installed on your veh icle as soon as possible to
resto re the handling advantages of a unidirec
tional tire.
Notes on wheel changing
Please read the information ¢ page 242, New
tires ar wheels
if you are going to use a spare tire
which is different from the tires on your vehicle .
After you change a tire:
- Check the tire pressure on the spare immedi
ately after installation.
- Have the wheel bolt tightening torque
checked with a torque wrench as soon as pos
sible by your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified workshop.
- With steel and alloy wheel rims, the wheel
bolts are correctly tightened at a torque of
105 ft lb (140 Nm).
- If you notice that the wheel bolts are corroded
and difficult to turn while changing a tire,
they should be replaced before you check the
tightening torque.
- Replace the flat tire with a new one and have
it installed on your vehicle as soon as possi
ble. Remount the wheel cover.
Until then, drive with extra care and at reduced
speeds.
&_ WARNING
- If you are going to equ ip your vehi cle w ith
tires or rims which differ from those which
were factory installed, then be sure to read
the information ¢
page 242, New tires or
wheels .
-