Wheels
-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 1/16 in (1.6 mm) high and are
spaced evenly around the tire per pendicular to the running direc
tion
¢ fig . 148 . The letters "TWI"
or triangles on the tire sidewall indicate the location of the tread
wear indicators .
The tires have reached the mini mum tread depth
l) when they
have worn down to the treadwear
indicators. Replace the tires with
new ones
¢ ..&. .
Tire rotation
Rotating the tires regularly is rec
ommended to ensure the tires
1> Obey any applicable regulations in your
country.
180
wear evenly. To rotate the tires,
install the tires from the rear axle
on the front axle and vice versa .
This will allow the tires to have
approximately the same length of
service life.
For unidirectional tires, make
sure the tires are installed accord
ing to the running direction indi
cated on the tire sidewall
¢page 202.
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and rims can of
ten occur in locations that are hidden . Unusual vibrations in the
vehicle or pulling to one side may indicate that there is tire damage.
Reduce your speed immediately.
Check the tires for damage . If no
damage is visible from the out
side, drive slowly and carefully to
the nearest authorized Audi deal
er or authorized Audi Service Fa
cility to have the vehicle inspect
ed .
.&_ WARNING
Tread that has worn too low or
different tread depths on the
tires can reduce driving safety. ,..
Emergency assistance
After you have loosened a ll wheel bo lts and
raised the vehicle off the ground, remove and re
p lace the whee l as fo llows:
Removing the wheel
.,. Remove the topmost wheel bol t comp letely
with the
he xagonal socket in t he screwd river
hand le (vehicle tool kit)
¢ fig. 158 and set it
aside on a
clean s ur face.
.,. Screw the threaded end of the
alignment pin
from the tool k it hand-tight into the empty bolt
hole¢
fig. 159 .
.,. The n remove the other wheel bolts as described
above.
.,. Take off the wheel leav ing the a lignment pin in
the bo lt hole ¢ 0.
Putting on the spare tire
.,. Push the spare tire over the alig nment pin
¢ (D .
.,. Screw on the wheel bo lts and tighten them
slightly using the hex agonal socke t.
.,. Remove the a lignment pi n an d in se rt an d tight
en t he rem aining wheel bol t slightly like the
res t.
.,. Turn the jack handle counter-clockwise to lower
the ve hicle until the jack is fully re leased .
.,. Use the wheel bolt wrench to tighten all wheel
bolts firmly. Tighten them
in a crisscross pat
tern,
from one bol t to the (app roximately) op
pos ite one, to keep the whee l cente red .
.,. Perfo rm the steps req uire d afte r changing the
whee l ¢
page 199, After changing a wheel.
&, WARNING
Do not us e the he xagon al so cke t in t he screw
dr iver han dle to tig hten the wheel bol ts . I t is
not poss ib le to tighten t he bo lts to the re
quired torque usin g t he he xagonal socket -
r is k of accident!
(D Note
W hen removi ng or inst alling the whee l, the
r im cou ld hit the brake roto r and dama ge t he
rotor . Work ca ref ull y and have a seco nd per
son to help you.
202
(D Tips
- When mo unting tires with unidirectional
tread design
make sure the trea d pattern is
pointed the right way¢
page 202.
-The wheel bolts s hould be clean an d easy to
t u rn. Check fo r dirt and corrosion on the
matin g surfaces of both the wheel and the
hub. Remove all dirt from these s urfaces be
fore remounting the whee l.
Tires with unidirectional tread design
Tires with unidirectional tread design mus t be
mounted with their tread pattern pointed in the
right direction .
Using a spare tire with a tread pattern
intended for use in a specific direction
When using a s pare tire w ith a t read patter n in
te nded for use in a specif ic direct ion, please note
t h e followi ng :
- The d irection of rotation is marked by an
arrow
on the side of the tire .
-If the spare tire has to be installed in the incor
rect direction, use the spare tire on ly tempora
r il y since the tire will not be able to ac hieve its
op timum performa nce characterist ics w ith re
gard to aquap la ni ng, no ise a nd wear.
- W e recommend that you pay part icu lar atten
t ion to th is fact d urin g we t wea ther an d that
you a djust your spee d to matc h road cond i
tion s.
- Rep lace the flat tire w it h a new one an d have it
inst alled o n your ve hicle as soon as possib le to
res tore the h andlin g advan tage s of a unidir ec
tional tire .
Notes on wheel changing
Please read t he informat ion ¢ pa ge 17 8, New
tires or wheels
if yo u ar e go ing to use a spare tire
which is d ifferent from the t ires o n your ve hicle.
A ft er yo u ch an ge a tire:
- Check the tire pressure on the spare immedi-
ately after installation. .,.
