254 Tires and wheels
-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
fa ilure and loss of vehicle
control. New tires and replacing
tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to
be broken in.
Fig. 172 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
0 U .S . DOT tire identifica-
tion number
256 Tires and wheels
the Audi models covered by
your Owner's Literature.
The tire pressure label located
on driver's side B-pillar
(¢ page 240, fig . 169) 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. 172. 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:
255/40 R 19 100 H XL
This contains the following in
formation :
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
40 Height/width ratio in per
cent (aspect ratio)
R Tire construction: Radial
19 Rim diameter code (in in-
ches)
100 Load rating code
H Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD" or
"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
¢ page 234.
Tire manufacturing date
The manufacturing date is also
indicated on the tire sidewall
(possibly only on the
inner side
of the wheel) : .,..
M N
0 > co ,...., \!) 1.1'1
M 1.1'1 ,....,
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bo lts from a different vehicle -
even if it
i s the same mode l
Q page 291.
A WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel
bolts can become loose caus ing loss of
control, a collision and ser ious personal in
jury .
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hubs clean so the
wheel bolts can turn easily and be prop
erly t ightened.
- Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and
the threads in the wheel hubs. They can
become loose w hile d riving if greased or
o iled,
even if tightened to the spec ified
torq ue.
- Only use wheel bo lts that belong to the
rim being ins talled.
- Never use different whee ls bolts on your
vehicle .
- Always maintain the correct tightening
torque fo r the wheel bolts to reduce the
risk of a wheel loss. If the tigh teni ng tor
que of the wheel bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the vehi
cle is moving . If the tightening torque is
too high, the whee l bolts and threads
can be damaged and the wheel ca n be
come loose .
(D Note
The specified torque for the wheel bo lts is
90 ft lb (120 Nm) w ith a tolerance of
± 7,4 ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torque whee l bolts
diagonally. After changing a wheel, the
torque must be checked as soon as possi
b le with a torque wrench -prefe rably by an
author ized Audi dealer or qualified wo rk
shop.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect
ratio tires . These tires have been thorough ly
tested and been selected spec ifically for your
model for the ir superb performance, road feel
Tire s an d wheel s 263
and handling under a variety o f driving condi
tions. Ask your authorized A udi dealer for
more details .
T he low aspec t ratio of these tires is ind icate d
by a numera l of
55 or le ss in the tire's size
designation. The numera l represents the ratio
of the t ire's sidewa ll height in relation to its
tread width expressed in percentage.
Conven
tiona l tires have a he ight/w idth rat io of 60 or
more .
The performance of low-a spect-ratio tire s is
particularl y sens it iv e to improper inflation
pressure. It is therefore important that low
a spect ratio tir es are inflated to the specified
pre ssure and that the inflation pr essure i s
regularly checked and ma intain ed . Tire pr es
s ure s should be checked at lea st on ce a
month and alway s bef ore a long trip
~ page 245 , Checking tire pressure .
A Word about Low Aspect Ratio and High
Performance Ti res
Hig h pe rformance tires are des igned for bet
ter performance and handling in warm cli
mates. When driving in cold, snowy or icy
weather, you sho uld equ ip your vehicle w it h
four all-season or winter tires, which
offer
better traction under those condit ions. We
suggest you use the Audi recommended win
te r or a ll-season tires specified for you r Audi.
High performance tires a lso have a lower as
pect ratio that aids performance and han
dling . Driving over rough or damaged road
surfaces, as well as debr is, cu rbs and other
obstacles can cause serious damage to
whee ls, tires, vehicle body, and suspens ion
parts . B e carefu l to avo id road hazards and re
du ce your speed , espec ia lly if your vehicle is
equipped wi th low prof ile tires .
Please a lso remember when making your se
lection that, wh ile these tires deliver respon
s ive handling, t hey m ay ride less comfo rtably
and make more noise than o thers . Finally,
these tires may wear more quickly than other
c h oices.
IJJ>
•
•
•
272 What do I do now?
hold on to the car to keep your balance
and take care not to slip.
Raising the vehicle
Th e ve hicl e must b e lifted with the jack first
before the wheel can be removed.
Fig. 182 Sill p anels : m arkin gs
Fig. 183 Sill: positio ning t he veh icle jack
.. Engage the parking brake to prevent your
vehicle from rolling unintentionally.
.. Move the
selector lever to position P .
.. Find the marking (imprint) on the sill that is
nearest the wheel that will be changed
~ fig . 182. Behind the marking, there is a
lifting point on the sill for the vehicle jack.
.. Vehicles with a sill : Note the position of the
sill when positioning the vehicle jack
r::!) fig. 183.
.. Place the vehicle jack (vehicle tool kit) on a
firm surface. Use a flat , stable support if
necessary . On a slippery surface such as tile,
you should use a non-slip pad (such as a rub
ber mat)
¢ _& .
.. Turn the vehicle jack located under the lift
ing point on the sill to raise the jack until its
arm @Q
fig. 183 is located under the des
ignated plastic mount Q
.&., Q (D .
.. Align the jack so that its arm @ Q
fig. 183
engages in the designated lifting point in the door sill and
the movable base @ lies
flat on the ground. The base @ must be
ver
tical
under the lifting point@ .
.. Wind the jack up further until the flat tire
comes off the ground Q
.&_.
Position the vehicle jack only under the desig
nated lifting points on the sill
Qfig . 182.
There is exactly one location for each wheel.
The jack must not be positioned at any other location Q
,&q(j) _
An unstable surface under the jack can cause
the vehicle to slip off the jack. Always provide a firm base for the jack on the ground . If nec
essary place a sturdy board or similar support
under the jack . On
hard, slippery surfaces
(such as tiles) use a rubber mat or similar to
prevent the jack from slipping Q
,&.
_& WARNING
- You or your passengers could be injured
while changing a wheel if you do not fol
low these safety precautions:
- Position the vehicle jack only at the
designated lifting points and align the
jack. Otherwise, the vehicle jack could
slip and cause an injury if it does not
have sufficient hold on the vehicle .
- A soft or unstable surface under the
jack may cause the vehicle to slip off
the jack . Always provide a firm base for
the jack on the ground. If necessary,
use a sturdy board under the jack.
- On hard, slippery surface (such as tiles)
use a rubber mat or similar to prevent
the jack from slipping.
- Only raise your vehicle with the vehicle
jack provided by the factory. If you use
a vehicle jack for another vehicle, your
vehicle can slide and cause injury.
- Changes in temperature or load can af
fect the height of the vehicle .
- Never start the engine when the vehi
cle is raised, which could cause an acci-
dent.
~
....,
N
0 > co
rl I.O
"' ....,
"' rl
-Support the vehicle securely with ap
propriate stands if work is to be per
formed underneath the vehicle;
otherw ise, there is a potential risk for
injury .
- To help prevent injury to yourself and
your passenge rs:
- Do not raise the vehicle until yo u are
sure the jack is secu rely engaged .
- Passenge rs must no t remai n in the ve
h icle when it is jacked up .
- Ma ke sure that passengers wait in a
safe place away from the vehicle and
well away from the road and traff ic.
- Make sure ja ck position is correct, ad
jus t as necessary and then conti nue to
raise the jack .
- Changes i n tem pera ture or load can af
fect the height of the vehi cle.
(D Note
Do not lift the vehi cle by the s ill. Pos ition
the vehicle jac k only at the designated lift
ing points o n the sill. Othe rwise, your vehi
cle will be damaged .
Taking the wheel off/installing the spare
Follow these instructions step-by-step for
changing the wheel.
F ig . 1 84 Chan gin g a w hee l: us ing t he sc rew driver han
dl e (w it h t he bla de removed) to t urn th e bolts
What do I d o now ? 273
Fig . 1 8 5 Changi ng a wheel : al ig nme nt p in in sid e th e
t op hole
After yo u have loosened all wheel bo lts and
raised the vehicle
off the ground, remove and
replace the wheel as follows :
Removing the wheel
.,. Use the he xag onal so cket in the scre wdriv
er handle
to comple tely remove the top
most whee l bolt and set it aside on a
clean
surface ¢ fig. 184.
.,. Screw the threaded end of the alignment
pin from the tool kit hand- tight into the
empty bolt hole
Q fig . 185.
.,. Then remove the other wheel bolts as de
scribed above .
.,. Take
off the whee l leaving the alignment pin
in the bo lt ho le
¢ (D .
Putting on the comp act spare wheel
.,. Lift the spare wheel and carefully slide it
over the alignment p in to g uide it in place
¢ (D .
.,. Use the hexagona l socket in the screwd river
h a ndle to screw in a nd tig hten all whee l
bolts
slightly .
.,. Remove the alignment pin and insert and
tighten the remaining whee l bolt slightly
like the rest .
.,. Turn the jack hand le counter-clockwise to
lower the veh icle until the jack is fully re
leased .
.,. Use the wheel bo lt wrench to tighten all
wheel bo lts firm ly
i=;, page 271. Tighten
them
c rosswise, from one bolt to the (ap
proximately) opposite one, to keep the
wheel cente red.
M N
0 > co ,...., \!) ..,.,
M ..,., ,....,
Te chn ic a l da ta 28 7
designated seating position) and luggage
weight ~&. .
Gros s Axle W eight Rating
The G ross Axle Weight Rating is the maximum
l oad that can be applied at each axle of the
vehicle ~.&. .
Vehicle capacit y weight
The vehicle capac ity we ight (max. load) is list
ed either on the dr iver's side B-pillar or inside
the fuel filler flap.
_& WARNING
- T he actual Gross Axle Weight Rat ing at
the front and rear axles shou ld not ex
ceed the permissible weights, and their
combination must not exceed the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating .
Dimensions
The dimensions can vary depend ing on the
model and equipment.
-
When driving on poor roads, by curbs and on
steep ramps, make sure that low-ly ing compo-
A3 Sed an
Length
Width
Width (across mir rors)
He ight (unloaded)a) -
Exceeding perm iss ible weight ratings can
result in vehicle damage, acc idents and
personal injury.
([) Note
-The vehicle capacity weight figures apply
when the load is d istr ibuted evenly in the
vehicle (passengers and luggage). When
transport ing a heavy load in the luggage
compartment, carry the load as near to
the rear axle as poss ible so that the vehi
cle's handling is not impaired.
- Do not exceed the maximum permissible axle loads or the maximum gross veh icle
we ight. Always remember that the vehi
cle's handling w ill be affected by the ex
tra load. Therefore, ad just yo ur speed ac
co rdingly.
- Always observe local regulat ions.
nents such as the spoiler and exhaust system
do not come i nto contact with these or they
could be damaged. This applies espec ially
when the vehicle is fu lly loaded.
in (mm)
175.3 (4456)
in (mm) 70.7 (1796)
in (mm) 77.1 (1960)
in (mm) 55.7 (1416)
al The height of the vehicle depends on the tires and suspension.
53 Sed an
Length in (mm) 175.8 (4469)
Width in (mm) 70
.7 (1796)
Width (across mirrors) in (mm) 77.1 (1960)
Height (unloaded)a) in (mm) 54.8 (1392)
a l The height of the vehicle depends on the tires and suspension.
•
•
302 Index
Proper seating position Front passenger ....... ... .. .. .... . 127
Occupants . .... ... ...... ... .. .... . 126
Rea r passengers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
P rotecting . .... ........... .. .. .. .. . 20 7
Protection mat
refer to Reversible mat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Q
Question
What happens to unbelted occupants? 136
R
Radiator fan 227
Radio clock
refer to Clock .. .. ..... ... .. .. .... .. 10
Ra in/ lig ht sensor
H ead lig hts ... ........... .. .. .. .. .. 46
I nd icator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
I n termittent (windshield wipe rs) . . . . . . 50
Switching on and
off .. .. .. .. .... .. . . 50
Range (tank co ntents) ...... .. .. .... .. 28
Rea r armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Rear lid
refer to L u ggage compartment lid .... . 42
R ear light
I nd icator ligh t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Rearview camera
refer to Parking systems 119 ,120
Rearview mirror
refer to Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Rearview mir ror d imm ing ... .... .... .. 53
Rear window defogger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Recirculation mode automatic control system . ... .. .. .. . . 71
manual c limate control system . . . . . . . . 70
Reducing fue l cons umption
E fficiency program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Remote control key ............. .. ... . 35
L ED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35, 37
Rep lacing the batte ry ..... .. .. .. .. . . 37
Synch ron izati on .......... .. .. .... .. 37
un locking/locking ...... .. .. .. .. .. . . 37
Repair manua ls ............. ... .. .. . 289
Repairs Airbag system ........... .. .. .... . 160 R
ep lacement key . .... .. ..... .... . .. . 35
Replac ing
L ight bu lbs .... .. ............. .... 279
T ires and wheels . ............. .. .. 255
Rep lacing windsh ield wiper b lades . .. .. . 51
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . . . . . 133, 134
Reset button (trip odometer) . . . . . . . . . . 11
Resetting the trip odometer ...... .... . 11
Retr act
New brake pads . ... ... ..... ... .. .. 191
Retractor ...... ... .. .............. . 138
Reverse (automatic transmission) .. .... 109
Reve rsible m at . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Right hand dr ive . .. ................ .. 49
Roof rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Load ing ... .... .. .. ... .. . .... ... .. . 63
Roof weight ... .. ... .......... .. .. . 63
s
Saddlebag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Safe drivi ng habi ts ... ........... .. .. 125
Safety Airbag-System ... ... .. .. ... ..... .. 144
Belts . ........ .. .. .............. . 135
Safety be lt pos ition . .... ..... ... .. .. 139
Safety be lt height adjustment . . . . . . . 141
Safety be lts worn by pregnant women . 140
Safety be lt pre tensioner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Service and disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Safety be lts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13S, 138
Adjusting . .... .. ............. .... 141
Cleaning .. .... .. ............. .... 20 7
Danger to passengers who do not wear a
safety belt . ..... .. ... ..... ... .. .. 136
Fastening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Height adj ustment ............. .. .. 141
Improperly worn . ... .......... .. .. 141
Indicator light . ... ................ . 21
Not worn ..... .. .......... ...... . 136
Safety be lt pos it ion .... .. ... ..... .. 139
Safety instr uctions ............. .. .. 138
Secu ring child safety seats .... .. .... 181
Spec ia l considerations for pregnan t
women ... .... .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. 140
Unfastening ..... .. ... ..... ... .. .. 140