Wheels
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire side wall between tread shoulder and maximum section width
c::> page 205, fig. 167.
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA, Tem
perature
A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal
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 gov
ernment test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one half (11/2) times as well on the govern
ment course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon
the actual conditions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the tire's
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured un
der controlled conditions on specified govern
ment test surfaces 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 the tire's resistance to the
generation 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
c::> .&. .
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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 required by law.
A WARNING -
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor
nering, hydroplaning or peak traction charac
teristics.
A WARNING , ~ -
The temperature grade for this tire is estab
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or
in combination, can cause heat buildup and
possible tire failure.
A WARNING
Temperature grades apply to tires that are
properly inflated and not over or underinflat
ed.
Tire pressure monitoring system
(l) General notes
App lies to vehicles : wit h tire pressure mo nitori ng syste m
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and inflat
ed to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or
tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure la
bel, you should determine the proper tire infla
tion pressure for those tires) .
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure tell
tale when one or more of your tires is significant- ly under-inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you should stop and ""
Wheels
Check/correc t the p ress ures o f all four tires and
store the pressure again in the Infotainment sys
tem
¢ page 224.
mm (Ti re Pressure Moni to ring System) Tire
pressure: S ystem malfunction !.
Ifm:im appears
after switc hing the ignition on or whi le driving
and the
RI] i ndicator light in the instrument cl us
ter blinks for approximate ly one minute and then
stays on, there is system malfunction. Try to
store the correct tire pressures¢
page 224 . If
the ind icator light does tur n off or turns on again
after a short period of t ime, dr ive to an a uthor
ized Audi dealer o r autho rized Aud i Service Faci li
ty immedia tely to have the malfunct ion corre ct
ed .
A WARNING
- If the ti re pressu re indicator appears in the
display, reduce your speed immediate ly and
avoid any hard steering or braking maneu
vers. Stop as soon as possib le and check the
t ires and t heir pressure.
- The driver is responsib le for maintaining the
correct tire pressure. You must check the
t ire pressure regu larly .
- Under certain conditions (such as a sporty
dr iv ing style, winter cond itions or unpaved
roads), the pressure mon itor indicator may
be delayed.
- Do not use run-flat tires on your vehicle. Us
ing them when not permitted can lead to
vehicle damage or accidents.
(D Tips
- The t ire pressure monitoring system can al
so stop work ing when there is an ESC mal
funct ion.
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The t ires with the identification "AO" or
"RO" ¢
page 212 have been matched with
your Audi tire pressure monitoring system .
We recommend that you use these t ires.
224
· Storing tire pressures
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure mo nitoring system
If the tire pressure changes or a tire is replaced,
it must be confirmed in the Infotainment sys
tem .
.,. Make sure before stor ing that the t ire pressures
of all four tires meet the specified values and
are adapted to the load
¢ page 215.
.,. Sw itch on the ign ition .
.,. Sele ct: the
I CARI fu nct ion button > Tire pres·
s ure monitoring
cont rol button. O r
.,. Select: the
I CAR I fun ct ion but ton > Car Sys
tem s*
control b utton > Serv icing & checks >
Tire pressure mon itoring .
(D Tips
Do not store the tire pressures if snow chains
are installed .
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Emergency assistance
Vehicle tool kit
The tools ore stored underneath the floor panel
in the luggage comportment.
Fig. 172 Luggage compartment: tool ki t
When you need access to the veh icle tool kit or
jack*, you will need to take out the spare tire*
and cover
qpoge 225.
The vehicle tool kit includes:
- Hook for removing wheel covers*
- Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers*
- Alignment pin for changing the wheel
- Screwdriver with reversible blade
- T ool for changing l ight bulbs
- Revers ible b it (reversible Torx bit for changing
li ght bulbs)
- Rod for jack
- Jack*
- Lug wrench
- Towing eye
Some of the vehicle items listed above are pro
vided on certa in models only or are optional ex
tras.
Before return ing the jack* to its place, retract the
jack arm f ully.
_& WARNING
-Never use the screw driver hex head to
tighten wheel bolts, since the bo lts cannot
attain the necessary tightening torque if you
use the hex head, potentially causing an ac
c ident.
- The factory-supplied jack is intended on ly
for your vehicle model. Under no circum-
Emergency assistance
stances s hou ld it be used to lift heavy
vehicles or other loads; you risk injuring
yourself.
- Never start the engine when the vehicle is
raised, which could cause an accident.
- Support the vehicle securely with appropri
ate stands if work is to be performed under
neath the vehicle; otherwise, there is a po
tential risk for injury .
(D Tips
The vehicle jack* in your vehicle is mainte
nance-free.
Space-saving spare tire (compact spare tire)
Applies to veh icles: w ith space-sav ing spare t ire
The spore tire/wheel is located in the luggage
comportment under the cargo floor cover . It is
intended for short-term use only .
Fig. 173 Spare tir e
Removing the spare tire
.. Lift the cargo floor by the p lastic handl e
qfig. 173.
.. Hook the handle into the lugg age compartment
weather strip .
.,. Turn the large screw
qfig. 173 counter-clock
w ise.
.. Take out the spare tire .
.. Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack *, and
t he replaced tire in the luggage compartment
qpoge 118.
.. Unhook the cargo floor before closing the rear
lid . ...
225
Emergency assistance
Using the spare tire (compact spare tire)
The compact spare tire is only intended for emer
genc ies until you can reach a repair shop. Repla ce
it as qu ickly as possible with a standard wheel
and tir e.
There are some restrictions on the use of the
compact spare tire. The compact spare tire has
been designed specifically for yo ur type of vehi
cle. It must not be swapped with a compact
spare tire from another type of vehicle.
Snow chains
F or technica l reasons, the use of snow chains on
the compact spare tire is
not permitted .
If you do have to dr ive with snow cha ins and a
front tire fails, mo unt the spare wheel with t ire
instead of a rear tire. Install the snow chains on
the rear tire and use it to rep lace the defective
front tire .
A WARNING
-Never use the spare tire if it is damaged or if
it is worn down to the tread wear indicators.
-If the spare tire is more than 6 years o ld,
use it only in an emergency and with ex
treme caution and carefu l dr iving .
- The spare tire is intended on ly for tempora
ry and short-term use. It shou ld be replaced
as soon as possible with the normal wheel
and t ire.
- After mounting the compact spare t ire, the
t ir e pressure must be checked as soon as
poss ible. The tire pressure of the compact
spare tire must be 4.2 bar; otherwise, you
risk having an accident .
- Do not drive faster than SO mph (80 km/h).
You risk hav ing an accident.
- Avoid full-throttle accelerat ion, heavy brak
ing, and fast cornering. You risk having an
acc ident.
- Never drive using more than one spare
wheel and tire. You risk having an accident .
- Normal summer or winter tires must not be
mounted on the compact spare wheel rim .
- For technical reasons, the use of tire chains
on the spare tire is not perm itted . If it is
226
necessary to drive with tire chains, the spare
wheel must be mounted on the front axle in
the event of a flat in a rear tire. The newly
ava ilable front wheel must then be installed
in place of the rear wheel w ith the flat tire.
Installing the tire chain before mounting
the wheel and tire is recommended.
- Loose items in the passenger compartment
can cause serious personal injury during
ha rd braking or in an accident. Never store
the spare tire or jack and tools in the pas
senger compartment.
Replacing wheels
· Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your own
and your passenger's safety when changing a wheel.
.,. After you experience a tire failure, pull the car
well away from moving traffic and try to reach
level ground before you stop¢ A_.
.,. All passengers should leave the car and move
to a safe location (for instance, behind the
guardrail) ¢
&_.
.,. Engage the parking brake to prevent your vehi
cle from rolling unintentionally ¢
A_.
.,. Shift into 1st gear on vehicles with manua l
transmission, or move the
selector lever to the
P position
on vehicles with automatic transmis
sion.
.,. If you are towing a trailer: unhitch the trailer
from your vehicle.
.,. Take the
jack ¢ page 225 and the spare tire
¢ page 225 out of the luggage compartment .
A WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured while
changing a whee l if you do not follow these
safety precaut ions:
- If you have a flat tire, move a safe distance
off the road. Turn off the engine, turn the
emergen cy flashers on and use other warn
ing devices to alert other motorists.
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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 be
ing changed with the folding chocks or oth
er objects. When one front wheel is lifted
off the g round, plac ing the Automatic
T ransmission in "P" (Park) will
not prevent
the vehicle from moving .
- Before you change a wheel, be su re t he
ground is level and firm. If necessary, use a
stu rdy board under the jack.
- Always sto re the veh icle tool k it, the jac k*
and the replaced tire in the luggage com
partment ¢
page 118 .
(1) Note
If you are cha nging the whee l on a steep in
cline, use a rock or similar objec t to block the
opposi te whee l to prevent the veh icle from
moving.
@ Tips
Obey all laws .
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow the sequence
described below step-by-step and in exactly that
order.
1. Remove the deco rative wheel cover * or the
whe el bolt cap s*. For more deta ils see also
¢ page 228, Decorative wheel covers or
¢ page 228, Wh eels with wh eel bolt caps.
2. Loosen the wheel bol ts ¢ page 228.
3 . Locate the proper mounting point for the
jack and align the jack below that point
¢ page 229.
4. Lift the car with the jack¢ page 229.
5 . Remove the
whe el with the flat tir e and then
insta ll the
s pare tire ¢ page 230 .
6. Tighten all wheel bo lts lightly.
7 .
Low er th e ve hicle w it h the ja ck .
Em ergenc y ass is tanc e
8. Use the wheel bolt wrench and firmly tighten
all wheel bo lts in a crisscross pattern
¢ page 228.
9. Replace the deco rati ve w heel co ver* or the
wheel bolt caps* .
A WARNING
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and in
fo rmation
¢ .&. in Raising the vehicle on
page229and ¢page 231.
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not complete without the do
ing the following .
.,. Always store the vehicle too l kit, the jack*, and
the replaced tire in the luggage compartment
¢ page 118 .
.,. Check the tire pres sure of the spare tire as soon
as poss ible.
.,. As soon as poss ib le, have the
tigh tening tor
qu es
on a ll wheel bolts checked with a torque
w rench. The correct tightening torque is
90 ft
lbs.
(120 Nm) .
.,. Hav e the flat tire
repl aced as soon as possible .
(D Tips
-If you notice that the wheel bo lts are co r
roded and difficult to turn while changing a
tire, they shou ld be replaced before you
check the tightening torque.
- Drive at reduced speed unti l yo u have the
tightening torques checked.
227
Emergency assistance
Decorative wheel covers
Applies to vehicles: with decorative wheel covers
The decorative wheel covers must be removed
first to access the wheel bolts.
F ig. 1 74 Chang ing a wheel: removing the wheel cover
Removing
• Inse rt the hook provided wi th the ve hicle too l
kit in t he ho le in the hub.
• Pu ll off the
decorative wheel cover <9 fig. 174 .
Wheels with wheel bolt caps
Applies to vehicles: with wheel bolts with caps
The cops must be removed first from the wheel
bolts before the bolts con be unscrewed .
Fig . 175 Chang ing a wheel: remov ing the wheel bolt caps
Removing
• Push the plastic clip provided with the vehicle
tool kit over th e wheel bolt cap unt il it engages.
• Pu ll on the
plastic clip to remove the cap
q fig. 175.
Refitting
• Place the caps over the wheel bo lts and push
them back on.
228
The caps are to protec t and keep the wheel bo lt s
clean .
Loosening and tightening the wheel bolts
The wheel bolts must be loosened before raising
the vehicle.
Fig . 176 Chang ing a w hee l: loose ning th e wheel bolts
Loosening
• Install the wheel bolt 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 the w heel bolts
counter-clockwise
about one single turn in the direction of a rrow
~fig. 176.
Tightening
• Insta ll the wheel bolt wren ch over the wheel
bolt and push it down as far as it w ill go.
• Take tight hold of the
end of the wr ench hand le
and tur n each w heel bo lt
clockwise until it is
se ated.
_&. WARNING
- Do no t use force or hurry when c hanging a
w heel -yo u can cause t he ve hicle to slip of f
the jack and cause serious persona l injuries.
- Do not loosen the wheel bo lts more than
one turn
before yo u raise the vehicle with
the jack . - You r is k an injury .
(D Tips
-Never use t he hex agona l soc ket in the han
dle of the screwdrive r to loosen or tighten
t h e whee l bolts .
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-If a whee l bolt is very tight, you may find it
easier to loosen by carefully pushing down
on the end of the wheel bo lt wrench with
one foot only. As you do so, hold on to the
car to keep your balance and take care not
to slip.
Raising the vehicle
The vehicle must be li~ed with the jack first be
fore the wheel can be removed .
Fig. 177 Sill pane ls: mark ing s
Fig. 178 Sill: po sit ion in g the ve hicle jack
The location of the jack point is indicated by an
indentation on the underside of the vehicle
~ fig . 177 .
.,. Activate the parkin g brak e to prevent the vehi
cl e from roll ing unintentionally.
.,. Shift into
1st g ear on vehicles with manual
t ransm ission or
move the selector lever to the P
position on v ehicles with automatic transmis
sion.
.,. Find the
ma rki ng (imprint) on the sill that is
nearest the wheel that will be changed
~ fig . 177 . Behind the marking, there is a lift
ing point
on the sill for the vehicle jack .
.,. Turn the
vehi cle jack located under the lifting
po in t on the s ill to ra ise the jack until the jaw
Em ergen cy a ssis tanc e
~ fig. 178 @covers the notch on the ve hicle
~ A ~0 .
.,. Align the vehicle jack so the jaw@ covers the
notch and the base pla te ® is flat on the floor.
The base p late ® must be
vertical under the
lifting point @.
.,. Install the rod on the vehicle jack: Insert the
rod into the open ing o n the handwheel. Turn
the rod left or righ t to secu re it.
.,. Continue ra is ing the jack wi th the rod unti l the
wheel lifts off the ground slight ly .
Pos ition the vehicle jack
only unde r the des ignat
ed lift ing po ints on the sill
c:!> fig. 177 . There is ex
act ly
one l oca tion for each wheel. The jack must
not be positioned at any other location
c:!> &,. c:!>(D .
Soft ground under the jack ca n cause t he vehicle
to slip off the jack. A lways p lace the ja ck on firm
ground. Use a f lat, stab le support if necessary.
Use a non-s lip surface s uch as a rubbe r mat on a
slipper y surfa ce such as tile .
A WARNING
-
-You o r your passengers could be in jured
while changing a wheel if you do not follow
these safety precautions :
- Position the vehicle jack only at the des ig
na ted lift ing po ints and alig n the jack.
Otherwise, the veh icle jack could slip and
cause an injury if it does not have suffi
cient hold on the vehicle.
- A soft or unstab le surface under the jac k
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 (s uch as tiles)
use a rubber mat or similar to prevent the
j ack from slipping.
- To help prevent in jury to yourse lf and your
passengers:
- Do not raise the ve hicle until you are sure
the jack is securely engaged.
- Passengers must not remai n in the vehicle
whe n it is jacked up .
~
229
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screwdriver handle to loosen or tighten the
wheel bolts.
Tires with unidirectional tread design
Tires with unidirectional tread design must be
mounted with their tread pattern pointed in the
right direction.
Using a spare tire with a tread pattern
intended for use in a specific direction
When using a spare tire with a tread pattern in
tended for use in a specific direction, please note
the following:
- The direction of rotation is marked by an
arrow
on the side of the tire.
-If the spare tire has to be installed in the incor
rect direction, use the spare tire only tempora
rily since the tire w ill not be ab le to achieve its
opt imum performance character istics with re
gard to aquaplaning, noise and wear.
- We recommend that you pay particular atten
t ion to this fact during wet weather and that
you adjust your speed to match road condi
t ions.
- Replace the f lat t ire with a new one and have it
installed on your vehicle as soon as possible to
restore the hand ling advantages of a unidirec
t iona l tire.
Notes on wheel changing
Pl ease read the informat ion ~page 212, New
tires or wheels
if you are going to use a spare tire
which is different from the tires on your vehicle.
After you change a tire :
-Check the tire pressure on the spare immedi
ately after installation.
- Have the wheel bolt tightening torque
checked with a torque wrench as soon as pos
sible by your authorized Audi dealer or quali
fied workshop.
- With steel and alloy wheel rims, the wheel
bolts are correctly tightened at a torque of 90
ft lbs . (120 Nm) .
Emergency assistance
-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.
- Replace the flat tire with a new one and have
it installed on your vehicle as soon as possi
ble. Remount the wheel cover.
Until then , drive with extra care and at reduced
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 212, New tires or
wheels.
- Always make sure the damaged wheel or
even a flat tire and the jack and tool kit are
proper ly secured in the luggage compart
ment and are not loose in the passenger
compa rtment .
- In an accident or sudden maneuver they
could fly forward, injuring anyone in the ve
hicle.
- Always store damaged wheel, jack and tools
securely in the luggage compartment. Oth
erwise, in an acc ident or sudden maneuver
they could fly forward, causing injury to pas
sengers in the veh icle.
(D Note
Do not use commerc ially available tire seal
ants. Otherwise, the electr ical components of
the tire press ure monitoring system * will no
l onger work properly and the sensor for the
tire pressure monitoring system* wi ll have to
be replaced by qualified workshop.
231