Wheels
&,. 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.
-Do not use run-flat tires on
your vehicle. Using them when
238
not permitted can lead to ve
hicle damage or accidents.
-If you install wheel covers on the vehicle, make sure they allow enough air circulation to
cool the brake system. If they do not, this could increase the
risk of an accident.
Tire wear/damage
Fig. 203 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.
-Dr iving quickly through curves,
rapid acceleration and heavy
braking increase tire wear.
-Have an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facili
ty chec k the wheel alignment if
there is unusual wear.
-Have the wheels rebalanced if an imbalance is causing noticeable
i.
Wheels
vibration in the steering wheel. For
unidirectional tires, make
If you do not, the tires and other sure the tires are installed accord-
vehicle components could wear ing to the running direction indi -
more quickly. cated on the tire sidewall
Treadwear indicator 9page 259.
Original equipment tires contain Hidden damage
treadwear indicators in the tread Damage to tires and rims can of-
pattern, which are bars that are ten occur in locations that are
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high and are hidden. Unusual vibrations in the
spaced evenly around the tire per- vehicle or pulling to one side may
pendicular to the running di rec- indicate that there is tire damage.
tion
9 fig. 203. The letters "TWI" Reduce your speed immediately .
or triangles on the tire sidewall Check the tires for damage. If no
indicate the location of the tread- damage is visible from the out-
wear indicators. side, drive slowly and carefully to
The tires have reached the mini- the nearest authorized Audi deal-
mum tread depth
l ) when they er or authorized Audi Service
Fa-
cility to have the vehicle inspect -
have worn down to the treadwear
indicators. Replace the tires with ed.
new ones
9 .1:,.. A WARNING
Tire rotation Tread that has worn too low or
Rotating the tires regularly is rec- different tread depths on the
tires can reduce driving safety.
ommended to ensure the tires
wear evenly. To rotate the tires, This can especially have a nega-
tive effect on handling, on the
install the tires from the rear axle
on the front axle and vice versa. risk aquaplaning when driving
This will allow the tires to have through water, when driving
...
approximately the same
length of
service life.
a,
a,
-N r-.. l) Obey any applicable regulations in your N
-0
0
country. 0: a:,
239
Wheels
through curves and when braking, which increases the risk of
an accident.
Tire pressure
Fig . 204 Driver's side B-pillar: tire pres
sure label
,_,
AVANT -KPA. -PSI
.::.. -KPA. -
PSI j
l~ "'= =-== ===- = KPA.= ·= PSI== ~~~
Fig. 205 Tire pressure label
The correct tire pressure for tires
mounted in the factory and for
the collapsible spare tire* is indi
cated on a label. The label is lo
cated on the 8-pillar
¢ fig. 204,
¢ fig. 205.
When the vehicle is partially load
ed (up to 3 people), use the tire pressure specified for normal
loads ¢
table on page 242. If
driving the veh icle when fully
240
loaded, you must increase the tire
pressure to the maximum speci
fied pressure ¢
.&,.
Checking/correcting tire
pressure
.,.Check the tire pressure at least
once per month and also check it before every long drive .
.,.Always check the tire pressure
when the tires are
cold. Do not
reduce the pressure if it increas
es when the tires are warm.
... check the labe l¢
fig. 205 for
the correct tire pressure based
on vehicle load .
.,.Correct the tire pressure if nec
essary .
... vehicles with Tire Pressure Mon
itoring System*: store the modi
fied tire pressure in the Infotain ment system
¢ page 249 .
... Check the pressure in the spare
tire*. Always maintain the maxi mum temperature that is speci
fied for the tire.
A WARNING ~
Always adapt the t ire pressure
to your driving style and vehicle load.
-Overloading can lead to loss of vehicle control and increase
the risk of an accident. Read
Wheels
Model/ Tire designation Tire pressure
Engine Normal load
Maximum load
(up to
3 people)a)
front rear front rear
PSI
235/60 Rl8 103H
29 Q5:
All Season
2.0L 235/55 Rl9 101H
4 cylinders
All Season
30
and
Q5: 235/55 Rl9
101 W 29 High Performance
3.0L
6 cylinders 255/45 R20 101W
29 High Performance
255/45R20101W
39 SQ5:
High Performance
3.0L
6 cylinders 255/40
R21102Y
41 High Performance
a) 2 people in the front, 1 perso n in the r ear
A WARNING
Please note the important safe
ty precautions regarding tire pressure ¢
page 240 and load
limits ¢
page 242.
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of
load or weight that any vehicle
and any tire can carry . A vehicle
that is overloaded will not handle
well and is more difficult to stop.
Overloading can not only lead to
loss of vehicle control, but can al
so damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden
tire failure, including a blowout
242
kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI
200 29 2 00 32 220 32
210 30 210 33 230 33
200 29 200 33 230 33
2 00 29 2 00 3 3 230 33
270 39 270 41 280 41
2 80
36 2
50 41
28 0 42
and sudden deflation
that can
cause the vehicle to crash.
kPA
220
230
230
230
280
2 9 0
Your safety and that of your pas
sengers also depends on making
sure that load limits are not ex
ceeded. Vehicle load includes ev
erybody and everything in and on
the vehicle. These load limits are
technically referred to as the vehi
cle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat
ing
("GVWR") .
The "GVWR" includes the weight
of the basic vehicle, all factory in
stalled accessories , a full tank of
fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids
plus maximum load. The maxi
mum load includes the number of
11-
a,
a,
-N r-N
-0 0 0: a:,
passengers that the vehicle is in
tended to carry ("seating capaci
ty") with an assumed weight of
150 lbs . (68 kg) for each passen
ger at a designated seating posi
tion and the total weight of any
luggage in the vehicle. If you tow
a trailer, the weight of the trailer hitch and the tongue weight of
the loaded trailer must be includ
ed as part of the vehicle load.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of the
vehicle's two axles .
The fact that there is an upper limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehi
cle Weight Rating means that the
total weight of whatever is being
carried in the vehicle (including
the weight of a trailer hitch and
the tongue weight of the loaded
trailer) is limited. The more pas
sengers in the vehicle or passen gers who are heavier than the
standard weights assumed mean
that less weight can be carried as
luggage.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
and the Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the safety compli
ance sticker label located on the
Wheels
driver's side B-pillar q page 240,
fig. 204.
&,_ WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause
loss of vehicle control, a crash
or other accident, serious per
sonal injury, and even death.
-Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the vehicle
from handling properly and increase the risk of the loss of
vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that
has been overloaded may not
be able to stop the vehicle
within a safe distance.
-Tires on a vehicle that has
been overloaded can fail sud
denly, including a blowout and
sudden deflation, causing loss
of control and a crash.
-Always make sure that the to
tal load being transported -
including the weight of a trail
er hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer -
does not make the vehicle
heavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
243
CD
CD
.... N ,-... N ..... 0 0 C<'. 00
and a special procedure. You must not repair or
disassemble them ¢.&. .
A WARNING
Wheel bolts that are tightened or repaired in
correctly can become loose and result in loss
of vehicle control, which increases the risk of
an acc ident. For the correct tightening specifi
cation, see ¢
page 2 56, After changing a
wheel .
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hub clean and free of grease.
- Only use wheel bolts that fit the rim .
- Always have damaged r ims repa ired by an
authorized Audi dealer o r autho rized Aud i
Service Facility . Never repair or d isassemble
rims yourself, because this increases the risk
of an accident.
Winter tires
W inte r ti res s ignificantly improve the vehicle's
h andling when driving in win ter condit ions . Be
cause of the ir constr uction (width, compound,
tread pattern), summer tires provide less trac
tion on ice and snow .
"'U se winter t ires on all fo ur wheels .
.. Only use winter t ires that are approve d for your
v ehicl e.
"' Please note that the maximum permitted
speed may be lower with winter tires¢.&_ . An
authorized Aud i dealer or au thori zed Aud i Serv
ice Fac ility can inform you about the maximum
permitted speed fo r your tires .
"' Check the tire press ure after installing wheels
¢page 240.
The effectiveness of winter tires is reduced great
l y when the tread is worn down to a depth of
0 .1 57 inch (4 mm). The character ist ics of winter
tires a lso de crease great ly as the tire ages, re
ga rdless of the remain ing tread.
WARNING
- Never drive faster than the maxim um per
mitted speed for your t ires. This cou ld cause
the tires to heat up too much. Th is increases
Wh eel s
the risk of an accident because it can cause
the t ire to burst.
- Always adapt your driving to the road and
traffic cond itions . Drive carefully and reduce
your speed on icy or slippery roads . Even
winter t ires can lose tract io n on black ice.
@ For the sake of the environment
Reinsta ll summer tires at the app ropr iate
time, beca use they prov ide better handling
when roads are free of snow and ice. Summer
tires cause less road no ise, tire wear and fue l
consumpt io n.
(D Tips
You can also use all season tires instead of
winter tires. Please note that in some coun
tries where winter tires are required, on ly
winter tires w ith the
& symbo l may be per
mitted .
Snow chains
Snow chains improve traction in the snow.
"'On ly install snow chains on the rear wheels.
"' Check and correct the seating of the snow
chains if necessary after d rivi ng a few feet. Fol
low the instructions from the manufacturer .
"' Note the maximum pe rmitted spe ed wh en dr iv
ing w it h snow cha ins. Do not excee d
30 mph
( SO km/h) .
S now c ha ins not o nly improve the
driving in win
te r road condit io ns, but also the
broking.
Use of snow chains is only permitted w ith certa in
r im/tire comb inat ions due to technical reasons .
Check with an author ized Audi dealer or author
ized Audi Service Facility to see if you may use
snow chains.
U se
fine-mesh snow chains . They must not add
more than
0 .53 inch (13 .5 mm) in heig ht, incl ud
ing the cha in lock.
You m ust remove the chai ns when driving on
r oads t hat are
free of snow . When roads are free
of snow, snow chai ns can impa ir han dling and .,.
245
Wheels
damage the ti res, and the chains w ill quickly be
destroyed .
A WARNING
Using incorrect snow chains or insta lling snow
chains incorrectly can result in loss of vehicle
control, which increases the risk of an acc i
dent .
(D Note
Snow chains can damage the rims/wheel cov
ers * if the chains come into d irect contact
w ith them. Remove the wheel covers* first .
Use coated snow chains.
(D Tips
When using snow cha ins, it may be useful to
sw itch the off road mode on ¢
page 187.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory -equipped with low aspect ra
tio tires. These t ires have been tho roughly tested
a nd been se lected specifically fo r yo ur model fo r
thei r supe rb per fo rman ce , road feel and handling
un der a va riety of d riving conditions . As k yo ur au
thor ized Audi dealer for mo re details .
T he low aspect ratio of these t ires is in dicated by
a nume ral of
55 or less in the tire's size desig na
tion . The numera l rep resents the rat io o f th e
tire's sidewall he ight in relat ion to its tread width
expressed in pe rcentage. Conventional tires have
a height/w idt h rat io o f 60 o r more .
The performance of low-aspect -ra tio tires i s par
ticularly sensitive to improper inflation pres
sure . It is therefore important that low aspect
ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure
and that the inflation pressure is regularly
checked and maintained . Tire pressures should
be checked at least once a month and always
before a long trip ¢
page 240.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect rat io tires can be damaged more easi
ly by impact with potholes, cu rbs, gullies or
246
ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is un
derinflated.
I n orde r to mi nimize the occur rence o f imp act
dam age to the tires o f yo ur vehicle, we recom
mend that you observe the following preca u
tions:
- Always m aintain reco mmende d in fla tion pres
sures. Check yo ur tir e pressure eve ry 2,0 00
m iles (3,00 0 km) and add air if necessary .
- Dr ive c arefully on ro ads w ith potholes, deep
gu llies o r ridges . The impact from dr iving
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may a lso ca use
damage to your t ires.
- After any impact, immediate ly inspect you r
tires or have them inspected by the nearest au
thorized Aud i dealer. Replace a damaged tire as
soon as possible.
- Inspect your tires every 2,000 m iles (3,000 km)
for damage and wear . Damage is not always
easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of a ir and
unde rinflation, w hich could event ua lly cause
tire fa ilure . If you believe that a tire may have
be en damaged, replace the tire as soon as pos
sible .
- These tires may wear mo re quickly than o thers .
- Please also remember that, while these tires delive r responsive hand ling, they may ride less
comfortab ly and make mo re noise than o ther
choi ces.
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
A ll tires are des igned for certain purposes. The
l ow aspect ratio, ultra h igh performance tires
o rigin ally ins talle d on your veh icle are inten ded
for m aximum dry and wet road per forma nce and
handling . They a re not suitable for co ld, snowy or
i cy weather conditions . If you drive under those
c ir cumstances, you should equip yo ur vehicle
with all-season o r winter tires, which offer better
tract ion under t hose conditions. We suggest you
u se the recommended s now or all-season tires
spec ified for your vehicle, o r the ir equiva lent .
Refer to¢
page 245 for more detailed informa
tion regard ing winter tires.
CD
CD
.... N ,-... N ..... 0 0 C<'. 00
Uniform tire quality grading
- T read wear
- Tractio n AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Q ua lity grades ca n be found where ap plicable on
the tire side wall between tread shoulder and
maximum sect ion w idth
c:> page 230, fig. 202.
For example: Tread wear 200 , Traction AA, Tem
perature
A .
All passenge r ca r tires m ust conform to Federal
Safety Requirements in add ition to these grades .
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparat ive rating
based on the wear rate of the t ire when tested
under cont ro lled conditions o n a specified gov
e rnment test course.
For example, a t ire graded
1 50 would wear one
and one ha lf
( 1 1/2) times as well on the gove rn
men t course as a tire g raded
100.
The relative performance of t ires depends upo n
the actual conditions of their use, howeve r, and
may depart significant ly from the norm due to
va ria tions in driving ha bits, serv ice practices and
d ifferences in road cha racteristics and climate .
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B and
C. T hose grades represent the t ire's
ab il ity to stop on wet pavement as meas ured un
de r contro lled condi tions on specified gove rn
ment tes t sur faces of asphalt and conc re te. A tire
mar ked C may have poor traction performance
c:> &. .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (t he hi ghest), B ,
a nd C, represent ing the tire's resis tan ce to t he
generation o f heat and its ability to diss ipate
h eat when tested unde r contro lled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory test whee l.
Sus ta ined hig h temper ature c an cause t he mate
r ial of the ti re to degenerate and red uce tire life,
and excessive temperatu re can lea d to sud den
tire fai lure
c:> &..
Wh eel s
The grade C cor responds to a level of perform
ance which all passenger car tires must meet un
der the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standa rd
No.
109 . Grades Band A represent higher levels
of pe rformance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum req uired by law .
A WARNING ,-
The tractio n grade assigned to this tire is
based on s traight-a head braking traction
t e st s, and does no t include acceler ation, co r
n eri ng, hy dropla ning or pe ak tra ction charac
terist ics.
A WARNING ,.,___
The tempera ture grade for t his tire is estab
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded . Excessive speed, underinfla
tion, or excessive loading, either separate ly or
i n comb inat ion, can cause heat bu ildup and
possib le tire fai lure.
A WARNING
-
Temperature g rades apply to tires that are
p roperly inflated a nd not over o r under inflat
ed.
Tire pressure monitoring system
ill General notes
App lies to : vehicles wi th tire pressure mo nito rin g syste m
-
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly whe n cold and inflat
ed to the inflat io n pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the veh icle placard or
t ir e infla tion p ressure la be l. (If your ve hicle has
t ir es of a different size than t he si ze ind ic a ted on
the vehi cle placar d or tire in flat ion press ure la
bel, you sho uld dete rmine the proper tire infla
t ion pr ess ure for those tires) .
As an ad ded s afety feat ure, yo ur vehicle has been
equipped with a tire press ure mon itor ing system
( T PMS) t hat illuminates a low tire pressure tell
ta le wh en one or mo re of your tires is signif icant -
ly under-inf lated. According ly, when the low t ire
pressure telltale i llum inates, you shou ld stop and.,.
247