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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.
.,.M ark 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 Note
-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
Wheels
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 rims
does not have sufficient corro
sion protection for this and
could be permanently dam aged by road salt or similar
substances.
Tire designations
Fig. 190 T ir e designations on the side -
wall Ill>
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® Mud and snow capability
"M/5" or "M+S" indicates the tire
is suitable 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 ti re . These inc lude
stee l, nylon, polyester and other
materials.
@ Maximum permitted load
This number indicates the maxi
mum load in kilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry.
@ Un iform tire quality grade
standards for treadwear,
traction and temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and temper
ature ranges¢
page 229 .
@ Running direction
The arrows indicate the running
direction of unidirectional tires.
You must always follow the speci
fied running direction
¢page 248 .
~ Maximum permitted
inflation pressure
Wheels
T his number indicates the maxi
mum pressure to which a tire can
be inflated under normal operat
ing conditions .
Glossary of tire and loading
terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of auto matic t ransmission, power steer
ing, power brakes, power win
dows , powe r seats, radio, and
heater, to the extent tha t these
items are avai lab le as factory- in
stalled equipment (whether in
s t alled or not).
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to
the w idth of the tire in percent.
Numbers of 55 or lower indicate a
low sidewall for improved steer
ing response and better overall
handling on dry pavement .
Bead
means the part of the tire that is
made of steel wires, wrapped or
reinfo rced by ply cords and that is
shaped to fit the rim. ...
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circumference as the regular
tires .
8,_ 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 six years old when abso
lutely necessary and drive
carefully when doing so.
Wheels
-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. 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. ..
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