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