2016 AUDI A4 flat tire

Wheels
"XL" "xl" "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF" I I I
on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire
or a tire and tube assembly upon
which the tire beads are seated.
Rim diameter
means nominal diameter of the
bead seat . If you change your
wheel size, you w ill have to p ur­
chase new tires to match the new rim diameter .
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nomina l distance between
rim flanges.
S idewall
means that portion of a tire be­
tween the tread and bead .
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire is
designed to be driven for extend ­
ed periods of time. The rat ings
range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298 km/h)
¢ table
on page 218.
You may not find
this information on all tires be ­
cause it is not requ ired by law.
222
The speed rating letter code,
where applicable, is molded on
the tire sidewall and ind icates the
maximum permissible road
speeds
¢ .&. in Winter tires on
page 232 .
Tire pressure monitoring
system*
means a system that detects
when one or mo re of a vehicle's
tires are underinflated and illum i­
na tes a low tire pressure warning
te lltale .
Tread
means that portion of a tire that
comes into contact w ith the road .
Tread separation
means pulling away o f the tread
from the t ire carcass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the
principal grooves designed to give
a visua l indication of the deg rees
of wear of the tread. Se e
¢ page 226, Treadwear indicator
for more information on measur-
ing tire wear. .,.

Wheels
Occupant loading and distri­bution for vehicle normal load
for various designated seating
capacities
Refer to the tire inflation pres­
sure label ¢
page 22 7, fig. 191
for the number of seating posi­
tions . Refer to the table
¢
page 228 for the number of
people that correspond to the ve­
hicle normal load.
New tires or wheels
Audi recommends having all work
on tires or wheels performed by
an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility.
These facilities have the proper knowledge and are equipped with
the required tools and replace­
ment parts.
.,.New tires do not yet have the
optimum adhesion properties. Drive carefully and at moderate
speeds for the first 350 miles (500 km) with new tires .
.,.Use tires of the same construc­
tion, size (rolling circumference)
and as close to the same tread
pattern as possible on all four
wheels .
224
.,.Do not replace tires individually.
At least replace both tires on the
same axle at the same time.
.,.Audi recommends that you use
Audi Original equipment tires. If
you would like to use different
tires, please note that the tires may perform differently even if
they are the same size ¢
,&.
.,. If you would like to equip your
vehicle with a tire/rim combina­
tion that is different from what
was installed at the factory, con­
sult with an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility before making a pur­
chase ¢&, .
The spare tire* is different from
the regular tires installed on the
vehicle -for example, if winter
tires or wide tires are installed -
then only use the spare tire* tem­
porarily in case of emergency and
drive carefully while it is in use. It
should be replaced with a regular
tire as soon as possible.
On
all wheel drive vehicles, all
four wheels must be equipped
with tires that are the same brand and have the same construction
and tread pattern so that the
drive system is not damaged by .,.

different tire speeds. For this rea­son, in case of emergency, only
use a spare tire* that is the same
circumference as the regular
tires.
&_ WARNING -
-Only use tire/rim combina­ tions and suitable wheel bolts
that have been approved by
Audi. Otherwise, damage to
the vehicle and an accident could result.
-For technical reasons, it is not possible to use tires from oth­
er vehicles - in some cases,
you cannot even use tires from
the same vehicle model.
-Make sure that the tires you
select have enough clearance
to the vehicle . Replacement
tires should not be chosen
simply based on the nominal
size, because tires with a dif­
ferent construction can differ
greatly even if they are the
same size. If there is not
enough clearance, the tires or
the vehicle can be damaged and this can reduce driving
safety and increase the risk of
an accident.
Wheels
-Only use tires that are more
than 6 years old when abso­ lutely necessary and drive
carefully when doing so.
-If you install wheel covers on
the vehicle, make sure they al­
low enough air circulation to
cool the brake system. If they
do not, this could increase the
risk of an accident.
Tire wear/damage
Fig. 189 Tire profile : treadwear indica­
tor
Tire wear
Check the tires regularly for wear .
-Inflation pressure that is too low
or high can increase tire wear
considerably.
-Driving quickly through curves, rapid acceleration and heavy
braking increase tire wear .
-Have an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty check the wheel alignment if
there is unusual wear. ..
225

Wheels
loss of vehicle control, but can al­
so damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation that can
cause the vehicle to crash.
Your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on making
sure that load limits are not ex­
ceeded. Vehicle load includes ev­
erybody and everything in and on
the vehicle. These load limits are
technically referred to as the vehi­
cle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat­
ing
("GVWR ") .
The "GVWR" includes the weight
of the basic vehicle, all factory in­
stalled accessories, a full tank of
fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids plus maximum load. The maxi­
mum load includes the number of
passengers that the vehicle is in­
tended to carry ("seating capaci­
ty") with an assumed weight of 150 lbs. (68 kg) for each passen­
ger at a designated seating posi­
tion and the total weight of any
luggage in the vehicle. If you tow
a trailer, the weight of the trailer
hitch and the tongue weight of
the loaded trailer must be includ­
ed as part of the vehicle load.
230
The Gross Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of the
vehicle's two axles.
The fact that there is an upper
limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating means that the
total weight of whatever is being
carried in the vehicle (including
the weight of a trailer hitch and
the tongue weight of the loaded
trailer) is limited. The more pas­
sengers in the vehicle or passen­
gers who are heavier than the
standard weights assumed mean
that less weight can be carried as
luggage.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
are listed on the safety compli­
ance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar
¢ page 22 7,
fig. 190.
! WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause
loss of vehicle control, a crash
or other accident, serious per­
sonal injury, and even death.
-Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the vehicle
from handling properly and

increase the risk of the loss of
vehicle control.
- The brakes on a vehicle that
has been overloaded may not
be able to stop the vehicle
within a safe distance.
-Tires on a vehicle that has
been overloaded can fail sud­
denly, including a blowout and
sudden deflation, causing loss
of control and a crash.
-Always make sure that the to­
tal load being transported -
including the weight of a trail­
er hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer -
does not make the vehicle
heavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
Determining correct load
limit
Use the example below to calcu­
late the total weight of the pas ­
sengers and luggage or other
things that you plan to transport so that you can make sure that
your vehicle will not be overload­
ed.
Wheels
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCU­
PANTS AND CARGO SHOULD
NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
LBS"on your vehicle's placard
(tire inflation pressure label)
~ page 227, fig. 190.
2.
Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas­
sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers
from
" XXX " kilograms or "XXX "
pounds shown on the sticker
¢page 227, fig. 190.
4. The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For ex­
ample, if the
" XXX " amount
equals
1400 lbs. and there will
be five
150 lbs. passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5 X 150) = 650
lbs.)
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the vehicle.
231

..... N
0 ::..:: co ..... ..... @ Tips
You can also use all season tires instead of
winter t ires . Please note that in some coun­
tries where w inter t ires are required, only
w inter t ires with the
& symbol may be per­
m itted.
Snow chains
Snow chains improve trac tion in the snow.
"' Only install snow chains on the front wheels.
This applies also to ve hicles w ith all wheel
drive* .
"' Check and correct the seating of the snow
chains if necessary after driving a few feet . Fol ­
low the instructions from the manufacturer.
"' Note the max imum permitted speed when d riv­
ing with snow chains . Do not ex ceed 30 mp h
(50 km/h).
Snow chains not only imp rove the
driving in win­
ter road cond itions, but also the
braking .
Use of snow chains is only perm itted with certain
r im/t ire combinations due to tec hnical reasons .
Check w ith an authorized Aud i dealer o r autho r­
iz ed A udi Service Fac ility to see if yo u may use
snow cha ins.
Use
fine-mesh snow chains . They must not add
mo re than 0.53 inch (13 .5 mm) in height , includ­
in g the chain lock.
You must remove the chains when driving on roads that are
free of snow. When roads are free
of snow, snow chains can impair handling and
damage the t ires, and t he cha ins w ill quickly be
destroyed.
_& WARNING
Us ing in co rrect snow chains o r inst alling snow
chains incorrectly can result in loss o f vehicle
cont rol, which inc reases t he risk of an acci­
dent.
([) Note
Snow chains can damage the rims/whee l cov­
ers * if the chains come into direct con ta ct
Wh eel s
with them. Remove the whee l covers* fi rst .
Use coated snow chains .
(D Tips
When driv ing wi th snow chains, it may he lp to
switch on sport/offroad mode<=>
page 178.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory -equ ipped with low aspect ra­
tio t ires . These tires have been thorough ly tested
and been selected spec ifically for your model for
their superb performance, road fee l and handling
under a var iety of dr iv ing condit ions . Ask your au­
thorized Aud i dea le r fo r more detai ls .
The low aspect rat io of these tires is indica ted by
a numeral of
55 or less in the t ire 's size des igna­
tion . The numeral represents the ratio of the
t ir e's s idewa ll height in relation to its t read width
exp ressed in perce ntage. Conve ntiona l tires have
a height/wid th ra tio of 60 or more.
The performance of low-asp ect-ratio tir es is par­
ticularly sen sitive to improper inflation pres ­
sure. It is therefore important that low aspect ratio tire s are inflated to the specified pressure
and that the inflation pressure i s regularly
checked and maintained. Tire pressures should
be checked at lea st once a month and alway s
before a long trip
¢ page 22 7 .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more easi ­
l y by impact with potho les, curbs, gullies or
ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is un ­
der i nflated.
In order to minimize the occurrence of impact
damag e to the tires of yo ur v ehicle, we recom­
mend that you observe the following preca u­
tions:
- Always maintain recommended inflation pres­
sures . Check yo ur tire pressure every 2,000
m iles (3,000 km) and add air if necessary.
- Dr iv e carefully on roads w ith potholes, deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from dr iving
through or over such obstacles can damage
233

Wheels
you r tires. Impact with a cu rb may also cause
damag e to your tires .
- After any impact, immediately inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest au­
thorized Audi dea ler. Replace a damaged tire as
soon as possib le.
- Inspect yo ur tires every 2,000 miles (3,000 km)
f or damage and wear. Damage is not always
easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of air and
underinflation, which could eventually cause
tire failure . If you believe that a tire may have
been damaged, replace the t ire as soon as pos­
s ible .
- These tires may wear more quickly than others .
- Please a lso remember that, w hile these t ires
deliver responsive handling, they may r ide less
comfortably and make more no ise than other
cho ices .
Reduced perform ance in winter /cold season
conditions
All tires are designed fo r certa in purposes. The
low aspect ratio, ultra hig h pe rformance t ires
or iginally insta lled on you r vehicle a re intended
for max imum dry and we t road performa nce and
handling. They are not s uita ble fo r cold, snowy or
icy weathe r cond itions. If you drive under those
circumstances, you shou ld equip your vehicle
with all-s eason or winter tires, which offer b etter
traction under those condit ions. We suggest you
use the recommended snow or all-season tires
specif ied for your vehicle, or their equivalent .
Ref er to ¢
page 232 for more detai led informa­
tion regarding winter tires.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Q ua lity grades c an be found where app licab le on
the tire side wall between tread shoulde r and
maximum section width
¢ page 217, fig . 188.
For example : Tread wea r 200, Trac tion AA , Tem­
pe ra ture
A .
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal
Safety Requi rements in add ition to these grades.
234
Tre ad wear
The tread wear g rade is a compara tive rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
u nder controlled conditions on a specified gov­
e rnment test course .
Fo r example, a tire g raded 150 wou ld wear one
and one half (1 1/2) times as we ll on the govern ­
ment course as a t ire graded 100.
The re lative pe rformance of tires depends upon
the actual cond itions o f the ir use, however, and
may depa rt sign ificantly from the no rm due to
variations in driv ing habits, service practices and
differences in road character istics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades , from highest to lowest, a re
AA, A, B and
C. Those g rades rep resent the tire 's
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured un ­
der controlled conditions on specified govern­
ment test s urfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance
¢ ,& .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C, representing t he tire's resistance to the
generat ion of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the mate­ rial of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure¢ ,&.
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet un­
der the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 109 . Grades Band A represent higher levels
of performance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum requ ired by law .
A WARNING
-
The t ract ion g rade assigned to this t ire is
based on straight-ahead br aking traction
tes ts, and does not include acceler ation, cor­
nering, hydroplaning or pea k traction charac­
teristics .

..... N
0 ::..:: co ..... ..... & WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is estab­lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excess ive speed, underinfla­
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or
in combination, can cause heat buildup and
possible tire failure.
& WARNING
-
-
Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and not over or underinflat­
ed.
Tire pressure monitoring system
U) General notes
App lies to vehicles: with tire pressure mo nitoring system
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and inflat­
ed to the inflation pressure recommended by the
ve hicle manufact urer on the vehicle placa rd o r
tire inflat ion press ure label.
(If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure la­
be l, you should determine the proper tire infla­
tion pressure for those tires).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
eq uipped with a tire pressu re monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure te ll­
tale when one or more of your t ires is significant­
ly under- inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure tellta le illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper press ure. Driving on a s ignifi­
cantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to ove r­
h eat and can lead to t ire failure. Unde r-inflation
a lso reduces fuel e fficiency and tire tread life,
and may a ffec t the vehicle's handling and stop ­
p ing ability .
P lease note that the TPMS is not a substit ute for
p roper tire main tenance, and i t is the drive r's re­
sponsib ility to ma intain correct tire pressure,
even if under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire pres­
sure telltale .
Wh eel s
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS
malfunction indicator to indicate when the sys­
tem is not ope rating properly. The TPMS ma l­
funct ion indicator is combined with the low t ire
pressure telltale. When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for app roxi­
mately one m inute and t hen rema in continuously
illuminated. This seque nce w ill cont inue upon
s u bsequent vehicle star t-ups as long as the mal­
funct ion exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illum inated,
the system may not be able to detect o r signal
l ow tire p ressure as intended. TPMS malfunct ions
may occur fo r a v arie ty of reaso ns, including the
insta llation of replacement or al ternate tires or
whee ls on the vehicle that p revent the TPMS
from functioning proper ly . Always check the
TPMS ma lfunction te lltale after replacing one or
more tires or wheels on yo ur vehicle to ensure
that the rep lacement or a lternate tires and
wheels allow the TPMS to continue to function prope rly.
' If the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: wi th t ire pressure monitoring system
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too low
or if there is a system malfunction.
Fi g. 192 Instrument cluster: indicator light with message
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monito r­
ing system compares the tire tread c ircumfer-
ence and v ibration characterist ics of the ind ividu-
al tires. If the press ure changes in one or mo re
t ir es, th is is indicated in the instrument clust er
display with an indicato r light
RI] and a message . .,.
235