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. 168 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. ..
213
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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 ma ke sure that
your vehicle will not be overload ed .
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 pla card
(tire inflation pre ssure l abel)
¢ page 215 , fig. 169.
2 . Determine the combined
weight of the drive r and pas
s engers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3 . Subtra ct the combined weight
of the driver and passengers
from
" XXX" kilograms or "XXX"
pounds shown on the sticker
¢ page 215 , fig. 169 .
4. The re sulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For ex
ample, if the
" XXX" amount
equals 1400 lbs. and there will
Wheels
be five 1 SO lbs. pa ssengers in
your vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity i s 650 lb s.
(1400-750 (5 X 150) = 650
lbs.)
5. Determin e the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely ex
ceed the available cargo and luggage load capa city cal culat
ed in Step 4 .
6. If your vehi cle will be towing a
trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your ve
hicle. Con sult thi s manual to
determine how this reduces
the available cargo and lug gage load capacity of your vehi
cle.
..,.Check the tire sidewall
(¢ page 205 , fig. 167) to deter
mine the designated load rating
for a specific tire.
Wheel bolts and rims
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts mus t be clean and loosen/tig hte n
easily.
Rims
Rims with a bo lted r im ring * or with bo lted w heel
cove rs* cons ist of mult iple p ieces. These compo-
nents were bolted togethe r using s pec ial bolts ..,.
219
Wheels
and a special procedure. You must not repair or
disassemble them¢&. .
A WARNING
Wheel bolts that are tightened or repaired in
correctly can become loose and result in loss
of vehicle control, which increases the risk of
an accident. For the correct t ightening specifi
cation, refer to ¢
page 22 7, After changing a
wheel .
-Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hub clean and free of
grease.
- Only use wheel bolts that fit the rim .
- Always have damaged rims repaired by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Aud i
Service Facility . Never repair or disassemble
rims yourself, because this inc reases the risk
of an accident.
Winter tires
Winter tires s ignificantly improve the vehicle's
handling when driving in winter conditions . Be
cause of their construction (width, compound,
tread pattern), summer tires provide l ess trac
tion on ice and snow.
.,. Use winter tires on all four wheels.
.,. Only use winter tires that are approved for your
vehicle.
.,. Please note that the maximum permitted
speed may be lower with winter tires
q .&,. . An
authori zed Audi dealer or authori zed Audi Serv
ice Facility can inform you about the maximum
permitted speed for your tires .
.,. Check the tire pressure after install ing wheels
q page 215.
The effectiveness of winter tires is reduced great
ly when the tread is worn down to a depth of
0 .157 in (4 mm). The characteristics of winter
tires also decrease greatly as the tire ages, re
gardless of the remaining tread.
A WARNING
- Never drive faster than the maximum per
mitted speed for your tires. This could cause
the tires to heat up too much. This increases
220
-
the risk of an accident because it can cause
the tire to burst.
- Always adapt your driving to the road and
traffic conditions . Drive carefully and reduce
your speed on icy or slippery roads . Even
winter tires can lose traction on black ice .
@ For the sake of the environment
Reinstall summer tires at the appropriate
time, because they prov ide better handling
when roads are free of snow and ice. Summer
tires cause less road noise, tire wear and fuel
consumpt ion .
(D Tips
You can also use all season tires instead of
winter tires. Please note that in some coun
tries where winter tires are required, only
winter tires w ith the ~ symbol may be per
mitted.
Snow chains
Snow chains improve traction in the snow .
.,. Only install snow chains on the front wheels.
This applies also to vehicles with 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 maximum permitted speed when dr iv
ing with snow chains. Do not exceed 30 mph (SO km/h).
Snow cha ins not only improve the
driving in win
ter road conditions, but also the
braking .
Use of snow chains is only permitted with certain
rim/tire combinat ions due to technical reasons .
Check with an author ized Audi dealer or author
ized Audi Service Facility to see if you may use
snow chains.
Use
fine-mesh snow chains. They must not add
more than 0.53 inch (13.5 mm) in height, includ
ing the chain lock.
You must remove the chains when driving on
roads that are
free of snow . When roads are free ..,.
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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
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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 .
Emergency assistance
-Make sure that passengers wait in a safe
place away from the vehicle and well away
from the road and traff ic.
- Make sure jack position is correct, adjust
as necessary and then cont inue to raise
the jack.
(D Note
Do not lift the vehicle by the sill. Position the
vehicle jack only at the designated lifting points on the sill. Otherwise, your vehicle will
be damaged.
Taking the wheel off /installing the spare
tire
Follow these instructions step-by-step for chang
ing the wheel .
Fig. 179 Changing a wheel: using the screwdriver handl e
(with the blade removed) to turn the bolts
Fig. 180 Changing a wheel: alignment pin insid e the top
hole
After you have loosened all wheel bolts and raised the vehicle off the ground, remove and re
place the whee l as follows:
Removing the wheel
• Remove the topmost wheel bolt comp letely
with the
hexagonal socket in the screwdriver
230
handle (vehicle tool kit) ¢ fig. 179 and set it
aside on a
clean surface.
• Screw the threaded end of the
alignment pin
from the tool kit hand-tight into the empty bolt
hole ¢
fig. 180.
• Then remove the other wheel bolts as described
above.
• Takeoff the whee l leaving the alignment pin in
the bolt hole¢ (!).
Putting on the spare tire
• Push the spare tire over the alignment pin.
• Screw on the wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly using the hexagonal socket.
• Remove the alignment pin and insert and t ight
en the remaining wheel bolt slightly like the
rest.
• Tur n the jack hand le counter-clockw ise to lower
the vehicle until the jack is fully released.
• Use the wheel bolt wrench to tighten a ll wheel
bolts firmly ¢
page 228. Tighten them in a
crisscross pattern,
from one bolt to the (ap
proximately) opposite one, to keep the wheel
centered.
• Perform the steps required after chang ing the
wheel¢
page 227, A~er changing a wheel.
The hexagonal socket makes it easier to remove
the wheel bo lts from the rim . Care should be tak
en when removing the reversible blade.
(D Note
When removing or installing the wheel, the
rim could hit the brake rotor and damage the
rotor . Work carefully and have a second per
son to help you.
(D Tips
-When mounting tires with unidirectional
tread design
make sure the tread pattern is
pointed the right way¢
page 231.
-The wheel bolts should be clean and easy to
turn. Check for dirt and corrosion on the
mating surfaces of both the wheel and the
hub. Remove all dirt from these surfaces be
fore remounting the wheel.
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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