Wheels
-Have an authorized Audi dealer or authorized repair facility
check the wheel alignment if
there is unusual wear .
-Have the wheels rebalanced if an
imbalance is causing noticeable
vibration in the steering wheel. If you do not, the tires and other
vehicle components could wear more quickly.
Treadwear indicator
The original tires on your vehicle
have 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high
"wear indicators"¢
fig. 194 run
ning across the tread. Marks on
the tire sidewall (for example
"TWI" or other symbols) indicate
the positions of the tread wear in
dicators.
The tires have reached the mini
mum tread depth
l) when they
have worn down to the treadwear
indicators. Replace the tires with
new ones ¢Ai..
Wheel rotation
Rotating the wheels regularly is
recommended to ensure the tires
wear evenly . To rotate wheels, in
stall the wheels from the rear
1> Obey any applicable regulations in your
country.
240
axle on the front axle and vice
versa. This will allow the tires to
have approximately the same
length of service life.
For unidirectional tires, make
sure the tires are installed accord
ing to the running direction indi
cated on the tire sidewall
¢page 258.
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and rims can of
ten occur in locations that are
hidden. Unusual vibrations in the
vehicle or pulling to one side may indicate that there is tire damage .
Reduce your speed immediately .
Check the tires for damage. If no
damage is visible from the out
side, drive slowly and carefully to
the nearest authorized Audi deal
er or authorized repair facility to
have the vehicle inspected.
A WARNING ~
Tread that has worn too low or
different tread depths on the
tires can reduce driving safety.
This can especially have a nega
tive effect on handling, on the
risk aquaplaning when driving .,.
.... N
0 CJ '
M I.Cl ......
cover must be flush with the surface of the sill
extension.
(D T ips
Some mode ls may also have a cover for the
rear vehicle lift point .
Taking the wheel off/installing the spare
Follow these instructions step-by-step for chang
ing the wheel.
Fig. 208 C hangin g a whee l: u sin g t he screwdrive r ha ndle
(wi th the b lade removed) to turn t he bo lts
F ig. 20 9 Ch an gin g a wheel: alignmen t pin insid e th e top
ho le
After you have loosened all wheel bol ts and
raised the vehicle off the ground, remove and re
place the whee l as fo llows:
Remo ving the wheel
• Use the he xagon al socket in the sc rewd river
ha ndle
to completely remove the topmost
wheel bolt and set it aside on a
clean surface
Q fig . 208.
• Screw the threaded end of the alignmen t pin
from the tool kit hand-tight into the empty bolt
hole
Q fig. 209 .
• Then remove the other whee l bolts as described
above .
Emergen cy a ssis tanc e
•Takeoff the whee l leaving the alignment pin in
the bolt hol e
Q0.
Putting on th e spare whe el
• Lift the spare whee l and carefu lly slide it over
t he alignment p in to g uide it in place
Q 0.
• Use the hexagonal socket in the screwdr iver
handle to screw in and tighten all wheel bolts
slightly .
.. Remove the alignment pin and insert and tight
en the remaining wheel bol t slight ly like the
rest.
• Turn the jack handle counter -clockw ise to lower
the vehicle unt il the jack is fully released .
• Use the wheel bo lt wrench to t ighten a ll wheel
bolts firmly
9 page 255. Tighten them cross
wise,
from one bo lt to the ( approx imately) op
posite one, to keep the wheel centered.
(D Note
When removing o r installing the wheel, the
rim co uld h it the brake rotor and damage t he
rotor . Work carefully and have a second per
son help you .
@ Tips
Never use the he xagonal socke t in the hand le
of the sc rewdriver to loosen or t ighten the
whee l bolts.
- Pull the reversible blade from the screwdr iv
er before you use the hexagona l socket in
the handle to t urn the whee l bolts .
- When mount ing tires with
unidirectional
tread design
make sure the tread pattern is
pointed the right way
Q page 258.
- T he wheel bolts shou ld 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.
257