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208
Tires and vvheels
0:>
fig.
152 running across the tread. Depend-
ing on the make, there will be six to eight of
them evenly placed around the tire. Marks on
the tire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other
symbols) indicate the positions of the tread
wear indicators. Worn tires must be replaced.
Different figures may apply in other countries
o:>A.
Tire pressure
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
0:>
page 204.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy acceleration
and hard braking increase tire wear.
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the
same service life, we recommend that the
front and rear tires are rotated according to
the tire manufacturer's suggested ti re rota-
tion intervals. Please remember the follow-
ing:
- Tire rotation intervals may differ from the
vehicle service intervals outlined in your
Warranty
&
Maintenance Booklet.
- The longer one tire is used in one location
on the vehicle, the more it wears at certain
points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufacturer's suggested
tire rotation intervals.
- Vehicles with front-wheel drive experience
more tread wear on the front wheels com-
pared to all-wheel drive (quattro"').
- Please rotate tires as shown
0:>
fig. 153.
- Extra care must be taken when rotating di-
rection-specifie tires
0:>
page 229.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced.
However, various situations during everyday
driving can cause them to become unbal-
anced, resulting in vibrations you can usually
feel through the steering wheel.
-----
Unbalanced wheels must be rebalanced to
avoid excessive wear on steering, suspension
and tires. A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can cause exces-
sive tire wear, impairing the safety of the vehi-
cle. If tires show excessive wear, have the
wheel alignment checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
all-wheel drive
Vehicles with quattro"' must always have tires
ofthe same size, construction and tread type.
For details see
0:>
page 158.
.&.
WARNING
Sudden tire failure 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 tires are a safety hazard, they do
not grip well on wet roads and increase
your risk of "hydroplaning" and loss of
control.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause
tire damage, such as grease, oil, gasoline
and brake fluid away from tires.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then with special care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mount used tires on your vehicle if
you are not sure oftheir "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.
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in.
Fig. 154 Tire specification codes on the sidewall of a
tire
No. Description
@
Passenger car tire (where applicable)
®
Nominal width oftire in millimeters
®
Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
@
Radial
®
Rim diameter code
®
Load index and speed rating
<V
U.S. DOT tire identification number
®
Audi Original tire
<ID
Sever snow conditions
@
Tire ply composition and materials used
@
Maximum load rating
@
Treadwear, traction and temperature
grades
@
Maximum permissible inflation pres-
sure
The tires and ri ms are essential parts of the
vehicle's design. The tires and rims approved
by Audi are specially matched to the charac-
teristics of the vehicle and can make a major
COntribution to good road holding and safe
Tires and vvheels
20
handling when in good condition and properly
inflated
0:>
A.
We recommend that all work on tires and
wheels be performed by an authorized Audi
dealer. They are familiar with recommended
procedures and have the necessary speciaL
tools and spare parts as well as the proper fa-
cilities for disposing of the oLd tires.
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary
information about technical requirements for
installing or changing tires and ri ms.
Replacing tires and wheeLs
Tires should be replaced at least in pairs and
not individually (for example both front tires
or both rear tires together) .
Se sure to read and heed the information to
the tire pressure monitoring system
0:>
page
216.
Always buy replacement radial tires that have
the same specifications as the tires approved
for your vehicle by Audi. Replacement tires
must always have the sa me load rating speci-
fication as the original equipment or approved
optionaL tires listed in the table
o:>page 202.
Audi-approved specification tires are specially
matched to your vehicle and its load limits,
and can contribute to the important roadhold-
ing, driving characteristics, and safety ofthe
vehicle. The table
(0:>
page 202)
lists specifica-
tions of the tires approved for the Audi mod-
els covered by your Owner's Literature.
The tire pressure labellocated on driver's si de
S-pillar
(0:>
page 202, fig.
151) lists the speci-
fications of the original equipment tires in-
stalled on your vehicle at the time it was man·
ufactured.
Federallaw requires tire manufacturers to
place standardized information on the side-
wall of all tires
0:>
fig.
154. This information
identifies and describes the fundamental
characteristics, the quality grade of the tire
and also provides a tire identification number
for safety standard certification and in case of
a recall.
~
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