250 Tires and wheels
Bear in mind that the tire pressure monitoring
system* can only monitor the tire pressures
you have stored . The system does not recog
nize the load condit ion of your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the tire pressure monitor
ing system* will be impaired if you store nor
mal load pressures but then operate the vehi
cle at its max imum load
c:> &. .
See the illustration c:> fig. 208 for the location
of the label on driver's side B-pillar (color of
the act ua l label and exact location on the ve
hicle will vary slightly). Note
that the following table is accurate at
the time of going to press and is subject to
change. In the event of d iscrepancies, the t ire
pressure label is located on the driver's side B
pillar always takes precedence.
The table below lists the recommended cold
t ir e inflation pressures for the Audi mode l
covered by your Owner's Literature at the vehi
cle's capacity weight and the t ire sizes instal
led on the respective models as orig inal
equipment, or as a factory opt ion.
Tire pressure
Model/En- Tire designation normal load condition full load condition
gine fronta> reara>
front rear
PSI kPA
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
A8/A8 L: 235/55 R18 104H
35 240 32 220 36 250 38 260
3.0 liter
255/45 R19 104H 35 240 32 220 36 250 38 260
6-cylinder
265/40 R20 104H 35 240 32 220 36 250 38 260
265/40 R20 104V 33 230 32 220 33 230 35 240
275/35 R21103Y XL 35 240 32 220 36 250 35 240
A8/A8 L: 235/55 R18 104H 35 240
32 220 38 260 38 260
4.0 liter
255/45 R19 104H 35 240 32 220 38 260 38 260
8-cylinder
265/40 R20 104H 35 240
32 220
38 260
38 260
265/40 R20 104V 33 230 32 220
35 240 35 240
275/35 R21103Y
XL 35 240
32 220
38 260
38 260
ASL
: 265/40 R20 104V 35 240 32 220 36 250 35 240
6.3 liter
255/45 R19 104H 36 250 32 220
39 270
38 260
12-cylin-
265/40 R20 104H 36 250 32 220 39 270 38 260
der
275/35 R21103Y XL
35 240 32 220 36 250
35 240
58: 265/40 R20 104V 36 250 32 220
39 270 38 260
4.0 liter
265/35 R21101 Y 39 270 35 240 44 300 42 290
8-cylinder
275/35 R21103Y XL 39 270
35 240
44
300 42
290
XL= reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xl, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire side-
wall.
al n orma l lo ad co ndi tio n~ page 249.
The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is
locat ed on a label on the driver's side B-pillar.
Because technical changes may be made to
ve hicl e equipment during the model year, al
ways compa re the tire size designation on the tire
pressu re lab el on your vehicle wi th the
tires on your vehicle. Make sure that the tire
s iz e inform ation on the vehicle label is the
same as the size of the tires on the vehicle.
This is espec ially important if the vehicle be-
l ongs to someone e lse or yo u bought the ..,.
252 Tire s and wheel s
of people and the amount of luggage into ac
count when adjusting tire pressure for a trip -
even one that you would not consider to be
"long." See
c> page 2 53 , Tires and vehicle
load limits
for more importan t information.
A lways use an accurate tire pressure gauge
when checking and adjusting inflation pres
sures . Check all of the t ires and be sure not to
f orget the spare tire. If the pressure in any tire
is too high when the tire is "cold," let air out
of the t ire slowly with the edge of the tire
gauge and keep checking the pressure until
you reach the pressure that is cor rect for the
l oad (passenge rs and luggage) a nd kind of
d riving you plan to do.
If the p ress ure in any tire is too low, note the
d iffe rence between the pressure in the cold
tire and the pressure yo u need and add the a ir
that yo u need to reach the correct pressure for
the vehicle load (passengers and luggage) for
the tires on your vehicle as listed on the on
you r veh icle and in this manua l and the k ind
of dr iving you plan to do.
Never exceed the ma ximum infl ation pre s
sure li sted on the tire sidewall for any rea
son.
Remember that the vehicle manufacturer, not
the tire manufacture r, determines the correct
tire pressure for the tires on your vehicle.
It is important to check the tire pressu re when
the tires are cold .
- Read the requ ired t ire pressu re from the tire
pressure label. The tire pressu re labe l is lo
cated on the drive r's side 8-p illar.
- T urn the valve stem cap counter-clockwise
to remove it from the tire valve.
- Place the air pressu re ga uge on the valve .
- The tire pressures should only be checked
and adjusted when the tires a re cold. The
s li ghtly raised pressu res of warm tires must
not be reduced.
- Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying.
- Re install the valve stem cap on the valve .
When should I check the tire pressure?
The co rrect tire pressu re is especially impor
tant a t high speeds. The pressu re should
therefore be checked at least once a month
and always before sta rting a jo urney . Do not
forget to check the tire pressure for the spare
whee l
c> page 268 .
When should I adju st the tire pres sure s?
Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
ca rrying . After cha ng ing a whee l
or replacing
whee ls you have to adjust the tire press ure s
on all whee ls. In addition, yo u m ust then
store the new tire pressures in t he tire pres
sure monitoring system*
c> page 263.
A WARNING
=
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underi nfla-
tion can lead sudden tire fa ilu re, loss of
control, collision , serio us pe rsonal injury
or even dea th.
- When the wa rn ing symbol
[IJ appears i n
the ins trument clus ter, stop and inspec t
the t ires.
- I nco rrect tire pressure a nd/or underinfla
tion c an cause increase d tire wea r and
can a ffect the hand ling of the vehicle and
stopping abi lity.
- I nco rrec t tire pressures an d/or underin
flation can a lso lead to s udden t ire fail
ure, including a blowout and sudden de
flation, ca using loss of vehicle contro l.
- The driver is responsible for the co rrect
tire pressures for all tires on the vehicle .
The applicable pressure values are locat
ed on a sticke r on the dr iver's s ide B-pil
lar.
- Only when all tires on the vehicle are fil
led to the correct pressure, the t ire pres
sure mon itor ing* system can work cor
rectly .
- The use of incorrect tire pressure va lues
can lead to acc idents or other damage .
Therefore it is essential that the drive r
observe the spec ified t ire pressu re val ues
for the tires and the correct pressures for
II),
,....,
N ,....,
N
0 J:
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
contribution to good road holding and safe
handling when in good condition and properly
inflated
¢ .&. .
We recommend that all work on t ires and
wheels be performed by an authorized A udi
dealer. They are familiar with recommended
procedures and have the necessary spec ial
too ls and spare parts as we ll as the proper fa
cilities for dispos ing of the old tires .
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary information about techn ica l requ irements for
installing or changing tires and r ims.
R eplacing t ires and wheel s
Tires shou ld be rep laced at least in pairs and
not individua lly (for example both front tires
or both rear tires together).
Be s ure to read and heed the information to
the tire pressure monitoring system*
¢page 263.
Always buy rep lacement radial tires that have
the same specifications as the t ires approved
for your ve hicle by Audi. Replacement tires
must always have the same load rating speci
fication as the original equipment or approved
optional tires listed in the table¢
page 249.
Audi-approved specification tires are specially
matched to your vehicle and its load limits,
and can contribute to the important road hold
ing, driving character istics, and safety of the
veh icle. The table(¢
page 249) lists spec ifica
tions of the t ires approved for the Audi mod
e ls covered by your Owner's Literature .
The tire pressure labe l located on dr iver 's side
B-pillar
( ¢ page 249, fig. 209) lists the speci
fications of the orig inal equipment tires in
stalled on your veh icle at the time it was man
ufactured .
Federal law requires t ire manufacturers to
p lace standard ized information on the s ide
wall of all tires ¢
fig. 212 . This information
i dent ifies and desc ribes the fundamental
characterist ics, the quality grade of the tire
and a lso provides a tire ide ntificat io n number
Tire s an d wheel s 257
for sa fety standard certification and in case of
a reca ll.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it eas
ier to choose the co rrec t tires . Radial ti res
have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewa ll, for examp le:
255 /45 R 19 104 H
This co nta ins the following information :
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars
(where app licab le)
255 Nom inal tire width i n mm of the tire
from sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In
general, the larger the number, the wider
the tire
45 Height/w idth ratio in percent (aspect ra -
t io)
R Tire construct ion: Radial
1 9 Rim diameter code (i n inches)
104 Load ra ting code
H Speed ra ting letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF") Indicates
t h at the t ire is a "Reinfo rced" or an " Ext ra
Load " tir e
M+S (or "M/S") Indicates that the ti re has
some mud and snow capab ility
The tires could also have the informat ion of
direction of rotat ion ¢
page 245 .
Tire manufacturing d ate
The manufact uring date is also indicated on
the tire sidewall (possibly only on the
inner
s ide of the wheel):
"DOT ... 2214 .. . " means, for example, the tire
was produced in the 22nd week of 2014.
Speed rating (letter code )
The speed rating le tter code on the whee ls in
dicates the maximum permiss ible road speeds
¢ .&. in Winter tires on page 261.
P up to 93 mp h (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
S up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
•
•
,....,
N ,....,
N
0 J:
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1"1 ,...., 1.1"1 ,....,
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 nor
mal road wheel as soon as safely possi
ble.
- Never drive faster than the maximum
speed for which the tires on your vehicle
are rated because tires that are driven
faster than their rated speed can fail
suddenly.
- Overloading tires cause heat build-up,
sudden tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of control.
- Temperature grades apply to tires that
are properly inflated and not over or un
deri nflated.
- For technical reasons it is not always
possible to use wheels from other
vehicles -in some cases not even wheels
from the same vehicle model.
- If you install wheel trim discs on the ve
hicle wheels, make sure that the air flow
to the brakes is not blocked. Reduced air
flow to the brakes can them to overheat, increasing stopping distances and caus
ing a collision.
- Run flat tires may only be used on
vehicles that were equipped with them at the factory . The vehicle must have a
chassis designed for run flat tires. Incor
rect use of run flat tires can lead to vehi
cle damage or accidents. Check with an
authorized Audi dealer or tire specialist
to see if your vehicle can be equipped
with run flat tires. If run flat tires are used, they must be installed on all four
wheels. Mixing tire types is not permit
ted.
(D Note
- For technical reasons, it is not generally
possible to use the wheel rims from oth-
Tires and wheels 259
er vehicles. This can hold true for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
- If the spare tire is different from the
tires that you have mounted on your ve
hicle (for example winter tires or wide
profile tires), then use the spare tire for a
short period of time only and drive with
extra care. Replace the flat tire with the
tire matching the others on your vehicle
as soon as possible.
- Never drive without the valve stem cap .
The valves could get damaged .
(® For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accordance with the
local requirements.
Uniform tire quality grading
-Tread wear
- Tract ion AA A B C
- Temperature AB C
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire side wall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width
c;, page 256,
fig. 212.
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction 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 ISO would wear
one and one half (11/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual conditions of their use, how
ever, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, serv
ice practices and differences in road character-
istics and climate.
ll-
•
•
260 Tire s and wheel s
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. T hose grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance
c:> .&. .
Te mp eratu re
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and
C, representing the t ire's resistance to
the generat ion of heat and its ability to dissi
pate heat when tested under con trolled cond i
tions on a specified i ndoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure
c:> ,& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform
ance which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federa l Motor Veh icle Safety Stand
ard No . 1 09 . Grades Band A represent h igher
l eve ls of pe rformance on the laboratory test
wheel than the m inimum required by law.
.&_ WARNING
T he traction grade assigned to this t ire is
based on stra ight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydrop laning o r peak traction
character istics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this t ire is es
tablished for a t ire that is properly inflated
and not ove rloaded. Excessive speed, un
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible ti re fa ilu re.
-
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 w inter o r "snow" t ires , those
with very deeply cut tread . Th ese tires should
o n ly be used in pairs and be installed on a ll
f o ur wheels . Make sure you p urch ase snow
t ir es that are the same size and cons truction
type as the othe r tires on yo ur vehicle.
If your vehicle i s equ ipped w ith all-whee l
drive, this will improve tra ction during w inte r
driv ing, even with the standard tires . Howev
er, we strongly recommend that you always
equip all four wheels on your vehicle w ith cor
rect ly fitted winter tires or all-season t ires,
when winter road condit ions are expected.
This also improves the veh icle 's brak ing per
formance and reduces stopping d istances .
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on all fo ur whee ls .
As k your au thori zed A udi dealer or qualified
workshop for permit ted
winter tire size s. Use
only radial winter tires .
Winter tires lose their effec tivenes s whe n the
tread is wo rn down to a depth o f 0 .1 57 inch
(4 mm) .
Only d rive w ith w inter t ires under w inte r co n
di tions. S umme r tir es handle be tte r whe n
the re is no snow o r ice on the roa ds an d the
temperatu re is above 45 °F (7 °C) .
If you have a flat ti re, see notes on spare
whee l
c:> page 256.
Please a lways remember that winter tires may
have a lowe r speed rating than the tires o rigi
nally i nstalled on your vehi cle at the time it
was manuf actu red. P lease see
c:> page 257,
Speed ra ting (Letter code) fo r a lis ting o f the
speed rating lette r codes and the max imum
speed at which the tires can be driven . ..,.
,....,
N ,....,
N
0 J:
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
or ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is underinflated .
I n o rder to m inim ize the occu rrence of impact
damage to the t ires of your veh icle, we recom
mend that you observe the following precau
tions:
- Always maintain recommended inflat ion
pressures. Chec k your tire pressure every
2,000 miles (3,000
km) and add air if neces
sary.
- Drive carefu lly on roads with potholes, deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from driving
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may a lso
cause damage to your tires.
- After any impact, immediately inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest
authorized Aud i dealer. Replace a damaged
t ire as soon 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
ally cause tire failure. If you be lieve that a
t ir e may have been damaged, replace the
t ire as soon as possible.
- T hese tires may wea r mo re qui ck ly than ot h
ers.
- Please a lso remember that, whi le these tires
deliver respons ive handling, they may ride
l ess comfortably and make mo re noise than
othe r choices.
Reduced performance in winter /cold
season condition s
All tires are des igned for certa in pu rposes.
The low aspect ratio, ultra high performance
tires originally installed on your veh icle are in
tended for maximum dry and wet road per
formance and handling. They are not suitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather condit ions.
If
you dr ive under those circumstances, you
should equip your veh icle with all-season or
winter t ires, which offer better traction under
those cond itions. We suggest you use the rec
ommended snow or all-season tires specified
for your ve hicl e, or their equ iva lent.
Tire s an d wheel s 263
Refer to q page 260 for more detailed infor
mation regard ing winter tires.
Tire pressure
monitoring system
ill General notes
Each tire, incl uding the spare ( if provided),
shou ld be checked monthly when co ld and in
flated to the inflation pressure recommended by the veh icle manufacturer on the veh icle
placard or tire inf lation pressure label. (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size than the s ize indicated on the vehicle placard or tire in
flat io n pressure labe l, you shou ld determ ine
t h e p rope r tir e inflation p ressu re fo r those
ti res).
As an added safety feature, your veh icle has
been equipped with a tire pressure mon itoring
system ( TPMS) that illum inates a low t ire
pressure te lltale whe n one or more o f you r
tires is significant ly under-inflated . According
ly, when the low tire pressure te lltale illumi
nates, you should stop and check your tires as
soon as possib le, and inflate them to the
proper pressure. Driving on a sign ificantly un
der- inflated tire causes the tire to overheat
and can lead to tire fa ilure. Under-inflation al
so reduces fuel eff ic iency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle 's hand ling and
stopp ing ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute
for proper tire ma intenance, and it is the driv
er's respons ibility to maintain co rrect tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not
reached the leve l to tr igger illuminat ion of the
T PMS low tire pressu re tellta le .
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
T PMS ma lfu nction ind icator to ind icate when
the sys tem is not operating properly. The
T PMS ma lfunction indicator is combined with
the low tire pressure te lltale. When the sys
tem detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximate ly one minute and then ..,.
•
•
264 Tires and wheels
remain continuously illuminated. This se
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminat
ed, the system may not be able to detect or
signal low tire pressure as intended . TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of rea
sons , including the installation of replace
ment or alternate tires or wheels on the vehi
cle that prevent the TPMS from functioning
properly . Always check the TPMS malfunction
tellta le after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your veh icle to ensure that the re
placement or alternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
Tire pressure indicator appears
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. 213 Display : underi nflatio n warning
Fig. 214 Display: System mal functio n
Using the ABS sensors , the tire pressure moni
toring system compares the tire tread circum
ference and vibration characteristics of the in
dividual tires . If the pressure decreases in one
or more tires, th is is indicated in the i nstru- ment
cluster with a warning symbol
[I] and a
message
r=> fig. 213 .
The tire pressure monitoring system must be
reset via MMI each time the pressures are ad
justed (e.g. when switching between partial
and full load pressure) or after changing or re
plac ing a tire on your vehicle
r=> page 265. The
TPMS indicator only monitors the tire pres
sure that you have previously stored. You can
find the recommended tire pressures for your
vehicle on the Label on dr iver's side B-pillar
r=> page 249.
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too
low,
- the tire has structural damage,
- the tire pressure was changed, wheels rotat -
ed or replaced but the TPMS was not reset
¢ page 265,
-the spare tire* is mounted.
Warning symbols
[I] Loss of pressure in at least one tire¢&,. .
Check the tire or tires and replace or repa ir if
necessary . The indicator light
[I] in the instru
ment cluster also illuminates
¢page 11.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS via MMI.
Ill (T ire Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
pressure! System malfunction.
Iflll appears
after switching the ignition on or while driving
¢fig . 214 and the indicator light [I] in the in
strument cluster blinks for approximately one minute and then stays on, there is a system
malfunction . Attempt to store the correct tire
pressure ¢
page 265. If the indicator light
does not turn off or if it turns on shortly
thereafter , immediately drive your vehicle to
an a utho rized Aud i dealer or authorized repair
facility to have the malfunction corrected.
llll-
.... N .... N
0 J:
'
"' ....
"' ....
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. 217 Luggage compartment: cargo floor cover
folded upward
Fig. 218 Trunk lid: Vehicle too l ki t
.. Lift the cargo floor by the plastic handle.
.. Hook the handle into the luggage compart
ment weather strip ¢
fig. 217.
.. Remove the spare wheel to reach the vehicle
tool kit .
.. Remove the foam p iece.
The onboard tool kit includes:
- Hooks to remove the wheel
covers* or wheel
hub covers
- Plastic hook to
remove wheel bolt covers*
- Wheel bolt wrench
- Al ignment p in for changing wheels
- Screwdriver with reversible blade
- Towing loop
- Jack
Before storing the jack, make sure it is wound
back down as far as it will go.
What do I d o now ? 267
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
¢page 272 .