Wheels
Wheels
Wheels and Ti res
General information
.,. Check your tires regularly for
damage (punctures, cuts, cracks
and bulges). Remove foreign ob
jects from the tire tread.
.,. If driving over curbs or similar
obstacles, drive slowly and ap proach the curb at an angle.
.,.Have faulty tires or rims re
placed immediately.
.,.Protect your tires from oil,
grease and fuel.
.,.Mark tires before removing
them so that the same running
direction can be maintained if
they are reinstalled .
.,. Lay tires flat when storing and
store them in a cool, dry location
with as little exposure to light as
possible.
(D N ote
-Please note that summer and
winter tires are designed for
the conditions that are typical in those seasons . Audi recom
mends using winter tires dur
ing the winter months . Low
temperatures significantly de crease the elasticity of summ
er tires, which affects traction
218
and b raking ability. If summer
tires are used in very cold
temperatures, cracks can form
on the tread bars, resulting in permanent tire damage that
can cause loud driving noise
and unbalanced tires.
-Burnished, polished or chromed rims must not be used in winter driving condi
tions. The surface of the rims
does not have sufficient corro
sion protection for this and
could be permanently dam
aged by road salt or similar
substances.
Tire designations
F ig. 19 0 Tire des ignat ions on the side-
wall II>
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 .
...
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 ...
Emergency situations
pulled out when towing the vehicle and that
could cause an accident.
Rear towing loop
I
0 ~ • -- cc
Fig. 216 Rear bumper: cover
0
Fig. 217 Rear bumper : in stall ing the towing loop
The th readed opening is located in the bumper
on the right rear side.
"' Remove the tow ing loop from the vehicle tool
kit
~page 239.
"'Press the cap inward with brief, forceful pres
sure
¢ fig. 216 . The cap will loosen from the
bumper.
"' Tighten the towing loop in the threaded open
ing until it stops
c,, fig. 217 and then tighten it
with a wheel wrench .
"' After using, place the towing loop back in the
vehicle tool kit.
_& WARNING
If the towing loop is not tightened until it
stops when insta lling, the threads may be
pulled out when towing the vehicle and that
cou ld cause an accident .
256
-
Loading the vehicle onto a flat bed truck
Fig. 218 Vehicle on flat bed tru ck
Front hook up
"' Align the vehicle with the centerline of the car
carrier ramp.
"' Attach the winch hook to the front towline eye
previously installed .
Rear hook up
"' Align the vehicle with the centerline of the car
carrier ramp.
"' Attach the winch hook to the rear towline eye
previously installed .
@ Tips
Check carefully to make sure the hook-up is
secure before moving the car up the flatbed
truck ramp.
Vehicle transport
Whenever you have your vehicle transported, be
sure to note the following:
(D Note
Mount the tie-down chains/cables over the
running surface (circumfe rence) of the tires.
Never secure the vehicle by the axle, the sus
pension struts or the front or rear towline
eye. For technical reasons, the pressure in the
suspension struts may change during the
transport and this will adversely affect vehicle
handling.