Page 217 of 266

CX)
CX)
-N ,.... N
-0
0 l,L
CX)
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 six years old when absolutely necessary and drive
carefully when doing so.
-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.
Wheels
Tire wear/damage
Fig. 179 Tire profi le: 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
Original equipment tires contain
treadwear indicators in the tread pattern, which are bars that are
215
...
Page 229 of 266

a:,
a:,
...... N
" N ...... 0
0
LL co
Emergency assistance
Vehicle tool kit
The tools ore stored underneath the floor panel
in the luggage comportment.
Fig. 183 Luggage compartment: tool ki t
When you need access to the veh icle tool kit or
jack*, you will need to take out the spare tire*
and cover
q page 22 7.
The vehicle tool kit includes:
- Hook for removing wheel covers*
- Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers*
- Alignment pin for changing the wheel
- Screwdriver with reversible blade
- T ool for changing l ight bulbs
- Revers ible b it (reversible Torx bit for changing
li ght bulbs)
- Rod for jack
- Jack*
- Lug wrench
- Towing eye
Some of the vehicle items listed above are pro
vided on certa in models only or are optional ex
tras.
Before return ing the jack* to its place, retract the
jack arm f ully.
_& WARNING
-Never use the screw driver hex head to
tighten wheel bolts, since the bo lts cannot
attain the necessary tightening torque if you
use the hex head, potentially causing an ac
c ident.
- The factory-supplied jack is intended on ly
for your vehicle model. Under no circum-
Emergency assistance
stances should it be used to lift heavy
vehicles or other loads; you risk injuring
yourself.
- Never start the engine when the vehicle is
raised, which could cause an accident.
- Support the vehicle securely with appropri
ate stands if work is to be performed under
neath the vehicle; otherwise, there is a po
tential risk for injury .
(D Tips
The vehicle jack* in your vehicle is mainte
nance-free.
Space-saving spare tire (compact spare tire)
App lies to : vehicles wi th space-saving spare tire
The spore tire/wheel is located in the luggage
comportment under the cargo floor cover . It is
intended for short-term use only .
Fig. 184 Spare tire
Removing the spare tire
.. Lift the cargo floor by the p lastic handl e
Q fig. 184 .
.. Hook the handle into the lugg age compartment
weather strip .
.,. Turn the large screw
qfig. 184 counter-clock
w ise.
.,. Take out the spare tire .
.,. Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack *, and
the replaced tire in the luggage compartment
qpoge 116.
.. Unhook the cargo floor before closing the rear
lid . ...
227
Page 234 of 266

Emergency assistance
points on the sill. Otherwise, your vehicle will
be damaged .
Taking the wheel off/installing the spare
tire
Follow these instructions step-by-step for chang
ing the wheel .
Fig. 190 Cha nging a wheel : usin g the screwdr iver handle
(with the b lade removed) to turn th e bo lts
Fig. 191 Chan gin g a wheel: align ment pin inside the top
h ole
After you have loosened all wheel bolts and
raised the vehicle off the ground, remove and re
p lac e the whee l as follows:
Removing the wheel
"' Remove the topmost wheel bolt completely
with the
hexagonal socket in the screwdriver
handle (vehicle tool kit)
¢fig. 190 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
r=;, fig . 191 .
"'Then remove the other wheel bo lts as described
above.
"' Take off the wheel leaving the alignment pin in
the bolt hole
r=;, (D.
232
Putting on the spare tire
"'Push the spare tire over the alignment pin.
"' Scr ew on the whee l bolts and tighten them
slightly using the hexagona l socket.
"' Remove the alignment pin and insert and tight
en the remaining wheel bolt slightly like the
rest.
"' Turn the jack handle counter-clockw ise to lower
the vehicle until the jack is fully released .
"' Use the wheel bolt wrench to tighten a ll wheel
bolts firmly ¢
page 230. Tighten them in a
crisscross pattern,
from one bolt to the (ap
proximate ly) opposite one, to keep the whee l
centered.
"' Perform the steps required after changing the
wheel
r=;, page 229, After changing a wheel .
The hexagonal socket makes it easier to remove
the wheel bolts from the rim. Care should be tak
en when removing the reversible blade.
(D Note
When removing or installing the wheel, the
rim could hit the brake rotor and damage the
rotor. Work carefully and have a second per
son to help you.
(D Tips
-When mounting tires with unidirectional
tread design
make sure the tread pattern is
pointed the right way¢
page 233.
-The wheel bolts should be clean and easy to
turn. Check for dirt and corrosion on the
mating surfaces of both the wheel and the
hub. Remove all dirt from these surfaces be
fore remounting the wheel.
- Do not use the hexagonal socket in the
screwdriver handle to loosen or tighten the
wheel bolts .