Audi TT 2012 Owner's Manual page 109

Tires and wheels
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Tires and wheels
Snow chains
5now 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.
Ifyou are going to use snow chains, then you
must install them on the front wheels at
least.
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 dises
before putting snow chains on your vehicle
Q(D. 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.
- 5now 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 specifie snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations.
CD
Note
- Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- 5now 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
50.
i
Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory on cer-
tai n roads, this normalLy also applies to ve-
hicles with all-wheel drive.
Wheel bolts •
Whee/ bo/ts must a/ways be tightened ta the
correct torque.
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the
factory installed ri ms. If different ri ms 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
Q
page 247.
.&
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
50
the
wheel bolts can turn easily and be prop-
erLy tig htened.
- Never grease or oil
~
wheel bolts and
the threads in the whee 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 wheelloss. 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.
CD
Note
The specified torque for the wheel bolts is
90 ft lb (120 Nm) with a tolerance of
±
7,4
ft lb
(± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bolts diago-
nally. After changing a wheel, the torque
must be checked as soon as possible with a
torque wrench - preferably by an author-
ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect
ratio tires. These tires have been thoroughly
tested and been selected specifically for your
model for their superb performance, road feel
and handling under a variety of driving condi-
tions. Ask your authorized Audi dealer for
more details.
The low aspect ratio of these tires is indicated
bya numeral of 55 or Less in the tire's size
designation. The numeral represents the ratio
of the tire's sidewall height in reLation to its
tread width expressed in percentage. Conven-
tiona l ti res have a heig ht/width ratio of 60 or
more.
The performance of Low-aspect-ratio tires is
particuLarLy sensitive to improper infLation
pressure. 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 pres-
Sures shouLd be checked at Least once a
month and aLways before a Long trip
0:>
page 204, Checking tire pressure.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more
easily by impact with potholes, curbs, gullies
or ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is
Underinflated.
In arder to minimize the occurrence of impact
damage to the tires of your vehicle, we recom-
mend that you observe the following precau-
tions:
- Always maintain recommended infLation
pressures. Check your tire pressure every
2,000 miles (3,000 km) and add air 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, immediately inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest
authorized Audi dealer. Replace a damaged
tire as soon as possible.
- Inspect your tires every 2,000 miles (3,000
km) for damage and wear. Damage is not al-
w~ys
easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of
air and underinflation, which could eventu-
ally cause tire failure. Ifyou believe that a
tire may have been damaged, replace the
tire as soon as possible .
- These tires may wear more quickly than oth-
ers.
- Please also remember that, while these tires
deliver responsive handling, they may ride
less comfortably and make more noise than
other choices.
Reduced performance in winter/coLd
season conditions
All tires are designed for certain purposes.
The low aspect ratio, ultra high performance
tires originally installed 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 circumstances, you
should equip your vehicle with all-season or
winter tires, which offer better traction under
those conditions. We suggest you use the rec-
ommended snow or all-season tires specified
for your vehicle, or their equivalent.
Refer to
Q
page
213 for more detailed infor-
mation regarding winter tires.