tire size AUDI A4 2013 Owners Manual

Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter exp lains why safety be lts a re nec ­
essary, how they work and how to adjust and
wear them correctly.
~ Read all the information that fo llows and
heed all of the inst ruct ions and WARNINGS.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of ser ious
personal in jury and death .
- Safety belts are the sing le most effective
means availab le to red uce the r isk of se­
rious injury and death in a utomob ile acci­
de nts . For your prot ecti on and that of
yo ur passenge rs, always co rrec tly wear
sa fe ty bel ts when the ve hicle is mov ing.
- P re g nant women, injured, or physically
imp aired perso ns must also use safe ty
belts. L ike a ll vehicle occup ants, they are
more like ly to be ser ious ly injure d if they
do not wea r safety be lts . The best way to
protect a fet us is to protect the mother -
thro ughout the entire pregnancy.
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of five seating posit ions:
two in the front and three in the rear. Each
seating position has a safety belt.
A WARNING
N ot wea ring safety belts or wea ring the m
improperly increases the risk of ser ious
perso nal i njur y an d deat h.
- Never st rap more than one pe rson, in­
cl ud ing s mall ch ild ren, into any belt . It is
e speci ally dangerous t o pl ac e a safety
bel t over a child s itting on yo ur lap.
- N ever le t mo re peo ple ride in t he ve hicle
th an there are s afety be lts availab le.
Safety belts 13 7
- Be s ure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained w ith a separate sa fe­
ty belt or child restra int.
Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle has a warning system for the
driver and (on USA models only) front seat
passenger to remind you about the impor­
tance of buckling-up.
Fig . 14 2 Safety belt warni ng lig ht in the instr ument
cl uster -enla rged
Before driving off, alway s:
~ Fasten your safety be lt and make sure you
are wearing it properly .
~ Make sure that yo ur passengers a lso buck le
up and properly wear their safety be lts.
~ Protect your childre n w ith a child rest raint
sys tem app ropriate fo r the size a nd age of
t h e children.
The . warn ing light in the instrument cluster
li ghts up when the ig nit ion is switched on as a
reminder to fasten the safe ty belts. In addi­
tion, you will hea r a warning tone for a certa in
per iod of t ime.
Fasten your safety belt now and make sure
that your pas sengers also properly put on
th eir safety belts.
•
•

236 Tires and wheels
Groove
means the sp ace between two ad jacent tread
ribs .
Load rating (code )
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry fo r a g iven inflat ion pressu re. You
may not find this in fo rmat io n on all t ires be­
c a use i t is no t re quir ed by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a t ire at the max i­
mum permissible inflation pressure for that
tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means t he sum of:
(a) Curb weig ht
(b) Accessory weight
( c ) Vehicle c apa city we ight, and
(d) Prod uction opt ions we ight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means t he maximum co ld inflation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated . Also called
"maxim um infla tion p ressu re ."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 k ilog rams) times the
n umber of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the tota l seating capacity of yo ur vehicle .
Occupant distribution
means dist ribution o f occ upants in a veh icle.
Outer diameter
means t he overa ll diamete r of a n inflated new
tire.
Overall w idth
means the linea r distance between the exter i­
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ ­
ing e levations due to labeli ng, decorations, or
p rotectiv e bands o r ribs .
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated para llel cords.
Production options weight
me ans the com bine d we igh t of tho se ins tall ed
regular prod uction opt ions we ighing over 5
lb s. (2 .3 kg) in excess of those stan da rd item s
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory we ight, including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers , roof rack ,
heavy duty battery, and special tr im .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumat ic tire in wh ich the ply cords
t h at exte nd t o the beads are laid at substa n­
t ia lly 90 deg rees to the center line of the
tread .
Recommended inflation pressure
see<=> page 235, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire des ign to operat e at h igher loads
and a t higher in flation pressures than t he cor­
re spondi ng s tand ard tire. Reinfor ce d tires
may be iden tifie d as "X L" "xl" "E X TRA LOAD"
' ' '
or "RF " on the sidewa ll.
Rim
means a metal s upport for a ti re or a tire and
tube assembly upon whi ch t he tire bea ds are
sea ted.
Rim diameter
means nom inal d iameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wh eel s ize, you wi ll have to
purchase new ti res to match the new r im di­
ameter.
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width .
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim fla nges .
Sidewall
means tha t p ort ion of a tire betwee n the
t rea d and be ad.

238 Tires and wheels
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seating
capacities
Designated seating capacity,
number of occupants Vehicle normal load
, number Occupant distribution in a nor-
of occupants _____ mally loaded vehicle
5 3 2 in fro nt, 1 in back seat
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
Fig. 19 1 T ire pressure label : located on driver's side B·
pillar
Tire pressure genera lly refers to the amount
of air in a t ire that it needs it to do its job and
safely carry the combined load of the entire
vehicle and its contents . Tire pressure is
measured in kilopasca ls (kPa), the i nterna·
tional measur ing unit and in pou nds pe r
squa re inc h (PSI). Tire pressure is based in
par t on the vehicle's desig n and load limit -
the greatest amoun t of weight that the vehi·
cle can carry safe ly and the t ire size . The prop·
er tire pressure is freq uently referred to as the
" recommended cold tire inf lation pressure."
A ir in the tires expands when the tire heats up
because of internal frict ion when it flexes in
use . The t ire p ressu re is higher when the tire
h as wa rmed up tha n when it is "cold ." It is the
in flat io n pressu re i n a "cold" tire that counts.
Th erefore, you shou ld neve r let air ou t of a
warm tire to match " co ld tire inflat ion pres­
sure" recommendations . The t ires wo uld then
be underinflated and could fail su ddenly.
M ain taining p roper t ire pr essu re is one of the
most im po rt an t th ings you ca n d o to he lp
avoid sudden tire failure. Underin fla ted t ires
a re a ma jo r cause of s udden tire failure. Keep·
i n g tires at the right pressure is also impor­
tant for safe and responsive vehicle handling,
-U'>
-
---------------------- ,;
•(=~= I: I::... 1)§ :l!: n-...,....,....,~ ...... ~-...,..., ..... _ ... U ........ ~-·~N.-..-.we..... .... lllt-
-AVANT ...,.
-...... .. _
-KPA. a PSI
-KPA. a PSI
-KPA. a PSI
Fig. 192 Ti re pr essure labe l
SEE OWNEJICS MANUA1 FOA A,DOITl<>N.IU. INfORMATlON
VOIR L£ MANUll DUPR0ftlET""" P"OUR i-t.US DE RENSEIGMEMENfS
traction, braking and load carrying. Tire pres­
sures are particularly important when the
vehicle is being driven at higher speeds, and
then especially when heavily loaded even
within the permissible load-carrying capaci­
ties approved for your vehicle .
The recommended tire pressures f or y our Audi
depe nd on the kind of tires o n your ve hicle
and the numbe r of passe ngers and/o r amount
of luggage you w ill be t ransporti ng .
The tire pressure label is located on the driv­
er's side B-pillar . The tire pressure labe l lists
the recommended cold t ire inflat io n press ures
for the vehicle at its maximum capac ity
weig ht an d tires t hat were o n your veh icle at
t h e time it was m anufactur ed.
If you wish to improve comfort wh en operat­
ing the vehicle at normal load (up to 3 occu­
pant s), you can ad just tire pre ssure s to tho se
specified for normal vehicle load . Before op­
erating the vehicle at maximum load, you
mu st increase the ti re pressures to those
specified for maximum vehicle load
~ ,&. .
Bear in min d that the tire pressure mon itor ing
system * can o nly mo nitor the tir e press ures .,.

Tires an d wheel s 239
you have stored. The system does not recog ­
nize the load condition of your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the ti re pressu re monitor­
ing sys tem* will be impaired if you store nor ­
mal load pressures but then operate the vehi ­
cle at its maximum load¢,& .
See the illustration ¢
fig. 191 for the location
of the label on dr iver's side B-pillar (co lor of
the actual labe l and exact location on the ve­
hicle wi ll vary slig htly) .
Note that the fo llowing tab le is accurate a t
the t ime o f go ing to press and is subject to
I Model II Tire designation
c h ange. In the event of discrepancies, the ti re
pressure label is located on the driver's side B­
pillar always takes precedence .
T he table below lists the recommended cold
ti re inflation pressures for the Audi mode l
covered by your Owner's Literat ure at the vehi­
cle's capacity weight and the t ire sizes instal­
l ed on the respective models as orig inal
equipment, or as a factory option.
Tire pressure
Engine normal load condition full load condition
A4 S edan:
2.0 liter
4-cylinder
all road:
2.0 liter
4-c ylinder 225
/55 R16 95H
All S eason
245 /45 Rl 7 95H
All Season
245 /40 R18 93Y
High Performan ce
225 /50 Rl 7 94H
All Season
245 /40 R18 93H
All Season
1 255 /35 R19 96Y XL
High Performance
225 /55 Rl 7 97H
All Season
245 /45 Rl8 l00H
All Season
245 /45 R18 96Y
High Performance
245 /40 R19 98V XL
High Performance (up to 3 occupants
)
front rear front rear
I
PSI j[ kPA PSI j[ kPA PSI Jl kPA PSI I[ kPA
32 220 29 200 33 230 35 240
32 220 29 200 33 230 35 240
32 220 29 200 33 230 35 240
•
33 230 30 210 35 2
40 36 250
I
33 230 32 220 36 250 38 260
'
32 220 30 210 35 2
40 35 240
I
30 210 30 210 33 230 36 250
32 220 32 220 33 230 36 250 30 210 30 210 33 230 36 250
32 220 29 200 35 2
4 0
38 260
-• - -. -
•
•
...

240 Tires and wheels Model Tire designation Tire pressure
Engine normal load condition full load condition
(up to 3 occupants )
front rear front rear
I
PSI II kPA PSI II kPA PSI II kPA PSI II kPA :
S4 Sedan : 245 /40 Rl8 93H
3 .0 liter All Season
36 250 32 220 41 280 41
280
6-cylinder
24S/40 Rl8 93V
I High Performance
39 270 35 240 41 280 41 280
255/35 Rl9 96V XL
High Performance
39 270 33 230 41 280 41 280
XL= reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xl
, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire side­
wall.
The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel i s
l o cated on a label on the dr ive r's side B-p illa r.
Because tec hnical cha nges may be made to
ve hicle equ ipment dur ing the model yea r, a l­
ways compa re the tire siz e designation on the
tire pressure labe l o n you r vehi cle w it h the
tires on your vehicle. M ake s ure that the t ire
size info rmation on the veh icle label is the
same as the size of the t ire s on the vehicle.
This is especially important if the vehicle be ­
l ongs to someone else or you bought the veh i­
cle with different rims/tires or you boug ht the
ve hicle as a p reviously owned vehicle.
Remembe r, your safety and that of your pas ­
sengers also depends on mak ing s ure that
load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and everything in and on t he
ve hicle . These load lim its are technically refer ­
red to as th e vehicle's G ross Vehicle We ight
Rati ng ("GVWR"). The G ross Ax le Weight Rat­
i ng ( "GA WR ") is the ma ximum load tha t can
be applied at each o f the veh icle 's two axles.
T he G ross Vehicle We ig ht Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating a re listed on the
safety compliance st ic k er labe l located on the
driver's side B-p illar. The tire pressure label on
your Aud i lists the maximum combined
A WARNING
Overloadin g a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
h icle cont ro l, a c rash or other accident, se­
rious pe rsonal injury, and even death.
- Ca rrying more we ight tha n your veh icle
was des igned to carry will prevent the
veh icle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of a loss of vehicle con ­
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
veh icle w ith in a safe distanc e.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail s uddenly ca us ing loss of con­
trol and a crash.
- Always make sure that the total load be­
i n g transported - including the weight of
a trailer hitch and t he tongue we igh t of a
loaded tr ail er -does not ma ke t he ve hi­
cle he avier th an the vehicle' s Gro ss V ehi­
cle Weigh t Ra tin g.
.&_ WARNING
- In cor rect tire pressure s and /or u nderin­
fl ation can lead to a serio us or fatal acci ­
dent .
- I nco rrec t tire pressures an d/or un derin­
fla tion ca use increased ti re wear an d can
'
I
weight of all of the occupants and luggage or
other cargo tha t the vehicl e can carry . For the
l ocat io n of the ti re pressu re labe l~
fig . 191 .
affect the handling of the vehicle. ..,_

symbols) indicate the positions of the tread
wear indicators. Worn tires must be replaced.
Different fig ures may apply in other co untries
c:> .&. .
Tir e pres sure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear
and can cause sudden tire blow -out. For this
reason, tire pressure must be checked at least
once a month
c:> page 241.
Driving sty le
Driving fast around curves , heavy acceleration
and hard braking increase tire wear .
Rotating tires for mo re even wear
For all four t ires on your vehicle to have the
same se rvice life, we recommend that the
fro nt and rea r tires are rotated according to
the t ire manufacture r's suggested tire rota­
tion intervals. Please remember the follow ­
ing:
- T ire rotat ion inte rva ls may differ from the
vehicle service intervals outlined in your
Maintenance and Wa rranty Booklet .
- T he longer one tire is used in one location
on the vehicle, the more it wears at certa in
points; therefore, we recommend that you
fo llow the t ire manufacturer's suggested
t ire rotation intervals .
- Vehicles with front -wheel drive experience
more tread wear on the front wheels com­
pared to all whee l drive (quattro ®).
- Please rotate tires as shown
c:> fig. 194.
-Extra care must be taken when rotating di-
rection-specific tires
c:> page 263 .
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced .
H oweve r, va rio us situations d uring eve ryday
driving can cause them to be come unbal­
anced, resu lting in vibrations you can us ually
feel through the steering wheel.
Unba lanced wheels must be rebalanced to
avoid excessive wea r on s teer ing , suspens ion
and tires. A wheel must a lso be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed.
Tire s an d wheel s 245
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incor rect wheel alignment can cause exces­
sive tire wear, impairing the sa fety of the vehi ­
cle . If tires show excessive wear, have the
whee l alignment checked by an a uthorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
All wheel drive
Vehicles wi th quattro ® must a lways have tires
of the same size, construction and tread type. For details see
<=:> page 191.
_8 WARNING
Sudden tire fa ilure can lead to loss of con­
trol, a crash and serious personal injury!
- Never drive a vehicle when the tread on
any tire is worn down to the wear indica­
tors.
- Worn ti res are a safety hazard, they do
not grip well on wet roads and increase
your r isk of "hydroplaning" and loss of
control.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause
tire damage, such as grease, o il, gasoline
and brake fluid away from tires .
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fail sudden ly, especially at high
speeds. T ires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith special care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mount used tires on your veh icle if
you are not sure of the ir "previous histo­
ry ." O ld used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire fai lure
and loss of vehicle control. •
•

248 Tire s and whee ls
Tir e pl y c ompo sit ion and materi als used
The numbe r of plies ind icates the number of
l ayers of rubber -coated fabric in the tire. In
general, the greater the number of p lies, the
more weight a tire can support . Tire manufac­
turers also must indicate the materials in the
tire, wh ich include steel, nylon, polyester, and
others .
Max imum Load R ating
This number indicates the maximum load in
kilograms and pounds that can be carried by
the tire .
Tire quality grading for treadw ear ,
tr act ion, a nd t emper ature re sis tan ce
Tread wear, traction and temperature grades
c:> page249.
Max imum Permiss ibl e Inflation Pressur e
This numbe r is the greatest amo unt of air
p ressure that should ever be put in the ti re
under normal driving conditions .
A WARNING
-Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
combinations can lead to loss of contro l,
collision and serious persona l injury .
- Always use tires, rims and wheel bo lts
that meet the specifications of orig inal
factory-installed t ires or other combina­
t ions that have been spec ifically ap­
proved by the vehicle manufacturer.
- Tires age even if they are not be ing used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tir es that are more than 6 years
o ld can only be used in an emergency
and then with special care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mount used ti res on yo ur vehicle if
yo u are not su re of their "previous histo­
ry ." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
- All four wheels must be fitted with radia l
t ires of the same type, size (roll ing c ir- cumference) and the same tread pattern
.
Driving with different tires reduces vehi­
cle handling and can lead to a loss of
control.
- If the spare tire is not the same as the
tires that are mounted on the vehicle -
for example with winter tires -only use
the spare t ire fo r a short period of time
and drive with extra care . Refit the nor­
mal road wheel as soon as safely poss i­
b le.
- Never drive faster than the max imum
speed for which the tires on you r vehicle
are rated because tires that are dr iven
faster than their rated speed can fai l
suddenly .
- Overloading tires cause heat build-up,
sudden tire fa ilure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of contro l.
- Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and not over or un­
derinf lated .
- For technica l reasons it is not always
possible to use whee ls from other
veh icles -in some cases not even wheels
from the same veh icle model.
- If you install wheel trim discs on the ve­
hicle wheels, make sure that the a ir flow
to the brakes is not blocked. Reduced air­
f low to the brakes can them to overheat,
increas ing stopp ing distances and caus­
ing a co llision.
- Run flat tires may only be used on veh icles that were equipped with them
at the factory. The veh icle must have a
chassis designed for run flat tires and a
f a ctory -insta lled tire pressure monitor­
ing system* that indicates a loss of tire
pressu re . I ncorrect use of run flat tires
can lead to vehicle damage or accidents.
Check with an authorized Audi dealer or
tire specialist to see if your vehicle can be
equ ipped w ith run flat t ires. If run flat
tires are used, they must be installed on
all fou r wheels . Mix ing tire types is not
pe rm itted.

250 Tire s and wheel s
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice . At temperatures below 45 °F
(7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments may require true winter or "snow " tires, those
with very deeply cut tread. These t ires shou ld
only be used in pairs and be ins talled on all
four wheels. Make sure you pu rchase snow
tires that are the same size and const ruction
type as the other tires on your vehicle.
Your veh icle is equipped with all whee l drive ,
this wi ll improve tract ion du ring w inter driv­
ing,
even with the standard tires. Howeve r, we
strongly recommend that you a lways equip a ll
four wheels on you r vehicle with correctly fit­
ted winter tires or all -se ason tires, when w in ­
t e r r oad conditions are expected . This also im­
proves the vehicle's braking performance and
reduces stopping distances .
Summe r tires provide less grip on ice and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted
on all four wheels.
Ask your autho rized Aud i dea ler or qualified
workshop for permitted
wi nter tir e sizes . Use
only radia l winter tires.
W inte r tir es lose the ir effe ctiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
0.15 7 inch
(4 mm).
Only drive with winter tires unde r winter con­
d itions . Summer tires hand le better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is
above 45 °F ( 7 °C).
I f you have a flat tire, see notes on spare
wheel
9 page 246.
P lease always remember that w inter t ires may
have a lower speed rating than the t ires origi­
na lly installed on your vehicle at the t ime it
was manufactured. Please see
9 page 247 ,
Speed rating (letter code)
for a List ing of the
speed rating letter codes and the maxim um
speed at which the tires can be driven . The speed rating letter code
(
¢ page 23 7) is
on the side wall of the tire
9 page 246 .
A WARNING ,-
Winter tires have maximum speed lim its
that may be lower than your vehicle's max­
i mum speed. Always know the max imum
speed before dr iv ing off . Never dr ive faster
than the speed permitted for yo ur specific
winter tires. This wi ll cause damage to the
tires leading to an accident and ser ious
personal injury to you and your passen­
gers .
A WARNING ,..___ -
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your ve hicle
were designed can cause tire fail ure in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation, loss of control, crashes and ser ious per­
sonal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately .
- W inter tires have maximum speed rating
that may be lower than your vehicle's
maximum speed .
- Never drive faster than the speed for
which the winter or other tires installed on yo ur vehicle are rated .
A WARNING
-Always ad just your dr iv ing to the road and
traffic condit ions . Never let the good ac­
celeration of the winter t ires and al l wheel
drive tempt yo u into ta king ext ra risks. Al­
ways remember:
- When braking, an all wheel drive vehicle
handles in the same way as a front drive
vehicle .
- Drive c arefully a nd reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even w inter t ires
cannot help under black ice conditions .
@ For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires whe n weather condi­
tions permi t. T hey are qu ieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumption .

Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the front
wheels, and only to certain tire sizes. Ask your
authorized Audi dealer on which tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
The snow chains must have low-profile links
and must not be thicker than 0.53 inch
(13.5 mm), including the lock .
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putting snow chains on your vehicle
~ 0. For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are avail­
able from authorized Audi dealers.
~ WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi­
cle or installing them incorrectly can in­
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different sizes. Always make sure to follow the in­
structions provided by the snow chain
manufacturer .
- When driving with snow chains never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations.
(D Note
- Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con­
tact with the wheel rim, can scratch or
damage it . Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered . Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces­
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow chain manufacturer when doing so.
(j) Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory oncer­
tain roads, this normally also applies to
vehicles with all wheel drive.
Tires and wheels 251
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque.
The design of wheel bolts is ma tched to the
factory inst alled rims. If diffe ren t rims are fit­
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the right length and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted
securely and that the brake system functions
correctly.
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a different vehicle -even if it
is the same model~
page 282 .
&_ WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel
bolts can become loose causing loss of
control , a collision and serious personal in­
jury.
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel hubs clean so the
wheel bolts can turn easily and be prop­
erly tightened.
- Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and
the threads in the wheel hubs. They can become loose while driving if greased or
oiled, even if tightened to the specified
torque .
- Only use wheel bolts that belong to the
rim being installed .
- Never use different wheels bolts on your
vehicle.
-Always maintain the correct tightening torque for the wheel bolts to reduce the risk of a wheel loss. If the tightening tor­
que of the wheel bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the vehi­
cle is moving.
If the tightening torque is
too high, the wheel bolts and threads
can be damaged and the wheel can be­
come loose.
(I} Note
The specified torque for the wheel bolts is
90 ft lbs. (120 Nm) with a tolerance of
± 7,4 ft lbs. (± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bolts .,.. •
•

252 Tire s and wheel s
diagonally . After changing a whee l, the
torque must be checked as soon as possi­
ble with a torque wrench -preferably by an
author ized Audi dealer or qualif ied work­
shop.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Aud i is factory-equipped with low aspect
ratio t ires . These t ires have been thoroughly
tested and been selected spec ifica lly for your
model for the ir superb pe rformance, road feel
and handling under a va riety of driving condi­
tions . Ask your a utho rized Aud i dea le r for
more detai ls.
The low aspect ratio of these ti res is indicated
by a numeral of
55 or l ess in the tire's size
des ignation. The numera l represents the rat io
of the tire's sidewall height in relation to its
tread width expressed in percentage. Conven­
tional tires have a height/width ratio of 60 or more.
The performance of low-a spe ct-ratio ti re s is
p articu lar ly sensi tive to imprope r inflat ion
pressure. It i s therefore impo rt a nt th at low
aspect r atio tire s are inflated to th e specified
pr essure and tha t th e inflation pres sure is
regularly checked and maintain ed . Tire pr es­
s ure s should be checked at l east once a
m onth and alway s befor e a long trip
~ page 241, Checking tire pressure.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damag e
Low aspect ratio t ires can be damaged more
eas ily by impact with potho les, cu rbs, gu llies
or ridges on the road, part icu larly if the t ire is
underinflated .
I n o rder to m inim ize the o ccu rrence of impact
damage to the tires of your vehicle, we recom­
mend that you observe the following precau­
tions:
- Always maintai n recommended i nflat io n
pressures. Check your tire pressure every
2,000 miles (3,000 km) and add a ir if neces­
sary . - Drive carefully on roads with potholes, deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from driving
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to your tires.
- After any impact, immed iate ly inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest
author ized Audi 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 al­
ways easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of
air and under inflation, which could eventu­
ally cause tire failure.
If you believe that a
t ire may have been damaged, rep lace the
t ire as soon as possible.
- These tires may wear more quickly tha n oth­
ers.
- Please also remember that, while these tires
de live r responsive hand ling, they may ride
less comfo rtably and make more noise than
other choices .
Reduced performance in winter /cold
season c onditions
All tires are designed for certa in p urposes.
T he low aspect ratio, ult ra h igh performance
t ir es originally insta lled on your vehicle are in ­
tended for maximum dry and wet road per­
formance and handling. They are not suitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather conditions. If
you drive under those c ircumstances, you
shou ld equ ip your vehicle with all-season or
winter tires, which offe r bette r traction unde r
those conditions. We sugges t you use the rec­
ommended snow or all -se ason t ires specified
f or yo ur vehicle , or their equivalent.
Refer to~
page 250 for more detailed infor­
mation regard ing winter tires.