wheel AUDI A6 2018 Workshop Manual

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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.
.,,.Mark 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.
&_ WARNING -
-Never drive faster than the
maximum permitted speed
for your tires. This could cause the tires to heat up too much.
This increases the risk of an
accident because it can cause
the tire to burst.
-Always adapt your driving to the road and traffic condi-
Wheels
tions. Drive carefully and re­
duce your speed on icy or slip­
pery roads. Even winter tires
can lose traction on black ice .
@ 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
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.
201

Wheels
Tire designations
Fig. 185 Tire designations on the side­
wall
(D Tires for passenger vehicles
(if applicable)
"P" indicates a tire for a passenger
vehicle. "T" indicates a tire desig­
nated for temporary use.
@ Nominal width
Nominal width of the tire be­
tween the sidewalls in millime­
ters. In general: the larger the
number, the wider the tire.
@ Aspect ratio
Height/width ratio expressed as a
percentage.
202
@ Tire construction
"R" indicates a radial tire.
® Rim diameter
Size of the rim diameter in inches.
® Load index and speed rating
The load index indicates the tire's
load-carrying capacity.
The speed rating indicates the maximum permitted speed. Also
see
¢ A in General information
on page 201.
"EXTRA LOAD", "xl" or "RF" indi­
cates that the tire is reinforced or
is an Extra Load tire.
Speed rat-
Maximum permitted speed
ing
p
up to 93 mph (150 km/h )
Q up to 99 m ph (1 60 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km /h)
5 up to 11 0 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
u up to 124 mph (200 km /h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km /h)al
z a bov e 149 mph (240 km/h) al
w up to 168 mph (270 km /h) al
y up to 186 mph (300 km /h) al
a ) For tires above 149 mph (240 km/h),
tire manufacturers sometimes use the
code "ZR" .

Wheel s
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 transmission, power steer­
ing , power brakes , power win­
dows , power seats, radio, and
heater, to the extent that these
items are available as factory-in­
stalled equipment (whether in­
stalled or not).
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to
the width 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
reinforced by ply cords and that is
shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond
between components in the bead.
20 4
Cord
means the strands forming the
plies in the tire.
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the t ire pressure recom­
mended by the vehicle manufac­
turer for a tire of a designated
size that has not been driven for
more than a couple of miles (kilo ­
meters) at low speeds in the
three hour period before the tire pressure is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor ve­
hicle w ith standard equipment in­
cluding the maximum capacity of
fuel, oil, and coolant, ai r condi­
tioning and additional weight of
optional equipment.
E x tra load ti re
means a tire designed to operate
at higher loads and at higher in­
flation pressures than the corre­
sponding standard tire. Extra load
tires may be identified as "X L",
"
l" "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF" on X I I
the sidewall. .,.

Wheels
Production options we igh t
means the combined weight of
those installed regular production
options weighing over 5 lbs.
(2.3 kg) in excess of those stand­
ard items which they replace, not previously considered in curb
weight or accessory weight, in­
cluding heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof rack, heavy duty
battery, and special trim.
Radial pl y tir e
means a pneumatic tire in which
the ply cords that extend to the beads are laid at substantially
90 degrees to the centerline of
the tread.
R ecomm ended in flation
pressure
see ¢ page 204 , Cold tire infla­
tion pressure.
R einforced tire
means a tire designed to operate
at higher loads and at higher in­
flation pressures than the corre­
sponding standard tire . Rein ­
forced tires may be identified as
"XL" "xl" "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF" , , ,
on the sidewall.
206
Rim
means a metal support for a tire
or a tire and tube assembly upon
which the tire beads are seated.
Rim diam eter
means nominal diameter of the
bead seat . If you change your
wheel size, you will have to pur ­
chase new tires to match the new rim diameter .
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nomina l distance between
r im
flanges .
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire be­
tween the tread and bead .
Speed rating (letter code )
means the speed at which a tire is
designed to be driven for extend­
ed periods of time. The ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to
186 mph (298 km/h) ¢ table
on page 202 .
You may not find
this information on all tires be­
cause it is not required by law .
The speed rating letter code,
where applicable, is molded on
the tire sidewall and indicates the
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maximum permissible road
speeds. See
also ¢.& in General
information on page 201.
Tire pre ssure mon itoring
system *
means a system that detects
when one or more of a vehicle's
tires are underinflated and illumi­
nates a low tire pressure warning
telltale.
Tread
means that portion of a tire that
comes into contact with the road .
Tread separation
means pulling away of the tread
from the tire carcass.
Treadwea r indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the
principal grooves designed to give
a visual indication of the degrees
of wear of the tread. See
¢ page 210, Treadwear indicator
for more information on measur­
ing tire wear .
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire information system devel­
oped by the United States Nation­
al Highway Traffic Safety Admin­
istration (NHTSA) that is designed
to help buyers make relat ive com-
Wheels
parisons among tires . The U TQG
is not a safety rating and not a
guarantee that a tire will last for
a prescribed number of miles
(kilometers) or perform in acer­
tain way . It simply gives tire buy ­
ers additional information to
combine with other considera­
tions, such as price, brand loyalty and dealer recommendatio ns. Un­
der UTQG, tires are graded by the
tire manufacturers in three areas :
treadwear, traction, and tempera­
ture resistance. The UTQG infor­
mation on the tires, molded into
the sidewalls.
U.S. DOT Tire Identification
Number (TIN)
T his is the tire's "se ria l number" .
It begins with the letters "DO T"
and indicates that the tire meets
all federal standards. The next
two numbers or letters indicate
the plant whe re it was manufac­
tured, and the last four numbers
represent the week and year of
manufactu re . For example,
DOT .. . 2217 ...
means that the tire was produced
in the 22nd week of 2017 . The
other numbers are marketing co­ des that may or may not be used
.,.
2 07

Wheels
by the tire manufacturer. This in­
formation is used to contact con­ sumers if a tire defect requires a
recall.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and lug­
gage load plus 150 lbs. (68 kilo ­
grams) times the vehicle's desig­ nated seating capacity .
Vehicle maximum load on the
tire
means that load on an individual
tire that is determined by distrib­
uting to each axle its share of the
maximum loaded vehic le weight
and dividing by two.
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individual
tire that is determined by distrib­
uting to each axle its share of the
curb weight, accessory weight,
and normal occupant weight (dis ­
tr ibuted in accordance
with¢ ta­
ble on page
2 13) and d ividing by
two .
Occupant loading and distri­
bution for vehicle normal load
for various designated seating capacities
Re fer to the tire inflation pres­
sure
label¢ page 211, fig. 188
2 08
for the n umbe r of seating posi­
tions. Refer to the
table ¢ table
on page
213 for the number of
people tha t correspond to the ve­
hicle normal load.
New tires or wheels
Audi recommends having all work
on t ires or wheels performed by
an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility.
These facilities have the proper
know ledge and are eq uipped with
the required too ls and rep lace­
ment parts.
... New t ires do not yet have the
optim um gripping properties.
Drive carefully and at moderate
speeds for the first 35 0 m iles
(500 km) with new tires .
... Only use tires with the same de­
sign, size ( rolling circumfer ­
ence) , and as close to t he same
tread pattern as possible on a ll
four wheels .
...
Do not replace tires individually.
At least replace bo th tires on the
same axle at the same time .
... Audi recommends that you use
Audi O riginal Tires. If you would
like to use di fferent tires, please
note that the tires may perform
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differently even if they are the
same
size ¢,&. .
.,,. If you would like to equip your
vehicle with a tire/rim combina­
tion that is different from what
was installed at the factory, con­
sult with an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility before making a pur­
chase¢ ,&..
Because the spare tire* is differ­
ent from the regular tires instal­
led on the vehicle (such as winter
tires or wide tires), only use the spare tire* temporarily in case of
emergency and drive carefully
while it is in use. It should be re­
placed with a regular tire as soon
as possible.
Applies to: vehicles with all wheel drive : all four wheels must be
equipped with tires that are the
same brand and have the same
construction and tread pattern so
that the drive system is not dam­ aged by different wheel speeds.
For this reason, in case of emer­
gency, only use a spare tire* that
is the same circumference as the
regular tires .
Wheels
A WARNING
-Do not use steel rims that are
17 inches or larger. Other­
wise, damage to the vehicle and an accident could result.
-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.
...
209

Wheels
-Only use tires that are more than six years old when abso­lutely necessary and drive
carefully when doing so.
-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 al­low enough a ir circulation to
cool the brake system. If they
do not, this could increase the risk of an accident.
Tire wear/damage
Fig. 186 Tire profile: trea dwear indica ­
tor
Tire wear
Check the tires regularly for wear.
-Inflation pressure that is too low
or high can increase tire wear
considerably.
l) Obey any applicable regulations in your
country.
210
-Driving qu ickly 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.
-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 quick ly.
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
c> fig . 186. The letters "TWI"
or triangles on the tire sidewall indicate the location of the tread­
wear indicators.
The t ires have reached the mini­
mum tread depth
l) when they
have worn down to the treadwear
indicators. Replace the tires with
new ones
c> A . "'

Ti re rotation
Rotating the tires regularly is rec­
ommended to ensure the tires
wear evenly. To rotate the t ires,
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 i ng to the running direction indi­
cated on the tire sidewall
¢page 231.
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, dr ive slowly and carefully to
the nearest authorized Audi deal­ er or authorized Audi Service Fa­
cility to have the vehicle inspect­
ed.
A WARNING , ~ -
o Tread that has worn too low or co ...
~ different tread depths on the
... 0 0 Q ' Wheels
tires can reduce driving safety.
This can increase the risk of an accident because it has a nega­
tive effect on handling, driving
through curves, and braking, and because it increases the
risk of hydroplaning when driv­
ing through deep puddles.
Tire pressure
Fig. 187 Driver's side 8-pillar : tire pres ­
sur e label
;;;
--------------- -
(. c ==. ~:t I : I :,. I ) (':~ ) l ~
1111..-... ............................ -.. ..... ..... _ .... "" ................ .. .,_...._,. ..... .............. ... .
-KPA. . PSI
-KPA. . PSI
-KPA. . PSI
Fig. 188 Tire pressur e label
The correct tire pressure for tires
mounted in the factory and for
the spare tire* is indicated on a la­
bel. The label is located on the B-
p illar
¢ fig. 187, ¢ fig. 188. ..,
211

Wheels
Use the tire pressure specified for
a normal vehicle load when the
vehicle is partially
loaded ¢ table
on page 213 .
If driving the vehi­
cle when fully loaded, you must
increase the tire pressure to the
maximum specified
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 label¢ fig . 188 for
the correct tire pressure based
on vehicle load.
~correct the tire pressure if nec­
essary .
~store the new tire pressure in
the Infotainment system
¢ page 220.
~check the pressure in the emer­
gency tire*/spare tire*. Always
maintain the maximum temper­
ature that is specified for the
tire.
212
& WARNING
Always adapt the tire pressure
to your driving style and vehicle
load .
-Overloading can lead to loss of
vehicle control and increase
the risk of an accident. Read and follow the important safe­
ty precautions
in¢ page 214,
Tires and vehicle load limits.
-The tire must flex more if the
tire pressure is too low or if
the vehicle speed or load are
too high . This heats the tire up
too much. This increases the
risk of an accident because it
can cause the tire to burst and
result in loss of vehicle con­
trol.
-Incorrect tire pressure in­ creases tire wear and has a
negative effect on driving and
braking behavior, which in­
creases the risk of an accident.
{tfj) Note
Replace lost valve caps to re­
duce the risk of damage to the
tire valves.
@ For the sake of the environment
Tire pressure that is too low in­
creases fuel consumption.