230 Tires and wheels
New tires and replacing
tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to
be broken in.
Fig. 186 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
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. .,.
•
•
26 6 Con sum er Inf ormation
-Always make sure the transmission se
lector lever (automatic transmiss ion) is
in "P" (Park position) and the park brake
is f irmly app lied .
@) For the sake of the environment
-Changing the engine settings wi ll ad
versely affect em iss ion levels. This is det
rimental to the environment and increas
es fuel consumption .
- Always observe env ironmental regula
tions when dispos ing of old engine oil,
used brake fluid, dirty engine coolant,
spent batteries or worn out tires.
- Undeployed airbag modules and preten
s ioners might be classified as Perchlo
rate Material -spec ial handling may ap
ply, see www.dtsc.ca .gov/hazardous
waste/perch lorate . When the veh icle or
parts of the restraint system including
airbag modules safety belts wit h preten
sioners are scrapped, all applicable laws
and regulations must be observed. Your
authori zed Aud i dea ler is familiar with
these requirements and we recommend
that you have your dealer perform this
serv ice for you .
Additional accessories,
modifications and
parts replacement
Additional accessories and parts
replacement
Always consult an authorized Audi dealer be
fore purchasing accessories.
Your veh icle incorporates the latest safety de
sig n featu res ensu ring a high standard of ac
tive and passive safety .
This safety could be compromised by non-ap proved changes to the veh icle. For this reason ,
if pa rts have to be replaced , please observe
the following points when install ing addition
a l accessories: Approved Audi accessories and genuine Aud
i
parts are available from authorized A udi deal
er.
T hese dea le rs a lso have the necessary facili
ties, tools and trained specialists to install the parts and acc essories proper ly .
A WARNING
-Using the wrong spare parts or using non-
approved accessories can cause damage to
the veh icle and ser ious persona l injury.
- Use on ly accessories express ly approved
by Audi and gen uine Audi spare parts
- These parts and accessories have been
specia lly designed to be used on yo ur ve
h icle .
- Never install accessor ies such as tele
phone crad les or beverage ho lders on a ir
bag covers or within the airbag deploy
ment zones . Do ing so will increase the
risk of injury if a irbags are triggered in an
accident!
- Before you check anything in the engine
compa rtment, always read and heed a ll
WARNI NGS
9 page 195 .
(D Note
-If items other than genu ine Audi spare
parts, add-on equipment and accessory
items are used or if repair work is not
performed accord ing to specified meth
ods, this c an resu lt in seve re damage to
your vehicle's eng ine and body (such as
corrosion) and adversely affect yo ur vehi
cle's warranty .
- If emergency repairs must be performed
elsewhere, have the vehicle examined by
an authorized A udi dealer as soon as
possible .
- The manufacturer cannot be held liable
for damage wh ich occ urs due to failure
to comply with these stipu lations.