Wheels
happy to provide more informa
tion .
® Mud and snow capability
"M/S" or "M+S" indicates the tire
has characteristics that make it
suitab le for driving on mud and
snow .
& indicates a winter t ire .
@ Compos ition of the tire cord
and materials
The number of plies indicates the
number of rubberized fabric lay
ers in the tire . In general: the
more layers, the more weight a
tire can carry. Tire manufacturers must also specify the materia ls
used in the tire . These include
steel, nylon, polyester and other
materials .
@ Maximum permitted load
This number indicates the maxi
mum load in k ilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry.
@ Uniform tire quality grade
standards for treadwear,
traction and temperature
resistance
Treadwear, traction and tempera
ture ranges
c::> page 234 .
@ Running direction
The arrows indicate the running
direction of unidirec tiona l tires.
220
You must a lways follow the speci
fied runn ing direction
c::> page 247.
@ Maximum permitted
inflation pressure
This number indicates the maxi
mum pressure to which a tire can be inflated unde r normal operat
ing condit ions .
Glossary of tire and loading
terminology
Accessory weight
means the comb ined we ight (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) o f auto
matic tra nsmission , power steer
ing , power brakes , power wi n
dows, power seats , radio , and
heater, to the extent that these
items a re available as facto ry-in
stalled equipment (whet her in
stalled or not).
Aspect ratio
means the rat io of the height to
the width o f the tire in pe rcent.
Numbe rs of 55 or lower indicate a
low sidewa ll for imp roved steer
ing response and better overa ll
handling on dry pavement .
...
Bead
means the part of the tire that is
made of steel wires, wrapped or
reinforced by ply cords and that is
shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond
between components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the
plies in the tire.
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tir e pressure recom
mended by the vehic le manufac
turer for a tire of a designated
size that has not been driven for
more than a couple of miles (kilo
meters) at low speeds in the
three hour period before the tire pressure is measured or adjusted .
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor ve
hicle with standard equipment in
c luding the maximum capacity of
fuel, oi l, and coolant, a ir condi
tioning and add itional weight of
optional equipment.
E xtra load ti re
means a tire designed to operate
at higher loads and at h igher in -
Wheels
flation pressures than the corre
sponding standard tire . Extra load
tires may be identified as "XL",
" xl", "EXTRA LOAD", o r "RF" on
the sidewal l.
Gross Axle Weight Rating
( " GAWR")
means the load -carrying capacity
of a single axle system, measured
at the tire-ground interfaces .
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR ")
means the max imum total loaded
weight of the vehic le.
Groove
means the space between two ad
jacent tr ead ribs .
Load rating (code)
means the max im um load tha t a
tire is rated to carry fo r a g iven in
flat ion pressure . You may not find
this informat ion on all tires be
cause it is not requ ired by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire at
the maximum pe rmissible infla
tion pressure for that tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle
weight
means the sum o f:
22 1
..
Wheels
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible )
inflation pressure
means the maximum cold infla
tion pressure to which a tire may be inflated. Also called "maxi
mum inflation pressure ."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs . (68 kilograms)
times the number of occupants
seated in the vehicle up to the to
ta l seating capacity of your vehi
c le .
Occupant distribution
means distribut ion of occupan ts
in a vehic le .
Outer diameter
means the overall diamete r of an
inflated new tire.
Overall width
means the l inear distance be
tween the exter iors of the side
walls of an infla ted tire , including
elevations due to labeling , deco
rations, or protective bands or
r ibs.
222
Ply
means a layer of rubber -coated
pa rallel cords.
Production options weight
means t he comb ined we ight of
those insta lled regular production
options weighing over 5 lbs . (2 .3
kg) in excess of those standard
items which they replace , not pre
viously considered in curb weight or accessory weight, inc luding
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers,
roof rack, heavy duty battery, and
special trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which
the ply co rds that extend to the
beads are laid at subs tantially 90
deg rees to the centerline o f the
tread .
Recommended inflation
pressure
see~ page 221, Cold tire infla
tion pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a tire designed to operate
at highe r loads and at h igher in
flat ion pressures than t he corre
spond ing standa rd tire . R ein
forced tires may be identified as .,.
Wheels
-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.
-Only use tires that are more than 6 years old when abso
lutely necessary and drive
carefully when doing so.
-Do not use run-flat tires on your vehicle. Using them when
not permitted can lead to ve
hicle damage or accidents.
-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.
226
Tire wear/damage
Fig. 191 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.
-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.
191 ...
Wheels
NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
LBS"on your vehicle's placard
(tire inflation pressure label)
¢page 228, fig. 192.
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 228, fig. 192.
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.
That weight may not safely ex ceed the available cargo and
luggage load capacity calculat
ed in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer
232
will be transferred to your ve
hicle. Consult this manual to
determine how this reduces
the available cargo and lug
gage load capacity of your vehi
cle.
~check the tire sidewall
(¢page 218, fig. 190) to deter
mine the designated load rating
for a specific tire.
Wheel bolts and rims '
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must be clean and loosen/tighten
easily.
Rims
Rims with a bolted rim ring* or with bolted wheel
covers* consist of multiple pieces. These compo
nents were bolted together using special bolts
and a special procedure . You must not repair or
disassemble them
9 &. .
_&. 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 tightening specifi
cation, refer to
9 page 244, 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 Audi
Service Facility. Never repair or disassemble
rims yourself, because this increases the risk
of an accident.
Wheels
(D Tips
When using snow chains, it may be useful to
sw itch on sport mode
¢ page 181.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Aud i is factory-equipped with low aspect ra
tio tires. These tires have been thoroughly tested
and been selected specifically for your model fo r
thei r supe rb perfo rmance, road feel and handling
unde r a va riety of d riving conditions . As k yo ur au
thor ized Audi dealer for mo re de tails.
The low aspect ratio of these t ires is indicated by
a nume ra l of
55 or less in the tire's size desig na
tion . The nume ra l rep resents the rat io of t he
tire 's sidewall he igh t in relat io n t o it s tread w idth
e xpresse d in percen tage. Convention al ti res have
a height/w idth ratio o f 60 o r more .
The performance of low -aspect-ratio tires is par
ticularly sensitive to improper inflation pres
sure. It is therefore important that low a spect
ratio tires are inflated to the specified pre ssure
and that the inflation pressure is regularly
checked and maintained. Tire pressures should
be checked at le ast once a month and alwa ys
before a long trip¢
page 228.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect rat io tires can be damaged more easi
ly by impact with potholes, curbs, gullies or
ridges on the road, pa rt icu la rly if the t ire is un
de rinflated.
In order to minimize the occurrence of impact
damage to the t ires of your ve hicle, we recom
mend that you observe the fo llow ing precau
tions:
- Always maintain recommended inflation pres
su res . Check your tire pressure every 2,000
miles (3,000 km) and add air if necessary .
- Drive caref ully on roads with potho les, deep
gul lies or r idges . The impact from drivi ng
through or over s uch obstacles can damage
you r tires. Im pact with a cu rb may also cause
damage to you r tires .
234
-After any impact, immed iate ly inspect you r
tires or have them inspected by the nearest au
thorized Aud i dealer. Replace a damaged tire as
soon as possible.
- Ins pect your tires every 2,000 mi les (3,000 km)
for damage and wear . Damage is not always
easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of a ir and
underinfla tion, w hich could even tua lly cause
tire fa ilure . If yo u be lieve that a tire may have
been damaged, replace the tire as soon as pos
sible.
- These tires may wear mo re quickly than others .
- Please also remember that, while t hese tires
delive r responsive hand ling, they may ride less
comforta bly and make mo re noise than o ther
choi ces.
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
A ll ti res are des igned for certain purposes. The
l ow aspect ratio, ultra h igh performance tires
o rigina lly ins talled on your veh icle are inten ded
f o r m ax imu m dr y and wet ro ad perfo rma nce and
handling . They a re not sui table for co ld, snowy or
i cy weather conditions . If yo u drive under those
c ir cu mstances, you should equip yo ur vehicle
with all-season o r winter tires, which offer better
tract ion under t hose conditions. We suggest you
use the recommended snow or a ll-season tires
spec ified for your vehicle, o r th e ir equiva le nt.
Re fer to
c:> page 233 for more detailed in forma
tion regard ing winter tires.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wea r
- Tract io n AA AB C
- Tempe rature ABC
Quali ty g rades can be fo und whe re appli cab le on
t h e tire side wall between tread shou lder and
max imum section width
¢ page 218, fig. 190 .
For example : Tread wear 200 , Traction AA , Tem
per atu re
A .
All passenge r ca r tir es mus t conform to Fede ral
Safety Req uiremen ts in add it io n 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.
F or example, a t ire 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
¢ .&, .
Temperatur e
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:> .&, .
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 ass igned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor
nering, hydroplaning or peak traction charac
teristics.
Wheels
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
i n comb inat ion, can cause heat buildu p 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
ill General notes
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
shou ld 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
t ion pressure for those tires).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire pressure monitor ing system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure tell
tale when one or more of your tires is significant ly under -inf lated. Accordingly, when the low t ire
pressure telltale illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possib le, and inflate
them to the proper pressure . Driving on a signifi
cant ly under-inflated tire causes the tire to over
heat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation
also reduces fue l efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's handling and stop
ping ability .
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver's re
sponsibility to maintain correct tire pressure,
even if under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire pres-
sure telltale . .,.
235
Emergency assistance
Inflating tire
.,. Move the switch@¢ fig. 200 on the e lectric air
pump
ll to position I. After S minutes, tire
pressure must have reached at least 1.8 bar.
.,. Switch the electric air pump off- switch in posi
tion
0. If the required tire pressure of at least
1.8 bar has not been reached, follow the in
structions in the section
Re-inflating tire.
Re-inflating tire
.,. Remove the hose from the va lve and pu ll the
plug out of the socket.
.,. Drive the vehicle slowly 33 feet (10 meters)
backward or forward . This helps to distribute
the sealant better .
.,. Remove the empty inflation bottle and screw
the hose ®~
fig. 199 from the electric pump
directly onto the
valve.
.,. Inse rt the plug ©~ fig. 199 into the socket for
the cigarette lighter.
.,. Switch on the ignition .
.,. Move the switch @¢
fig. 200 on the electric air
pump
ll to posit ion I. After S minutes, tire
pressure must have reached at least 1.8 bar.
.,. Switch the electric air pump off- switch in posi
tion
0. If the required tire pressure of at least
1.8 bar has not been reached, it is not possible
to make a repair with the tire sea lant . Seek p ro
fessional assistance.
Disassembling Tire Mobility System
.,. Remove the hose from the valve and pull the
plug out of the socket .
.,. Screw the dust cap onto the
valve.
.,. Place the empty sealant bottle back in the orig
inal packaging and clip it in place under the
floor so that no tire sealant can ru n out into the
vehicle.
.,. Place the electric air pump in the luggage com
partment for the time being.
.,. Start driving right away so that the sealant is
distributed in the tire.
l ) The electric air pu m p sho uld never r un for lo ng er than 6
m in ute s.
242
A WARNING ,_ -
- Follow the manufacturer's safety instruc
tions on the decal for the air pump and the
sealant bottle .
- If a tire pressure of 1.8 bar cannot beach
ieved after pumping for S minutes, the tire
is too severely damaged . Do not continue to
drive .
- Seek professional assistance if it is not pos
sible to repair the tire with the tire sealant .
(D Tips
-Do not operate the e lectr ic air pump for
more than 6 minutes without stopping, oth
erwise it can overheat . When the air pump
has cooled down, you can continue to use it.
- If sealant has escaped, allow it to dry, then
you can peel it off .
· Final check
After driving for a short distance , tire
pressure must be checked
.,. After driving for about 10 minutes, stop and
check the tire pressure.
.,. If tire pressure is sti ll at least 1.3 bar, inflate
the t ire to specified pressure (see drivers side
B-pillar), drive to the next repair shop and have
the tire and the sealant bottle replaced.
.,. If tire pressure is less than 1.3 bar, the tire is
too severely damaged . Do not continue to
drive . Seek profess ional assistance .
A WARNING
If tir e pressure is less than 1.3 bar after driv
in g for 10 minutes, the tire is too severely
damaged. Do not continue to drive. Seek pro
fessional assistance.
(D Tips
After a tire repair , have the sealant bottle re
placed at a dealership. This restores full func
tionality to the Tire Mobility System.