234 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 replacement tire is
not the same as the tires
that are mounted on the ve
hicle -for example with win
ter tires - only use the re
placement 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. ...
Tires and wheels 235
-Overloading tires cause heat Incorrect use of run flat •
build-up, sudden tire fail- tires can lead to vehicle • '
ure, including a blowout damage or accidents. Check
and sudden deflation and with an authorized Audi loss of control. dealer or tire specialist to
-Temperature grades apply see if your vehicle
can be
to tires that are properly in- equipped with run flat tires.
flated and not over or un- If run flat tires are used,
derinflated. they must be installed on all
-For technical reasons it is four wheels. Mixing tire
not always possible to use types is not permitted.
wheels from other vehicles -
(D Note
in some cases not even -For technical reasons, it is
wheels from the same vehi-
not generally possible to
cle model.
use the wheel rims from
-If you install wheel trim
other vehicles. This can hold
discs on the vehicle wheels, true for wheels of the same
make sure that the air flow vehicle type.
to the brakes is not blocked. -If a replacement tire is dif-
Reduced airflow to the
ferent from the tires that
brakes can them to over-
you have mounted on your
heat, increasing stopping
vehicle (for example winter
distances and causing a col-
tires or wide profile tires),
lision.
-Run flat tires may only be then use the replacement
tire for a short period of
used on vehicles that were time only and drive with ex-
equipped with them at the tra care. Replace the flat
factory. The vehicle must
tire with the tire matching
have a chassis designed for
the others on your vehicle
run flat tires and a factory-
as soon as possible.
installed tire pressure moni-
M
-Never drive without the N
er toring system* that indi-u.. co
valve stem cap. The valves ,....,
cates a loss of tire pressure. \!) 1.1'1 ,...., could get damaged. 1.1'1 ,....,
236 Tires and wheels
@ For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accord
ance with the local require
ment s.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- T raction
AA A B C
- T emperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire side wall between tread shou lder
and max imum sect ion width
¢ page 230,
fig. 186.
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 specified
government test course .
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear
one and one half (1 1/2) times 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 itions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire marked C may have poor
traction 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 loading, 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" tires, 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. .,.
M N
er
u..
co ...... \!) 1.1'1
...... 1.1'1 ......
Your vehicle is equipped with all whee l drive,
this will improve traction during winter driv ing, even with the standard tires. However, we
strongly recommend that you a lways equip a ll
four wheels on your veh icle w ith correctly fit
ted wi nte r tires or all -season tires, when w in
ter road conditions are expected. This also im
p roves the vehicle 's braking performance and
reduces stopping distances.
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow .
W inter tire s (snow t ires) must always be fitted
on all four wheels.
Ask your authorized Audi dea ler o r qualified
workshop for permitted
w inter t ire sizes. Use
only radia l winter tires .
Winte r ti res lose thei r effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
0 .15 7 inch
(4 mm) .
On ly drive with winter tires under 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 °().
If yo u have a flat tire, see notes on repla ce
ment whee l¢ page 230 .
Pl ease always remembe r th at w inte r ti res may
have a lower speed rating tha n the t ires origi
n all y ins talled on your veh icle at the t ime i t
was manufactured . Please see ¢ page 232,
Speed rating (letter code) for a Listing of the
speed rat ing letter codes and the maximum
speed at wh ich the t ires can be driven .
The speed rating letter code( ¢ page
215) is
on the side wall of the tire ¢ page 230.
A WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than your vehicle's max
imum speed. Always know the maximum
speed befo re driving off . Never drive faster
than the speed permitted for your specific
w inte r tir es . This will cause damage to the
ti res leading to an ac cident and se rious
pe rsonal i njury to you and yo ur p assen
gers .
Tire s an d wheel s 237
A WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your ve hicle
were designed can cause t ire fail ure in
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation,
l oss of cont ro l, crashes and ser ious per
sona l injuries. Have wo rn or damaged ti res
replaced immedia tely.
- Wi nte r tires h ave maxim um speed ra ting
that may be lower than yo ur vehicle 's
maxim um speed.
- Never d rive fas ter than the speed for
whi ch the w inter or othe r ti res installed
on yo ur vehicle are rated.
A WARNING
=
A lways ad just yo ur driving to t he roa d and
traffic conditions. Never let the good ac
celeration o f the winter tires and a ll 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
veh icle.
- Drive carefully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even w inter t ires
cannot help under black ice conditions.
@ For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather condi
tions permit. They are qu ieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumpt ion.
Snow chains
-
Snow cha ins may be fitted only to the fro nt
whee ls, and on ly to certain tire sizes . Ask your
autho rized Aud i dea le r o n whi ch tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
The snow chains must have low-p rofile links
and must not be th icker than
0 .41 inch
(10 .5 mm) , in cl ud ing t he lo ck.
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putt ing snow cha ins on your veh icle
¢ 0 . For safety reasons cover caps must then ..,.
•
•
M N
er
u..
co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
and handling under a variety of driving condi
tions. Ask your authorized Audi dea ler for
more deta ils.
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 sidewa ll height in relation to its
trea d width expressed in percentage. Conven
ti onal 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
pressur e 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 221, 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 potho les, curbs, gullies
or ridges on the road, particu larly if the tire is
underinflated .
I n order to minimize the occ urrence of impact
damage to the tir es 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
t hr ough 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
t ir es or have them inspected by the nearest
authorized Aud i dealer. Replace a damaged
t ir e as soo n 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-
Tires and wheels 239
ally cause tire failure. If you believe that a
tire may have been damaged, rep lace the
tire as soon as possib le.
- These tires may wear more quickly than oth
ers.
- Please also remembe r 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 or iginally installed on your vehicle are in
tended for maximum dry and wet road per
formance and handling. They are not suitable
for cold, snowy o r icy weather conditions. If
you drive under those circumstances, you
should equip your vehi cle w ith all-season or
winter tires, which offer better traction under
those conditions. We suggest you use the rec
ommended snow or a ll-season tires specified
for your vehicle, or their equivalent.
Refer to¢
page 236 for more de tailed infor
mation regarding winter tires.
Ti re pressure
monitoring system
ill General notes
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
sho uld be checked monthly when cold and in
flated to the inflation pressure recommended by the veh icle manufacturer on the veh icle
placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your
vehicle has tires of a d ifferent size than the
s ize indicated on the vehicle placard or tire in
flat io n pressure label, you should determine
the proper t ire inflation pressu re for those
tires).
As an added safety feature, your veh icle has
been equipped with a tire pressure mon itoring
system (TPMS) that illum inates a low tire
pressure te llt ale when one or more of your
tires is significantly under-inflated. .,.
•
•
24 0 T ire s and wheel s
According ly, when the low tire pressure te ll
tale illuminates, you shou ld stop and check
your tires as soon as possible, and inf late
them to the proper pressure. Driving on a s ig
n ificantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure. Under-in
flation also reduces fuel efficiency and tire
tread life, and may affect the vehicle's han
dli ng and stopp ing ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a subst itute
for proper tire maintenance, and it is the driv
e r's responsib ility to ma inta in correct tire
p ressu re, even if under- inflation has not
reached the leve l to trigger ill umination of the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your veh icle has also been equ ipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicato r to indica te when
the system is not opera ting properly. The
TPMS mal function indicator is combined wi th
the low tire press ure telltale . When the sys
tem detects a malfunction, the te lltale will
f lash fo r approximately one minute and then
remain cont inuous ly illuminated. This se
quence will continue upon subsequen t vehicle
start -ups as long as the ma lfunction ex ists .
When the malfunct ion indicator is ill uminat
ed, the system may not be able to detect or
signal low t ire pressure as intended . TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of rea
sons , includ ing the installat ion of replace
ment or a lternate tires or whee ls on the veh i
cle that prevent the TPMS from funct ioning
p roperly. Always check the TPM S malf unct ion
tellta le after replacing one o r more t ires or
wheels on your veh icle to ensure that the re
p lacement or a lternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function p roperly. Tire pressure indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: wit h tire press ure mo nitor ing system
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction .
Fig . 1 87 Displa y: un derin flation w arnin g
U sing the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni
toring system compares the tire tread circum
ference and vib ration characteristics of the in
dividua l tires.
If the pressure decreases in one
or more t ires, this is indicated in the instru
ment cluster with a
RI] war ning symbol and a
message ¢
fig. 187 . The driver message in the
display goes out afte r 5 seconds . The driver
message can b e displayed again by pressing
t h e
ISE TI button. If o nly one t ire is affec ted,
the d isp lay w ill indicate its posi tion.
The tire pressure monitoring system must be reset via rad io or M MI* each time the pres
su res a re adjusted (e.g. when swit ching be
tween partial and f ull load p ress ure) or after
changing or rep lacing a tire on your ve hicle
¢
page 241 . The TPMS indicator only mon i
tors the ti re pressure that yo u have previous ly
stored. You can find the recommended tire
pressures for your vehicle on the label on driv
er 's side 8-pillar ¢
page 217.
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac
teristics can change and cause a ti re pressure
warning if:
- the tire press ure in one or more tires is too
low,
- the t ire has struc tural damage,
- t he t ire p ress ure was c hanged, wheels rota t-
ed or rep laced but the TPMS was not reset
¢ page 241. ..,_
M N
er
u..
co ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
Warning symbol s
ti] Loss of p ressure in at least one tire c::> ,&. .
Check the tire or tires and replace o r repair if
necessary . The indicator light
ti] in the instru
ment cluster also illuminates
c::> page 13.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS v ia radio or MMI*.
liif:I ( T ire Pressure Monitoring System) Ti re
p ressu re : Sys tem malfun ction !.
Ifffi:m appears after sw itching the ign ition on
or while driving and the indicator light
ti] in
the instrument cluster blinks for approxi
mate ly one min ute and then stays on, there is
a system malfunction. Attempt to store the
correct t ire pressure
c::> page 241. If the ind i
cator light does not turn off or if it turns on
shortly thereafter, immediately drive your ve h icle to an authorized Audi dealer or author
i zed repair facility to have the malfunction
corrected.
_& WARNING
- If the t ire pressure indicator appea rs in
the instrument cl uster display, one or
more of you r tires is significantly under
inflated. Reduce your speed immediately
and avoid any hard steering or braking
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and
check the t ires and the ir pressures . In
flate the tire pressure to the proper pres sure as indicated on the vehicle's t ire
pressure label
c::> page 217. Driving o n a
signific antly under-inflated tire ca uses
the tire to overhea t and can lead to tire
f ailure. 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 t ire pressures regular ly.
- Under certain cond itions (such as a spor
ty driving style, w inter condit ions or un
paved roads), the pressure monitor ind i
cator may be de layed.
-Ask your authorized Audi dealer if run flat tires may be used on your veh icle.
Tire s an d wheel s 241
(D Tips
-The tire pressure monitor ing system may
stop working when there is an ESC ma l
function.
- Using snow c hains may res ult in a system
ma lf u nction.
- The tire pressure mon itoring system on
your Audi was deve loped using tires with
the "ROl" identificat ion on the tire side
wall
c::> page 230. We recommend using
these tires.
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
App lies to vehicles : wit h tire p ress ure mo nitor ing system
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels ore ro
tated or changed, the TPMS must be reset via
radio or MM!*.
.,. Before storing the new t ire pressures, check
that the current pressures on all four tires
correspond to the specified va lues and
adapt the pressures to the current load
c::> page 217 .
.,. Switch on the ignition.
.,. Select: the
I CARI fu nct ion button > Tir e pre s
sure monitoring
> Store now . Or
.,. Select: the
I CAR I fu nction button > Car s ys
tem s*
contro l butto n > Servicing & checks >
Tire p ressure monitoring > Sto re tire pres
sures
> Yes , store now .
(D Tips
Do not store the tire pressure if there are
snow cha ins on the tire. Otherwise, a sys
tem malfunction may occur.
•
•
24 4 What do I do no w?
• Screw the accompanying filling hose com
pletely onto the bottle. This breaks through
the fo il seal automat ica lly at the connec
t ion.
• Remove the valve cap from the tire valve and
unscrew the valve insert us ing the accompa
nying valve insert tool
q fig . 190 .
• Lay the valve insert on a clean surface .
• Remove the sealing p lug from the filling
hose and connect the hose to the t ire va lve.
• Hold the bottle with the bottom fac ing up
ward and empty the entire contents into the
tire.
• Then pu ll out the hose and screw the valve
insert tightly back into the tire valve.
Inflating a ti re
• Screw the fi lling hose for the electric air
pump onto the tire valve and insert the con
nector into the cigarette lighter .
• Inf late the tire between 2.0 and 2.S bar and
read the pressure from the gauge.
• If this tire pressure is not reached, drive
your vehicle approximately 10 meters for
ward or backward so that the sealant can be redistr ibuted i nside the tire.
If at th is time
the required air pressure still cannot be reached, the t ire is too bad ly damaged and
cannot be repaired with the tire sea lant.
Final check
• After dr iving for about 10 minutes, stop and
check the t ire pressure .
• If tire pressure is less than 1.3 bar, the ti re
is too seve rely damaged. Do not cont in u e to
drive . Seek pro fessional assistance.
8_ WARNING
- Turn on the eme rgency flashers and set
up the emergency triangle if you have
flat tire while in moving traff ic. This is
for your protection and the for the safety
of other d rivers .
- Have all passengers leave the vehicle and
stay away from the danger zone (fo r ex
ample, beh ind a guard rail). -
Read and follow the manufacturer's safe
ty precautions on the compressor and in
the instructions on the bottle of sealant!
- If a tire pressure of 2.0 bar cannot
reached after inflating for six minutes,
then the t ire is too severely damaged. Do
not continue driving!
- Obta in qualified help if it is not possible
to perform the repair with the tire seal
ant.
- If the tire pressure is less than 1.3 bar
after 10 m inutes of driv ing, then the the
tire is too seve rely damaged . Do not con
tinue dr iving. Seek profess iona l assis
tance.
Q) Note
Particular care is necessary if you are mak
i ng a tire repa ir on a steep incl ine .
@ Tips
-Do not operate the electric air pump for
more than 6 minutes without stopping,
otherwise it can overheat . When the a ir
pump has cooled down, you can continue
t o u se i t.
- If sealant has spilled out, let it dry and
then you can remove it by peeling it away
like a foil.
- Rememb er to obtain a new bott le of
sealant from yo ur autho rized Aud i deale r
after repairing a tire. After this, the func
tionality of the tire repair set is resto red.
- Obey all laws.
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 failure, pull the
car we ll away from mov ing traffic and try to
reach
le vel ground before you stop q ,& .
• All passengers should lea ve the car and
move to a safe location (for instance, behind
the guardrail)
q ,& . ..,.