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 214, 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 201.
The effectiveness of winter tires is reduced great
ly when the tread is worn down to a depth of
0 .157 inch (4 mm). The character istics 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 cou ld cause
the tires to heat up too much. This increases
206
-
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.
The snow chains must have
low-profile links and
must not be thicker than 0.53 inch (13.5 mm),
including the lock.
You must remove the chains when driving on
roads that are
free of snow . When roads are free ..,.
Emerg enc y assis ta nc e
emergency flashers on and use other
warning dev ices to alert other motorists.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a safe
place away from the vehicle and well away
from the road and traffic.
- To help prevent the vehicle from moving
sudden ly and possibly slipp ing off the jack,
always fully set the parking brake and block
the wheel diagonally oppos ite the wheel be
ing changed with the folding chocks or oth
er objects. When one front wheel is lifted
off t he g ro u nd, plac ing the Automatic
T ransmission in "P" (Park) will
not prevent
the vehicle from moving.
- Before you change a wheel, be su re the
ground is level and firm. If necessary, use a
stu rdy board under the jack.
- Always store the veh icle tool k it, the jack
and the replaced tire in the luggage com
partment
r=> page 100.
(D Note
If you are cha nging the wheel on a steep in
cline, use the folding choc k
r=> page 212 to
block the oppos ite wheel to preven t the vehi
cle from moving .
(D 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 dec orati ve w heel co ver* or the
wh eel bolt cap s*. For more deta ils see also
r=> page 215.
2. Loosen the wh eel b olt s r=> page 215 .
3. Locate the proper mounting point for the
jack and align the jack below that point
r=> page 216.
4. Lift the car with the jack r=> page 216.
S. Remove the wheel with th e fla t ti re and then
i nstall the
s p are t ire r=> page 217.
6. Tighten all wheel bo lts lightly .
7 .
Lower the veh icle w ith the jack.
214
8 . Use the whee l bolt wrench and firml y tighten
all wheel bo lts in a crisscross pattern
r=> page 215.
9. Replace the deco rative whee l co ver* or the
wheel bolt c aps* .
A WARNING
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and in
formation
r=> .&. in Raising the vehicle on
page 216
and r=> page 218.
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 100 .
.,. Check the tire pres su re of the spare t ire as soon
as poss ible .
.,. As soon as possib le, have the
tigh tening tor
que s
on a ll wheel bolts checked with a torque
wrench. The correct tightening torque is
105 ft
lbs.
(140 Nm) .
.,. Have the flat tire
re pl ac ed as soon as poss ib le .
(D Tips
- If you notice that the wheel bo lts a re cor
roded and difficult to turn while changing a
t ire, they shou ld be replaced before you
check the t ightening torque.
- Drive at reduced speed until you have the
t ightening torques checked .
.... N
c:i ::J CX)
.... I.Cl U"I
N I.Cl ......
-Make sure jack posit ion is correct , adjust
as necessary and then cont inue to raise
the jack.
- If work has to be done under the vehicle,
ensure that it is safely supported on su ita
ble stands -risk of injury!
- Never start the engine when the vehicle is
on the jack -risk of accident!
CD Note
Do not lift the vehicle by the sill. Position the
vehicle jack on ly at the designated lifting
points on the sill. Otherwise, your vehicle will
be damaged.
Taking the wheel off/installing the spare
tire
F ollow these instructions step-by-step for chang
ing the wheel .
Fig. 170 C hangin g a w heel: using th e hexagonal s oc ket
(w it h the blade removed ) to turn t he bolt s
Fig. 171 Chan gin g a w hee l: a lig nm ent pin in side the to p
h ol e
After you have loosened all wheel bolts and
raised the vehicle off the ground, remove and re
p lace the whee l as follows:
Em ergen cy a ssis tanc e
Removing the whe el
"' Remove the topmost wheel bolt completely
with the
he xagona l s oc ket in the screwdriver
handle (vehicle too l kit)
c::> fig. 170 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
c::> fig . 171.
"' Then remove the other wheel bolts as described
above .
"' Take off the whee l leaving the alignment p in in
the bolt hole
c::> G) .
Putting on the spare tire
"' Push the spare tire over the alignment pi n
c::>(D .
"' Screw on the whee l bolts and tighten them
slightly u sing the hexagona l socket .
"' Remove the alignment pin and insert and t ight
en the remaining wheel bo lt s lightly like the
rest .
.. Turn the jack hand le count er-clockw ise to lower
the vehicle unti l the jack is fully released .
.. Use the wheel bo lt wrench to tighten all wheel
bolts firmly . Tighten them
in a crisscross pa t
tern,
from one bolt to the (approx imately) op
posite one, to keep the wheel centered .
"' Perform the steps required after chang ing the
wheel
c::> page 214, A~er changing a wheel.
_& WARNING
Do not use the hexagon al soc ket in the screw
driver handle to tighten the wheel bo lts. It is
not possible to tighten the bolts to the re
qu ired torque using the hexagonal socket -
risk of acc ident!
CD Note
When removing or installing the wheel, the
rim could h it the brake rotor and damage t he
rotor. Work carefully and have a second per
son to he lp you.
@ Tips
- When mounting tires with un idirectional
tread de sign
make sure the tread pattern is
pointed the right way
c::> page 218 . 1JJ,,
217
Emergency assistance
- The wheel bolts should be clean and easy to
turn. Check for di rt and cor ros ion on the
mating s urfaces o f both the whee l an d the
h ub. Remove all dirt from t hese surfaces be
fo re remo unt ing t he wheel.
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
W hen us ing a spare ti re with a tread patte rn in
tended for use in a specific d irection, please note
the following:
- The direct ion o f rotat ion is marked by an
arrow
on the s ide of the t ire .
-If the spare tire has to be installed in the incor
rect d irection, use the spare tire only tempora
rily s ince the tire w ill not be ab le to achieve its
optimum pe rformance c haracter istics with re
gard to aq uaplaning, noise and wear .
- We recommend that you pay particular atten
tion to this fact during wet weathe r and that
yo u ad just yo ur speed to match road condi
t ions.
- Replace t he flat t ire with a new one and have it
i ns ta lled on yo ur vehicle as soon as possible to
r esto re t he handling advantages of a unidi re c
t ion al ti re.
Notes on wheel changing
Please read the info rm ation ¢ page 198, New
tires or wheels
i f you are goin g to use a s pare tire
which is d ifferent from the tires on yo ur vehicle.
Afte r 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 .
218
-With steel and alloy wheel rims, the wheel
bolts are cor rectly tightened at a torque of
105 ft lbs. (140 Nm).
- 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
t ightening torque.
- Replace the flat tire with a new one and have
it installed on your vehicle as soon as poss i
ble. Remount the wheel cover.
Until then , drive with extra care and at reduced
speeds.
A WARNING
- If you are going to equip yo ur vehicle with
tires or r ims which diffe r from those which
we re facto ry insta lled, the n be su re to read
t he informa tion ¢
page 198, New tires or
wheels.
-Always make sure the damag ed wheel or
eve n a flat tire and t he jack and tool kit ar e
prope rly se cured in t he lu ggage comp art
me nt an d ar e no t loose in the passenge r
compa rtment.
- In an accide nt or sudde n maneuver they
co uld fly forw ard, i njuring an yon e in t he ve
h icle.
- Always s to re d amaged w hee l, jack a nd to ols
secure ly i n t he lug gage co m pa rtm ent. O th
erwise, in an a cci den t or sudden maneuve r
they cou ld fly forwar d, causing injury to pas
senge rs in the ve hicle.
(D Note
D o no t use co mm ercia lly availabl e tire se al
a nts . Ot herwise, t he e lectr ic al components of
the tire p ress ure monitor ing system * will no
l onge r wor k properly and t he sensor for t he
tire pressure monitoring system * w ill have to
be replaced by qualifie d wo rks hop.
-