
Wheels 
Wheels 
Wheels  and Tires 
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. 
(i}) Note 
-Please  note  that summer  and 
winter  tires  are  designed  for 
the  conditions  that  are  typical  i n those  seasons.  Audi recom
mends  using  winter  tires  dur
i ng the  winter  months.  Low 
temperatures  significantly  de crease  the  elasticity  of  summ
er tires,  which  affects  traction 
236 
and  braking  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  r ims 
does  not  have sufficient  corro
sion  protection  for  th is  and 
could  be  permanently  dam
aged  by road  salt  or  similar 
substances. 
Tire designations 
Fig. 205 Tire  specifi cation  codes  on  the 
sidewall  of  a tire  .,._  

Wheel s 
® Mud  and  snow capability 
"M/5"  or  "M+S" indicates  the  tire 
has  characteristics  that  make  it 
suitab le for  driving  on  mud  and 
snow. ~ indicates  a winter  tire. 
@ Composition  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  materials 
used  in the  tire.  These  include 
steel,  nylon,  polyester  and  other  materials. 
@ Ma ximum  permitted  load 
This  number  indicates  the  maxi
mum  load  in  kilograms  and 
pounds  that  the  tire  can  carry. 
@ Uniform  tire  quality  grade 
standards  for  treadwear, 
traction  and  temperature  resistance 
T readwear,  traction  and  tempera
ture  ranges ~ 
page 253. 
@ Running  direction 
The  arrows  indicate  the  running 
direction  of  unidirectional  t ires. 
You  must  always  follow  the  speci-
238 
fied  running  direction 
~ page 264 . 
(8) Maximum  permitted 
inflation  pressure 
This  number  indicates  the  maxi
mum  pressure  to  which  a  tire  can 
be  inflated  under  normal  operat
ing  condit ions. 
Glossary of tire  and  loading 
terminology 
Accessory we ight 
means  the  combined  weight  (in 
excess  of  those  standard  items 
which  may  be  replaced)  of  auto matic  transmission,  power  steer
ing,  power  brakes,  power  win
dows,  power  seats,  radio,  and 
heater,  to  the  extent  that  these 
items  are  available  as  factory -in 
stalled  equipment  (whether  in
stalled  or  not). 
Aspect  rat io 
means  the  rat io of  the  height  to 
the  width  of  the  tire  in  percent. 
Numbers  of  55  or  lower  indicate  a 
low  sidewall  for  improved  steer
ing  response  and  better  overa ll 
handling  on  dry  pavement.  

Wheels 
use  a  spare  tire*  that  is the  same 
circumference  as  the  regular 
tires . 
A 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. 
-Only  use  tires  that  are  more  than  6 years  old  when  abso-
244 
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. 
Tire wear/damage 
Fig. 206 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  repair  facility 
i.  

Emerg ency  s it u ation s 
_& WARNING 
If you  do  not  screw  the  towing  loop  complete
ly, it  could  come  out  of the  threaded  hole 
wh ile the  vehicle  is  be ing  towed  causing  dam
age  to  the  vehicle  and  poss ible  serious  per
sonal  injury. 
Rear towing  loop 
Only install  the  rear towing  loop  when  it is need
ed . 
Fig . 234 Rea r bumper:  cover 
Fig . 235 Rear  bumper:  screwing  in tow ing  loop 
There  are  threads  located  behind  the  right  side  of 
the  rear  bumper  where  a tow ing  loop  can  be  in 
stalled.  The threads  are  located  behind  a  cover. 
" Remove  the  towing  loop  from  the  veh icle  tool 
kit. 
"  Press  inward  strongly  on  the  upper  right  side  of 
the  cap to remove  it from  the  bumper 
¢fig.  234. 
"Screw  the  towing  loop  t ightly  in the  threaded 
hole  as  far  as  it will  go  and  t ighten  it  w ith  the 
whee l wrench 
¢ page  273, fig . 233 . 
Remove  the  towing  loop  when  you  are  done  us ing 
it and  place  it  back  in the  vehicle  tool  kit . Always 
keep  the  towing  loop  in the  vehicle . 
274 
_& WARNING 
If you  do  not  screw  the  towing  loop  complete
ly, it  could  come  out  of the  threaded  hole 
while  the  vehicle  is  being  towed  causing  dam
age  to  the  veh icle  and  possible  serious  per
sonal  injury. 
Loading  the  vehicle onto  a flat  bed truck 
Fig. 236 Ve hicle on flat  bed t ruck 
Fron t hook up 
" Align  the  vehicle  with  the centerline  of the  car 
carrier  ramp . 
.,.  Attach  the  w inch  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 
tr uck ramp . 
Vehicle  transport 
Whenever you  hove your  vehicle transported,  be 
sure  to  note  the  following: 
(D Note 
Mount  the  t ie-down  chains/cab les  over  the 
runn ing  surface  (c ircumference)  of the  tires . 
Never  secure  the  vehicle  by the  axle,  the  sus
pension  str uts  or the  front  or  rear  towline