M N
0 <.J 'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
tires because they meet the highest standard s regarding
safety and driving characteris
tics when used correctly. Your
authorized Audi dealer will
gladly provide you with more
information.
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of plies indicates
the number of layers of rubber
coated fabric in the tire. In gen
eral, the greater the number of
plies, the more weight a tire
can support. Tire manufactur
ers also must indicate the ma
terials in the tire, which include steel, nylon, polyester, and oth
ers.
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the max
imum load in kilograms and
pounds that can be carried by
the tire.
Tire quality grading for
treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and tem perature grades¢
page 263.
Tires and wheels 261
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.
A WARNING
- Using incorrect or unmatch
ed tires and
I 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
•
•
'
M N
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,...., ..,., ,....,
loss of control, crashes and serious per
sonal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediate ly.
- Winter tires have maximum speed rating
that may be lower than your vehicle's
maximum speed.
- Never drive faster than the speed for
which the winter or other tires installed
on your vehicle are rated.
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and
traffic conditions. Never let the good ac
celeration of the winter tires and all-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
vehicle.
- Drive carefully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot help under black ice conditions.
@) For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather condi
tions permit. They are quieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumption.
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the front
wheels, and only to certain tire sizes. Ask your
authorized Audi dealer on which tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
If you are going to use snow chains, then you
must install them on the front wheels at
least.
The snow chains must have low-profile links
and must not be thicker than 0.4 inch (10,5 mm), including the lock.
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putting snow chains on your vehicle
q(D _ For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are avail
able from authorized Audi dealers.
Tires and wheels 265
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.
([) Note
-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.
- If the Adaptive Air Suspension* should
malfunction, do not mount or use snow
chains because the vehicle will be ex
tremely low. If you do drive with snow
chains on while the vehicle is at this lev
el, the snow chains might severely dam
age the wheelhouse and other parts of
the vehicle.
(D Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory oncer
tain roads, this normally also applies to
vehicles with all-wheel drive.
•
•
26 6 T ire s and whee ls
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct 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
secure ly and that the brake system functions
correctly .
In ce rtain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a different vehicle -even if it
is the same mode l
~page 294.
_& WARNING
Improperly tig htened o r maintained whee l
bolts can become loose ca using loss of
contro l, a co llision and serious persona l 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 bo lts and
the threads in the wheel hubs. They can
become loose while driving if greased or
oiled, even if tightened to the specif ied
torque.
- Only use wheel bolts that belong to the
rim being installed.
- Never use different wheels bolts on your
vehicle.
-Always maintain the correct tighten ing
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 veh i
cle is moving. If the tightening torque is
too high, the whee l bolts and threads
can be damaged and the wheel can be
come loose.
@ Note
The spec ified torq ue fo r the wheel bo lts is
90 ft lb (120 Nm) w ith a toleran ce of± 7,4
ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bo lts diago- nally
. After changing a whee l, the torque
must be checked as soon as possible with a
torque wrench -preferably by an author
i zed Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equ ipped w ith low aspect
r atio tires . These tires have been tho roughly
tested and been se lected specifically for your
model for their superb perfo rmance, road fee l
and hand ling under a variety of d riving cond i
tions . As k your au thor ized A udi dealer for
more de tails .
T he low aspect ratio of these t ires is ind icated
by a numera l of
55 or less in the tire's s ize
designation. The nume ra l represen ts the ra tio
of the tire's sidewall height in relation to its
tread width expressed in percentage . Conven
tiona l tires have a he ight/width ratio of 60 or
more.
The performance of low- aspect-r atio tires is
p ar ticu la rly s ens iti ve to improper infl ation
p re ss ure. I t is th erefore im portant th at low
as pect ratio tires are inflated to the specified
pressure and that the inflation pressu re is
r e gularl y che cked and mainta ined. Tir e pre s
su res should be ch ecked at least onc e a
month and alwa ys bef ore a long trip
~ page 249, Checking tire pressure.
What you can do to a void tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more
easily by impact w it h potholes, curbs, gull ies
o r r idges on the road, pa rticularly if the tire is
u nderinfla ted .
In order to minimize the occurrence of impact
damage to the tires of you r vehicle, we recom
mend that you observe the follow ing p recau
tions:
- Always ma inta in recommended inflation
pressures. Check your tire pressure eve ry
2,000 miles (3,000 km) and add air if neces
sary .
- Dr ive carefully on roads with potholes, deep
gullies o r ridges. The impact from dr iv ing ..,.
Vehicle tool kit
Vehicle tool kit and jack
The vehicle tool kit is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover.
Fi g. 204 Luggage compa rtme nt: cargo floor cover
folded upward/spare tire
Fig. 205 Trunk lid: Vehicle too l kit
.. Lift the cargo floor by the plastic handle
c:> fig . 204.
.. Hook the handle into the luggage compart
ment weather strip .
.. Turn the handwheel counter-clockwise
c:> fig. 204 and remove the spare tire to
reach the vehicle too l kit.
.,. Unhook the ca rgo floor before clos ing the
rear lid.
The onboard tool kit includes:
- Hooks to remove the wheel covers*
- Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers*
- Wheel bolt wrench
- Alignment pin for changing wheels
- Screwdriver w ith reversible blade
- T owing eye
~ -Jack
0
~ Before storing the jack, make sure it is wound rl
:5: back down as far as it will go.
rl l/1 rl
What do I d o now ? 271
A WARNING
Im proper use of the vehicle jack can cause
serious personal injur ies.
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
tighten wheel bolts, since the bolts can
not attain the necessary tighten ing tor
que if you use the hex head, potentially
causing an accident.
- The factory-supplied jack is intended on
ly for yo ur vehicle model. Under no c ir
cumstances should it be used to lift heavy veh icles or other loads; you risk in
ju ring 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.
- Never use the jack supplied wit h your
Audi on another vehicle, particularly on a
heavier one. The jack is only s uitable for
use on the vehicle it came with.
(D Tips
- Some of the onboard items listed above
are provided on certain models only or
are optional ext ras .
- Before yo u can raise your vehicle using
the jack, you must activate the jacking
mode
c:!) page 2 75 .
Space-saving spare tire (compact spare
tire )
The spare tire/wheel is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover. It
is intended for short-term use only.
Ta king out the spare tire
.. Lift the cargo floor by the p lastic handle
<=) page 271, fig . 204 .
.. Hook the handle into the luggage compart
ment weather strip.
.. Turn the large screw
¢ page 271, fig. 204
counter -clockwise .
.,. Take out the spa re tire .
M N
0 <.J 'SI: ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
A WARNING 1=
You or your passengers could be injured
while changing a wheel if you do not fol
low these safety precautions:
- If you have a flat tire, move a safe dis
tance off the road. Turn off the engine,
turn the emergency flashers on and use
other warning devices to alert other mo
torists.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a safe
place away from the vehicle and well
away from the road and traffic.
- To help prevent the vehicle from moving
suddenly and possibly slipping off the
jack, always fully set the parking brake
and block the wheel diagonally opposite
the wheel being changed. When one
front wheel is lifted off the ground, plac
ing the Automatic Transmission in P
(Park) will
not prevent the vehicle from
moving.
- Before you change a wheel, be sure the
ground is level and firm. If necessary,
use a sturdy board under the jack.
- Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack
and the replaced tire in the luggage com
partment
¢ page 132.
{!) Tips
Before changing the wheel, you must acti
vate the jacking mode, so that the auto matic controls for the Adaptive Air Sus
pension* do not make it more difficult to
lift the vehicle with the jack¢
page 2 75.
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow the se
quence described below step-by-step and in
exactly that order .
1. Activate the vehicle jack mode*
c::;. page 275.
-
2. Remove the decorative wheel cover* . For
more details see also
¢page 274, Deco
rative wheel covers
or ¢ page 2 7 4,
Wheels with wheel bolt caps.
3. Loosen the wheel bolts¢ page 274.
What do I do now? 273
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Locate the proper mounting point for the
jack and align the jack below that point
¢page 275.
Raise the car with the jack ¢page 275.
Remove the wheel with the flat tire and
then install
the spare <=> page 2 76.
Tighten all wheel bolts lightly.
Lower the vehicle with the jack .
Use the wheel bolt wrench and
firmly
tighten all wheel bolts¢ page 274 .
10. Replace the decorative wheel cover*.
11. Deactivate the vehicle jack mode* in the
MMI:
ICARI function button > (Car)* sys
tems
control button > Servicing & checks
> Air susp.: jack mode > Off .
The vehicle jack mode* switches off automati
cally at speeds above 6 mph (10 km/h).
A WARNING
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and information<=>
A in Raising the vehicle on
page 275
and <=> page 277.
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 luggage com
partment
c::;. page 132.
.,. Check the tire pressure on the spare wheel
immediately after mounting it.
.,. As soon as possible, have the
tightening
torques
on all wheel bolts checked with a
torque wrench. The correct tightening tor
que is
90 ft lb (120 Nm) .
.,. Have the flat tire
replaced as soon as possi
ble.
(D Tips
- 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.
- Drive at reduced speed until you have the
tightening torques checked.
ll>
•
•
274 What do I do now ?
-After changing a wheel, the tire pressure
i n a ll four ti res must be checked/cor rect
ed and t he tire pressure mo nitor ing indi
cator m ust b e stored in the MMI
¢ page 2 69 .
Decorative wheel covers
Applies to vehicl es: with decorative wheel covers
The decorative wheel covers must be removed
first to access the wheel bolts .
Fig. 206 Chan ging a w hee l: R em ovin g the whee l cove r
Removing
• In se rt the hook (p rov ided with the ve hicle
tool kit) in the hol e in the wheel hub cove r.
• Pull off the
decorat ive wheel cover
¢ fig. 206.
Wheels with wheel bolt caps
Applies to vehicles: with wheel bolts with caps
The caps must be removed first from the
wheel bol ts before the bolts can be u n
s cre wed.
Fig . 207 C hang ing a w hee l: remov ing t he w heel bo lt
caps
Removing
• Pu sh the pla stic clip (p rovided w it h the vehi
cl e too l kit) over the whee l bolt c ap unti l the inner retainers on the clip align w
ith the
edge of the cover .
• Remove t he cap w it h the
plastic clip (ve hicle
too l kit)
¢ fig. 207 .
Refitting
• Place t he caps over the whee l bolts and
push them back o n.
T he cap s are to pro te ct and kee p the w heel
bolts clean .
Loosening and tightening the wheel
bolts
T he wheel bolts must be loosened before rais
ing the vehicle .
Fig. 20 8 Cha ng ing a w heel: loosenin g th e w hee l bolt s
Loosening
• Slide the wheel wrench onto the wheel bo lt
as far as it w ill go.
• Take tight hold of the
end of t he wrench
ha ndle a nd turn the wheel bo lts
c ounter
clockwise
about on e single tu rn in the dire c
tion of ar row ¢
fig. 208.
Tightening
• Slide the wheel wrenc h onto the w heel bolt
as far as it w ill go .
• Tak e tig ht hold of the
end of t he wrench
ha ndle a nd turn each wh eel bo lt
clockwise
until it i s seate d .
.8_ WARNING
- Do n ot u se forc e or hurry whe n ch ang ing
a w heel -yo u can ca use the vehicle to sli p
off the jack and ca use ser io us pe rsona l
in jur ies.
M N
0 I.J "". rl I.O
"' rl
"' rl
-Do not loosen the wheel bolts more than
one turn
before you raise the veh icle with
the jack. -You risk an injury.
@ Tips
- Never use the hexagonal socket in the
handle of the screwdriver to loosen or
tighten the wheel bolts.
- If a wheel bolt is very tight, you may find
it easier to loosen by carefully push ing
down on the end of the wheel bolt
wrench with
one foot only. As you do so,
hold on to the car to keep your ba lance
and take care not to slip.
Raising the vehicle
The vehicle must be lifted with the jock first
before the wheel con be removed .
Fig. 209 Sill pane ls: markings
'ii
9
--~~ :;:~:'.'"'-i
Fi g. 210 Sill: posit ion ing th e ve hicle jack
~ Activate the vehicle jack mode* in the M MI:
I CAR I funct ion button> ( C ar)* s ystem s con
t rol button >
Servicing & c heck s > Air susp.:
jack mode
> On .
~ Engage the parking bra ke to prevent your
vehicle from rol ling un intentionally.
~ Move the selector le ver to position P.
What do I d o now ? 275
~ Fi nd the marking (imprint) on the sill that is
nearest the whee l that will be changed
r::!) fig. 209. Beh ind the marking, there is a
lift ing point on the sill for the veh icle jack.
~ Vehicles w ith a sill: remove the cover from
the sill before lift ing the veh icle with a vehi
cle jack
r::!) page 2 76.
~ Tu rn the v ehicle ja ck located under the lift
ing point on the sill to ra ise the jack unt il its
a rm @<::!)
fig. 210 is lo cated under the des
ig nated p lastic moun t
r::!) .&, r::!)(D,
~ Align the jack so that its arm@ r::::> fig. 210
engages in the designated lifting point i n
the door s ill 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 t ire
comes off the ground
r::!) & .
Position the vehicle jack only under the desig
nated lifting points on the sill
Q fig . 209 .
There is exactly one locat ion for each wheel.
The jack must not be positioned at any other lo c a ti o n
r::!) A r::!)
the vehicle to slip off the jack . Always provide
a fi rm base for the jack on the g ro und . If nec
essary p lace a sturdy board or sim ila r support
u nder the jack. On
hard , slippery surfaces
(such as tiles) use a rubbe r mat or similar to
prevent the jack from slipping
r::!) & .
&_ WARNING
-You or your passengers co uld be in ju red
while changing a whee l if you do not fo l
low t hese safety preca utions:
- Position the vehicle jack on ly at the
d esigna ted lifti ng points and align the
j a ck . O therw ise, the vehicle ja ck could
s lip and cause an injury i f it does not
have sufficient hold on the vehicle.
- A soft or uns table surface unde r the
j ack may cause the ve hicle to slip off
the jack. A lways provide a firm base for
the jack on the ground . If necessary,
use a st urdy boa rd under the jack.
~
276 What do I do now?
-On hard, slippery surface (such as tiles)
use a rubber mat or similar to prevent
the jack from slipping.
- To help prevent injury to yourself and
your passengers:
- Do not raise the vehicle until you a re
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 vehicle and
well away from the road and traffic.
- Make sure jack position is correct , ad
just as necessary and then continue to raise the jack.
- Changes in temperature or load can af
fect the height of the vehicle.
(D Note
Do not lift the vehicle by the sill. Position
the vehicle jack only at the designated lift
ing points on the sill. Otherwise, your vehi
cle will be damaged.
(D Tips
The vehicle jack mode* switches off auto matically at speeds above 6 mph (10 km/
h).
Removing and installing the sill cover
Applies to vehicles: with sill
Fig . 211 Sill: remov ing t he cover
.. Pull the cover down to remove it¢ fig . 211.
.,. To install the cover again , insert it into the
retainers and then swing it upward until it
clicks into place. The cover must be flush
with the sill.
(D Tips
Some models may also have a cover for the
rear vehicle lift point.
Taking the wheel off /installing the spare
Follow these instructions st ep-by-step for
changing the wheel.
Fig. 212 Changing a wheel: using the screwdrive r han
dle (w it h th e blade re m oved) to turn the bolt s
Fig. 213 Changing a wheel: alignment p in ins ide t he
top hole
After you have loosened all wheel bolts and
raised the vehicle off the ground, remove and
replace the wheel as follows:
Removing the wheel
.. Use the hexagonal socket in the screwdriv
er handle
to completely remove the top
most wheel bolt and set it aside on a
clean
surface ¢ fig. 212 .
.,. Screw the threaded end of the alignment
pin
from the tool kit hand-tight into the
empty bolt hole
¢ fig . 213 .
.,. Then remove the other wheel bolts as de
scribed above .
.. Take off the wheel leaving the alignment pin
in the bolt hole
¢(D . Ill>