________________________________________________ T_i_re_ s_a_ n_d_ w_ h_e_ e_l_s __ _
Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most abused
parts of a motor vehicle.
Tires may be the least appreciated and most abused pa rts of a motor
vehicle . Tires are, however, one of the most important parts of a
vehicle , pa rt icula rly conside ring the comparat ively small patch of
rubber on eac h tire that assures that all-important contact between
you, your veh icle and t he road.
Maintai ning t he cor rect tire pressu re, mak ing su re that your veh icle
and it s tires do not have to carry more weight t han they can safely
hand le, avoid ing damage from road haza rds and regularly inspecting
tires f or damage includ ing cuts, slashes irregular wear and overall
condi t ion a re the mos t important th ings that you can do to help avoid
sudden t ire failure including tread separation and blowouts.
Avoiding damage
If you have to d rive ove r a cur b or sim ilar obstacle, d rive very slowly
and as close as possible at a right angle to the curb .
Always keep chemicals includ ing grease, oil, gaso line and brake f luid
off t he t ires .
Ins pect the ti res regularly for damage (cut s, cracks or blisters, et c.).
Remove any foreign bodies embe d ded in the treads.
Storing tires
Mark tires when you remove t hem to indica t e t he d irect ion of rota -
tion . This ensures you to be ab le to mount them correctly when you
re insta ll them.
Whe n removed, t he wheels or t ires should be sto red in a coo l, dry and
preferably da rk place.
Safety first
Store tires in a ver ti ca l pos it io n if they a re not mount ed on rims, in a
hor izonta l posit ion if they are mounted on rims.
New tires
New tires have to be broken in =>& .
The t read dept h of new ti res may vary, accor ding t o th e type an d
make of t ire and the tread pattern .
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and rims is often not readi ly visible. If you notice
unu su al vibrati on o r the ve hicle pulls t o one side, t his may ind icate
that one of the t ires has been damaged. The tires must be checked
im media t ely by an auth orized Aud i d eale r or qual ifie d wor kshop.
Unidirectional tires
A un id irectional t ire can be identified by arrows o n t he sidewall , t hat
point in the direct ion the t ire is designed to rotate. You must fo llow
t he specified dire ction of rotat ion . This is neces sary so t hat t hese
tires can deve lop their optimum cha racte ristics regard ing g rip, road
noise, we ar an d hydr opl aning res ist an ce . For more informat ion
:::>page 314 .
& WARNING
New tires or tires that are old, worn or damaged cannot provide
maximum control and braking ability.
• New tires tend to be slippery and must also be broken-in . To
reduce the risk of losing control, a collision and serious personal
injuries, drive with special care for the first 350 miles (560 km).
• Driving with worn or damaged tires can lead to loss of control,
sudden tire failure , including a blowout and sudden deflation ,
crashes and serious personal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately. _..
Vehicle care Technical data
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