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 . 2 74 . 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.
342
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 365.
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. ,..
u co ...... N r-... N ...... 0
0
:E: '
the tire t o burst.
- Always adapt yo ur drivi ng to the road and
traff ic conditions. Drive carefully and red uce
your speed on icy or slippery roads. Even
winter tires can lose traction on black ice.
@ For the sake of the environment
Reinstall summer ti res at the appropriate
time, because they provide better handling
when roads are free of snow and ice. Summer
tires cause less road noise, t ire wear and fuel
consumption.
(D Tips
You can also use all season tires instead of
w inter tires . Please note that in some coun
tries where w inter t ires are required, only
w inter t ires with the
die. symbol may be per
m itted.
Snow chains
Snow chains no t only imp rove the driving in wi n·
t er roa d cond itions, but a lso the brak ing.
" Only insta ll snow chains o n the
front wheels .
" Check and cor rect the sea ting of the snow
chains after dr iv ing a few feet, if necess ary. Fo l
low the ins truc tions from the ma nufa cturer .
" Note the maximum pe rmit ted speed w hen driv
ing with snow chains . Do not exce ed 30 mph
(SO km/h).
Use of snow chains is only pe rm itted with certain
rim/ti re combinations due to tec hnical reasons .
Chec k with an authorized A udi d ealer or author
ized A udi Service F acili ty to see if yo u may use
snow chains.
Use
fine-mesh snow chain s. They must not add
mo re t han 0.53 in (13 .5 mm) in height , including
the chain lock .
You mus t remove the snow c hains on roads with
out snow . Otherw ise, you could impair dr iving
abi lity and damage the tir es .
Wh eel s
A WARNING
Using incorrect snow chains or install ing snow
cha ins incorrectly can resu lt in loss of veh icle
control, which increases the risk of a n acci
dent.
(D Note
- Snow chains can damage the rims/wheel
cove rs* if the chains come into direct con
t act with them . Remove the wheel covers*
first . Use coa ted snow cha ins .
- Do not install and use snow c hains if the re is
a malfu nction in the a ir suspension*, be
cause the ve hicle height w ill be very low . If
yo u dr ive w ith snow chains anyway, the
w hee l ho usings and other ve hicle compo
nents can be seve rely damaged.
(0 Tips
When us ing snow chains, it m ay be usefu l to
swi tch the offroad mode o n
q page 149.
Low-profile tires
Applies to: vehicles with low-profile tires
Your vehicle is equipped with low -profi le tires* at
the factory . Compared to other tire/rim combina
tions, low-prof ile tires offer a w ider tread surface
and a larger rim diameter with shorter tire side
walls. This results in an agile dr iv ing style. How
ever, it may reduce the level of comfort and in
c rease road noise when driving on roads in poo r
cond it ion.
Low-profile t ires can become damaged more
quickly than standard tires when dr iving over
la rge bumps, potholes , manhole covers, speed
bumps and curbs. Therefo re, it is particularly im
po rtant to mainta in the co rrect ti re pressure
q poge 343.
To reduce the risk of damage to the tires and
r ims, drive very caref ully on poor roads.
Check your wheels regu larly every 2,000 mi
(3,000 km) for damage . For example, chec k for
bulges/cracks on the tires or deformations/
c racks on the rims . .,..
349
Wheels
After a heavy impact or damage, have the tires
and rims inspected or replaced immediately by
an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility.
Low-profile tires can wear out faster than stand
ard tires.
Summer tires are not suitable for cold weather ,
snow or black ice. If you are driving in these con
ditions, use winter or all season tires
¢ page 348.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
-Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire side wall between tread shoulder and maximum section width
¢ page 333, fig. 273.
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA, Tem
perature
A .
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal
Safety Requirements in addition to these grades.
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified
gov
ernment test course .
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one half
(1 1/2) times as well on the govern
ment course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon
the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the tire 's
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured un
der controlled conditions on specified govern ment test surfaces of asphalt and concrete . A tire
350
marked C may have poor traction performance
¢_& .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C , representing the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the mate
rial of the tire to degenerate and reduce ti re life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure ¢& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform
ance which all passenger car tires must meet un
der the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher levels
of performance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by law.
A WARNING -
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight -ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor
nering, hydroplaning or peak traction charac
teristics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is estab
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or
in combination, can cause heat buildup and
possible tire failure.
A WARNING
Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and not
over or underinflat
ed.
.
-
Wheels
store the pressure again in the Infotainment
system
¢ page 352.
mm (T ir e Pr essure Monito ring System) Tire
pressure : malfunction ! See owner' s manual.
If
mm appears after switch ing the ignit ion on o r
while driving and the
[I] indicator light in the in
strument cluster blinks fo r approximately one
minute and then stays on, there is system mal
function. Try to store the correct tire pressures
¢ page 352 . In some cases, you must drive for
several minutes after storing the pressures until
the ind icator light turns off . If the i ndicator light
does t urn off o r tu rns on aga in afte r a short peri
od of time , d rive to an au tho riz ed A ud i dealer o r
author ized Audi Service Facility immed iate ly to
have the ma lfunction co rrected .
A WARNING
-If the t ire pressu re indicator appears in the
display, reduce your speed immediate ly and
avoid any hard steer ing or braking maneu
vers. Stop as soon as possib le and check the
t ires and their pressu re.
- The driver is responsib le for maintaining the
correct tire pressure. You must check the
t ire pressure regu larly.
- Under certain conditions (such as a sporty
dr iv ing style, winter cond itions o r unpaved
roads), the tire p ressure mon itoring system
indicator may be delayed.
@ Tips
- The t ire pressure monitoring system can al
so stop work ing when there is an ESC mal
funct ion.
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The t ire pressure monitoring system in your
Audi was calibrated with "A udi Orig inal
Tires"
¢ page 340. Using these ti res is rec
ommended .
352
' Storing tire pressures
If the tire pressure changes or a tire is replaced,
it must be confirmed in the Infotainment sys
tem .
"Make sure before stor ing that the t ire pressures
of all four tires meet the specified values and
are adapted to the load
¢ page 343 .
"Switch the ignit io n on.
" Sele ct in the Infotainment system:
IMENU J but
ton
> V ehicle > Servi ce & checks > Tire pres
s u re monitor
> Store tire pre ssure > Ye s, store
now .
'
(D Tips
Do not store the tire pressures if snow chains
are installed .
Run-flat tires
Introduction
Applies to: vehicles with run-flat tires
A run-flat tire helps to maintain vehicle mobility
when there is a loss of pressure.
Run-flat tires have reinforced sidewalls that pro
tect the tire if there is a loss of pressure.
If the ti re pressure monitoring system indicates a
l oss of pressure in one or severa l ti res, you can
continue driving on run-flat tires fo r at least 20
miles (30 km). Drive to an authorized A udi dealer
or authorized Audi Serv ice Facility immediately to
have the problem corrected.
Continuing to d rive on run-flat tire s is no
longe r po ssible if
- there is visible damage to the tires, such as
cracks in the sidewalls .
- strong vibrat ions are felt wh ile driving, or the
tire beg ins to smoke due to a strong build-up of
heat .
- the t ire was heavily damaged, for example in an
accident There is a r isk that parts of the tire
tread will detach and damage important veh i
cle components .
- the Electron ic Stabilization Contro l (ESC) is not
working or is cont inuously running .
u co ...... N r-... N ...... 0
0
:E: '
working .
I f it is no longer possib le to continue dr iv ing de
spite having run-flat tires, see an authori zed Aud i
dea ler or autho rized Aud i Service Facility for as
sistance.
A WARNING
Run-flat tires may only be used on vehicles
that were equ ipped with them at the factory.
- The veh icle must have suspension designed
for run-f lat tires and a factory- installed tire
pressure monitoring system.
- Incorrect use of run-flat tires can lead to ve
hicle damage or accidents . Contact an a u
thorized Aud i dea ler or authorized Audi
Service Facility to learn if run-flat tires may be used on your veh icle and if so, which
ones.
- If run-flat tires are used, they must be in
stalled on all four wheels. Mixing tire types
is not permi tted.
- If you have to dr ive when the tire pressure is
too low or there is no t ire pressure, note the
following:
- Do not drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/
h) because this increases the risk of an ac
cident. Observe any laws spec ific to the
country where you are driv ing.
- Avoid full-throttle acceleration, heavy
braking, and fast cornering, because this
increases the risk of an accident.
- The vehicle may become more difficult to
control.
- See an authorized Aud i dealer or author
ized Audi Service Fac ility for assistance if
the t ire is too heavily damaged.
- Have the faulty tires replaced and the rims
checked for damage by an author ized Audi
dealer or author ized Audi Se rvice Facility.
- The driver is responsib le for the vehicle, for
correcting the t ire pressure and for rep lac
ing faulty parts . Therefore, always adjust
yo ur dr iv ing to the g iven s ituation .
Wheel s
(D Tips
-Audi Original run-flat tires can be ident ified
by the "AOE" labeling on the t ire s idewa ll.
- You can use the tire mobility kit
~ page 360 on r un-flat tires.
353
Care and cleaning
Care and cleaning
General information
Regular, proper care helps to maintain your vehi
cle's value.
It can also be a requirement when
submitting warranty claims for corrosion damage
and paint defects on the body.
The required cleaning and care products can be
obtained from an authorized Audi dealer or au
thorized Service Facility. Read and follow the in
structions for use on the packaging .
A WARNING
-Using cleaning and care products incorrectly
can be dangerous to your health .
- Always store cleaning and care products out
of reach of children to reduce the risk of poi
soning .
@ For the sake of the environment
- Preferably purchase environmentally-friend
ly cleaning products.
- Do not dispose of leftover cleaning and care
products with household trash.
Car washes
The longer that deposits such as insects, bird
droppings, tree sap or road salt remain on the ve hicle, the more the surface can be damaged. High
temperatures such as those caused by sunlight
increase the damaging effect .
Before washing, rinse off heavy deposits with
plenty of water.
Stubborn deposits such as bird droppings or tree
sap are best removed with plenty of water and a microfiber cloth.
Also, wash the underside of your vehicle once road salt stops being used for the season .
Pressure washers
When washing your veh icle w ith a pressure wash
er, always follow the operating instructions pro
vided with the pressure washer. This is especially
important in regard to the pressure and spraying
distance. Do not aim the spray directly at the
354
seals on the side windows, doors, lids or the sun
roof* or at tires, rubber hoses, insulating materi
al, sensors* or camera lenses* . Keep a distance of
at least 16 in (40 cm).
Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure
washer.
Never use cone nozzles or high pressure nozzles.
The water temperature must not be above 140 °F
(60 °().
Automatic car washes
Spray off the vehicle before washing.
Make sure that the windows and roof* are closed
and the windshield wipers are off . Follow instruc
tions from the car wash operator, especially if
there are accessories attached to your vehicle.
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes.
Washing by hand
Clean the vehicle starting from the top and work
ing down using a soft sponge or cleaning brush.
Use solvent-free cleaning products.
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint by
hand
To avoid damaging the paint when washing, first
remove dust and large particles from your vehi
cle. Insects, grease spots and fingerprints are
best removed with a special cleaner for matte
finish paint .
Apply the product using a microfiber cloth. To
avoid damaging the paint surface, do not use too
much pressure.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with water. Then
clean using a neutral shampoo and a soft micro
fiber cloth .
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly again and let it air
dry. Remove any water residue using a chamois .
A WARNING
-
- Only wash the vehicle when the ignition is
off and follow the instructions from the car
Care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
E x haust tail p ipe s
Road salt Water, cleaning solution suitab le for stainless steel, if nee-
essary
D eco ra tiv e part s/ Deposits M
ild soap so lution a), a cleaning so lution s uitable fo r stain-
trim less stee l, if necessary
Paint Paint damage Refer to t he paint number on the vehicle data label, repair
with touch up paint ~
page 378
Spilled fuel Rinse with water
immediately
Surface rust Rust remover, then protect w ith hard wax; for questions,
consult an author ized A udi dealer or authorized Aud i Serv-
ice Facility.
Corros ion Have it removed by an authorized Audi dea ler or author-
ized Audi Service Facil ity.
Water no longer P
rotect wi th hard wax (at least tw ice per year)
beads on the sur face
of clean paint
No shine even though Treat wit h su itable polish; then apply paint protectant if
paint has been pro- the polish that was used does not conta in any protectant
tected/pa int looks
poor
Deposits such as in- Dampen w ith water immediately and remove w it h a micro-
sects, bird dropp ings, f iber cloth
tree sap and road salt
Grease-based con- Remove immediately with a mi ld soap so lution a) and a
taminants such as soft cloth
cosmetics or sunblock
Carbon parts Deposi ts Inter ior: clean the same way as plastic parts
E xterior : clean the same way as painted pa rts
Decorat iv e decal s Deposits Soft sponge with a mild soap solutiona l
a) Mi ld soap solution: maximum two tablespoons of neutral soap in 1 quar t Cl liter) of water
Interior cle aning
Component Situation Solution
Window gla ss
Deposits Glass cleaner, then wipe dry
Decorative parts / Deposits Mild soap solutiona>
Trim
Pla sti c parts
Deposits Damp cloth
Heavier deposits M ild soap solution al, detergent-free p lastic clean ing solu-
tion, if necessary
Di splay s/instru-Deposits Soft cloth with
LCD cleaner; dust in the lower area of the
ment cluste r instrument cluster can be removed using a soft brush .
Controls Deposits Soft brush, then a soft cloth with a m ild soap solutiona >
Safety belts Deposits Mild soap solution al, allow to dry before letting them re-
tract
356
Care and cleaning
avoid scratches, move the scraper only in
one direction and not back and forth.
- Never remove snow or ice from door win
dows and mirrors using warm or hot water
because this could cause cracks to form.
- To avoid damage to the rear window de fogger, do not apply any stickers on the
heating wires on the inside of the window.
- Decorative parts/trim
- Never use chrome care or cleaning prod-
ucts.
- Paint
-To reduce the risk of scratches, the vehicle
must be free of dirt and dust before pol
ishing or waxing.
- To prevent paint damage, do not polish or
wax the vehicle in direct sunlight.
- To reduce the risk of paint damage, do not
polish away rust spots.
- Remove cosmetics and sunscreen immedi
ately -these could damage the paint.
- Displays/instrument cluster
- Make sure that the instrument cluster is
switched off and has cooled off before
cleaning it.
- Displays, the instrument cluster and the
trim surrounding it must not be cleaned
with dry cleaning methods because they could become scratched.
- Make sure no fluids enter the spaces be
tween the instrument cluster and the
trim, because that could cause damage.
- Controls
- Make sure that no fluids enter the con-
trols, because this could cause damage.
-Safety belts
- Do not remove the safety belts to clean
them.
- Never clean safety belts or their compo
nents chemically or with corrosive fluids
or solvents and never allow sharp objects
to come into contact with the safety belts.
This could cause damage to the belt web bing.
- If there is damage to the webbing, the
connections, the retractors or the buckles,
358
have them replaced by an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility.
-Textiles/artificial leather/ Alcantara
- Never treat artificial leather/ Alcantara
with leather care products, solvents, floor
polish, shoe polish, spot remove or similar
products .
- Have a specialist remove stubborn stains
to prevent damage.
- Never use steam cleaners, brushes, hard
sponges, etc. when cleaning .
- Do not turn on the seat heating* to dry the
seat .
- Objects with sharp edges, such as zippers
or rivets on clothing or belts, can cause
damage to the surface.
- Open hook and loop fasteners, for exam
ple on clothing, can damage seat covers .
Make sure hook and loop fasteners are
closed.
- Natural leather
- Never treat leather with solvents, floor
polish, shoe polish, spot remover or simi
lar products.
- Objects with sharp edges, such as zippers
or rivets on clothing or belts, can cause
damage to the surface.
- Never use steam cleaners, brushes, hard
sponges, etc. when cleaning.
- Do not turn on the seat heating* to dry the
seat.
- To help prevent the leather from fading,
do not leave the vehicle in direct sunlight
for long periods of time. If leaving the ve
hicle parked for long periods of time, you
should cover the leather to protect it from
direct sunlight.
{D Tips
- Insects are easier to remove from paint that
has been freshly waxed.
- Regular waxing can prevent rust spots from
forming.