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
..
256 Tires and wheels
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are
available from authorized Audi dealers.
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi
cle or installing them incorrectly can in
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes. Always make sure to follow the in
structions provided by the snow chain
manufacturer .
- When driving with snow chains never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations .
- Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily .
- Snow chains, which come into direct con
tact with the wheel rim, can scratch or
damage it . Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered . Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow chain manufacturer when doing so.
(D Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory oncer
tain roads, this normally also applies to
vehicles with all wheel drive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
corr ect torque.
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the
factory installed rims. If different rims are fit
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the right
length and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted
secu rely and that the b rake system functions
correctly . In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a different vehicle -even if it
is the same model ¢
page 285.
A WARNING "--
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel
bolts can become loose causing loss of
control, a collision and serious 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 tightened.
- Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and
the threads in the wheel hubs. They can become loose while driving if greased or
oiled, even if tightened to the specified
torque.
- Only use wheel bolts that belong to the
rim being installed .
- Never use different wheels bolts on your
vehicle.
- Always maintain the correct tightening
torque for the wheel bolts to reduce the
risk of a wheel loss. If the tightening 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 wheel bolts and threads
can be damaged and the wheel can be
come loose.
Q) Note
The specified torque for the wheel bolts is
90 ft lbs. (120 Nm) with a tolerance of
± 7,4 ft lbs. (± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bolts
diagonally . After changing a wheel, the
torque must be checked as soon as possi
ble with a torque wrench -preferably by an
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work
shop .
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect
ratio tires. These tires have been thoroughly
tested and been selected specifically for your model for their superb performance, road feel ..,.
260 What do I do now ?
What do I do now?
Vehicle tool kit
The tools ore stored underneath the floor
panel in the luggage comportment.
Fig. 195 Seda n Lu ggage compart ment : too l kit
Fig. 196 a llroa d Lu ggage compart men t: too l kit
When you need access to the vehicle tool kit
or jack* , you will need to take out the spare
tire and cover
Q page 260 .
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, the
tool kit may also be located under the cargo
floor cover @
Q fig. 196 behind the seat back
rest .
The vehicle tool kit includes:
- Hook for removing wheel covers *
- Alignment pin for changing the wheel
- Screwdriver w ith reversible blade
- T ool for changing light bulbs
- Reversible bit (reversible Torx bit for chang- ing light b ulbs)
- Rod for jack
- Jack*
- Lug wrench
- Towing eye Some of the vehicle items listed above are
provided on certain mode
ls only or are option
al extras.
Before ret urning the jack * to its p lace, re trac t
the jack arm f ully.
A WARNING
-
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
tighten wheel bo lts, since the bolts can
not attain the necessary tightening tor
que if you use the hex head, potentially
causing an acc ident .
- The factory-supplied jack is intended on
ly for your vehicle model. U nder no c ir
cumstances should it be used to lift
heavy veh icles o r othe r loads; you risk in
juring yo urself .
- Never start the engine when the vehicle
is raised, wh ich could cause an acc ident.
- Support the vehicle securely with appro
priate stands if work is to be performed
underneath the vehicle; otherwise, there
is a potentia l risk for injury.
Space-saving spare tire
(compact spare tire)
Appl ies to veh icles : w ith space -sav ing spare tire
The spore tire/wheel is located in the luggage
comportment under the cargo floor cover . It
is intended for shor t-term u se only.
F ig. 197 Spa re ti re
Removing the spar e ti re
., lift the cargo floor by the p lastic handle
Q fig. 197 .
., Hook the handle into the luggage compart
ment wea ther strip.
264 What do I do now?
also ¢ page 264, Decorative wheel cov
ers
or ¢ page 264, Wheels with wheel
bolt caps.
2 . Loosen the wheel bolts ¢ page 265.
3. Locate the proper mounting point for the
jack and align the jack below that point
¢ page 265.
4. Lift the car with the jack¢ page 265 .
5. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and
then install the
spare tire¢ page 266 .
6 . Tighten all wheel bolts lightly.
7 .
Lower the ve hicle with the jack .
8 . Use the wheel bolt wrench and
firmly
tighten all whee l bolts in a crisscross pat
tern
¢ page 265.
9. Replace the decorative wheel cover* or
the
wheel bolt caps* .
A WARNING
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and
information
¢ .&. in Raising the vehicle on
page
266 and ¢ page 267.
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not complete without the
doing the following .
.,. Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack*,
and the replaced tire in the l uggage com
partment ¢
page 132 .
.,. Check the tire pressure of the spare tire as
soon as possible .
.,. As soon as possible, have the
tightening
torques
on all wheel bo lts checked with a
torq ue wrench . The correct tightening tor
que is 90
ft lbs. (120 Nm).
.,. Have the flat tire
replaced as soon as possi
ble .
(j) Tips
-If you notice that the whee l bolts are
corroded and difficult to turn while
changing a t ire, they should be replaced
before you check the tighten ing torque.
- Drive at reduced speed until you have the
tightening torques checked .
Decorative wheel covers
Applies to vehicles: with decorative whee l covers
The decorative wheel covers must be removed
first to access the wheel bolts .
Fig. 200 C ha ng in g a w hee l: removing th e w heel cover
Removing
.,. Insert the hook provided with the vehicle
tool kit in the hole in the hub.
.,. Pull off the
decorative wheel cover
qfig. 200.
Wheels with wheel bolt caps
Applies to vehicles: with wheel bolts with caps
The caps must be removed first from the
wheel bolts before the bolts can be un
screwed .
Fig. 201 Changing a wheel: removing t he wheel bolt
caps
Removing
.,. Push the plastic clip provided with the vehi
cle tool kit over the wheel bolt cap until it
engages.
.,. Pull on the
plastic clip to remove the cap
qfig. 201.
M N
~ co
rl I.O
"' rl
"' rl
Refitting
• Place th e caps over the wheel bo lts and
push th em back on.
The caps are to protect and keep the wheel bolts clean.
Loosening and tightening the wheel
bolts
The wheel bolts must be loosened before ra is
ing th e vehicle .
Fig. 20 2 Changin g a w hee l: l oosening t he w heel bolts
Loo sening
• In stall the w heel bo lt wre nch over the
wheel bolt and push it down as far as it will
go .
• Take tight hold of the
end of the wrench
handle and turn the whee l bolts
co unter
cl ock wise
about one single turn in the direc
t ion of arrow
9 fig. 202 .
Tightening
• Install the whe el b olt wrench over the
wheel bolt and push it down as far as it will
go .
• Take tight hold of the
end of the wrench
hand le and turn each wheel bolt
cl ockwi se
until it is seated .
_& WARNING
-Do not use force or hurry when changing
a whee l -you can cause the vehicle to slip
off the jack and cause serious persona l
injuries.
- Do not loosen the wheel bolts more than
one turn
before you raise the veh icle with
the jack. -You risk an injury .
What do I do now ? 265
@ Tips
-Never use the hexagona l socket in the
hand le of the screwdr iver to loosen or
tighten the wheel bolts.
- If a wheel bo lt is very tight, you may find
it eas ier to loosen by carefully pushing
down on the end of the wheel bolt
wrench with
one foot only . As you do so,
hold o n to the car to keep your balance
and take care not to slip .
Raising the vehicle
The vehicle must be lifted with the jack first
before the wheel can be removed .
Fig . 203 Sill panels: mark ings
Fig. 20 4 Sill: positi on ing the v eh icle ja ck
The location of the jack po int is indicated by
an indentation on the underside of the vehicle
9 fig . 203 .
• Activate the parking brake to prev ent the
veh icle from rolling unintentionally .
• Shift into
1st ge ar on veh icles with manual
transmiss ion or move the selector lever to
the P position on vehicles w ith automatic
transmission .
• Find the
mark ing (imprint) on the sill that is
nearest the wheel that will be changed .,..
266 What do I do n ow ?
c:> fig. 203 . Behind the marking, there is a
lifting p oint on the sill for the veh icle jack.
• Turn the
veh icle j ack located under the lift
ing point on the si ll to raise the jack until
the jaw
c:> fig. 204 ® covers the notch on
the vehicle
c:> &_ c:>(D .
• Align t he vehicle jack so the jaw ® covers
the notch and the base plate @ is flat on
the floor. The base plate @ must be
vertical
under the lifti ng point @.
• Install the rod on the vehicle jack: Insert the
rod into the opening on the handwheel. Turn
the rod left or right to secure it .
• Contin ue raising the jack with the rod until
the wheel lifts off the ground slightly.
Position the vehicle jack
onl y under the desig
nated lifting points on the sill
c:> fig. 203 .
There is exactly one location for each wheel.
The jack must not be positioned at any other location
c:> ,&. c:>(D .
Soft ground under the jack can cause the ve
hicle to slip off the jack. Always place the jack
on firm ground. Use a flat, stable support if necessary . Use a non-slip surface such as a
rubber mat on a
slipp ery surfac e such as tile .
A WARNING
-You or your passengers could be injured
wh ile chang ing a wheel if you do not fol
low these safety precautions :
- Position the vehicle jack only at the
des ignated 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 veh icle .
- A soft or unstable surface under the
jack may cause the veh icle to slip off
the jack . A lways provide a firm base for
the jack on the ground.
If necessary,
use a sturdy board under the jac k.
- On hard, slippery surface (such as tiles)
use a rubber mat or similar to preven t
the jack from s lipping.
- T o help p revent injury to yourself and
yo ur passengers: -
Do not raise the vehicle until you are
sure the jack is securely engaged.
- Passengers must not remain in the ve
hicle when it is jacked up.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a
safe place away from the veh icle and
well away from the road and traffic .
- Make sure jack pos ition is correct, ad
j ust as necessary and then cont inue to
raise the jack.
(D Note
Do not lift the vehicle by the sill. Position
the veh icle jack only at the designated lift
i ng points on the sill. Otherwise, your vehi
cle will be damaged.
Taking the wheel off/installing the spare
tire
Follow these instructions step-by-step for
changing the wheel .
Fig. 205 C ha nging a w hee l: us ing t he screwd rive r han
dle (w it h th e blade re m oved) to turn the bolts
Fig . 206 Ch ang ing a w hee l: alignment p in in side t he
top hole
After you have loosened all wheel bo lts and
raised the vehicle off the g round, remove and
replace the wheel as follows: .,..
'"" N
0 ::.,: co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
Removing the wheel
"' Remove the topmos t wheel bolt completely
with the
he xagonal socket in t he screwdriv
er hand le (vehicle tool kit)
c::> fig. 205 and
set it aside on a
clean surface.
"' Screw the threaded end of the
alignment
pin
from the tool k it hand-tight into the
empty bolt hole
c::> fig. 206.
"'T hen remove the other wheel bo lts as de
scribed above .
"'T ake off the wheel leav ing the alig nment pin
i n t he bolt hole
c::> CJ).
Putting on the spare tire
"' allroad : Inflate the inflatable spare tire
c::> page 262
"' Push the spare tire over the a lignment pin.
"' Screw o n the w heel bolts and tighten them
slightly using the hexagonal socket.
"' Remove the alignment pin and insert and
t ighten the remaining whee l bo lt s light ly
Li ke the rest.
"' Turn the jack handle counter-clockw ise to
lower the vehicle unt il the jack is f ully re
l eased .
"' Use the wheel bolt w rench to t ighten all
whee l bolts firmly
c::> page 265. Tig hten
them
in a crisscross pattern, from one bo lt
to the (approx imately) opposi te o ne, to keep
t h e whee l cen te red.
"'P erfo rm the steps req uired after changing
t h e whee l
c::> page 26 4, After changing a
wheel .
The hex agonal so cket m akes it easier to re
move the w heel bo lts from the r im . Care
should be taken when removing the reversible
b lade .
@ Note
When removing or ins tal ling the wheel,
the rim could hit the brake rotor and dam
age the rotor . Wor k carefully and have a
second person to he lp you.
@ Tips
- When mounting tires with unidirectional
tread design
ma ke s ure the tread pat-
What do I do now? 267
'
tern is po inted the righ t way
c::> page 267.
- T he w heel bolts shou ld be clean an d easy
to t urn . Check fo r dirt an d corrosion on
the mating surfaces of both the w heel
and the hub. Remove all d irt from these
surfaces before remounting the whee l.
- Do not use the hexagonal socket in the
sc rewd river handle to loosen or t ighten
the whee l bolts.
Tires with unidirectional tread design
Tires with unidirectional tread design must be
mounted with their tread pattern pointed in
the right direction.
U si ng a spa re tire with a tread pattern
intended for use in a specific di rection
When using a spare t ire with a tread patter n
intended for use in a spec ific d irection, please
note the following :
- The d irect ion of rotation is marked by an
ar
row on the side of the t ire .
-If the spare tire has to be insta lled in the in
correct d irect ion, use the spare tire only
temporarily s ince the tire will not be able to
achieve its optimum performance cha racte r
istics w it h regard to aquap la ni ng, no ise and
wear .
- We recommend that you pay part icu lar at
t en tion to th is fact during wet weather and
that you adjust your speed to match road
condi tions.
- Replace the flat t ire wi th a new one a nd
have it insta lled o n you r vehicle as soo n as
pos sible to res to re the hand ling advant ages
o f a u nidirec tional tire.
Notes on wheel changing
Please read t he info rmation c::> page 248, New
tires and replacing tires and wheels
if yo u a re
going to use a spare tire wh ich is different
from the tires on your vehicle.
After yo u change a tire:
IJI,-
•
•
268 What do I do now?
-Check the tire pressure on the spare imme
diately after installation.
- Have the wheel bolt tightening torque
checked with a torque wrench as soon as possible by your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop.
- With steel and alloy wheel rims, the wheel
bolts are correctly tightened at a torque of
90 ft lbs. (120 Nm).
- If you notice that the wheel bolts are cor
roded 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
possible. Remount the wheel cover.
Until then, drive with extra care and at re
duced speeds.
A WARNING
- If you are going to equip your vehicle
with tires or rims which differ from those
which were factory installed, then be
sure to read the information ~
page 248,
New tires and replacing tires and
wheels.
- Always make sure the damaged wheel or
even a flat tire and the jack and tool kit
are properly secured in the luggage com
partment and are not loose in the pas
senger compartment.
- In an accident or sudden maneuver they
could fly forward, injuring anyone in the
vehicle.
- Always store damaged wheel, jack and
tools securely in the luggage compart
ment. Otherwise, in an accident or sud
den maneuver they could fly forward,
causing injury to passengers in the vehi
cle.
@ Note
Do not use commercially available tire
sealants. Otherwise, the electrical compo
nents of the tire pressure monitoring sys
tem* will no longer work properly and the
sensor for the tire pressure monitoring system* will
have to be replaced by quali
fied workshop.