How to Change the Tires on your Audi or Porsche

How to Change the Tires on your Audi or Porsche

The colloquial aphorism “S—t happens” is a well-worn phrase because, well, s—t really does happen. And, more often than not, it occurs at the most inopportune moments.

For example, one thing that drivers experience on a semi-regular basis are flat tires. If you happen to be driving your Audi or Porsche vehicle and you suffer a puncture or rupture of your tire, several modes of recourse are available to you.

First, both manufacturers offer roadside service plans. In fact, as the service page on our main site states:

Neither Audi nor Porsche recommend repairing flat tires. Both brands use performance tires on their vehicles, which they design and rate to handle particular speeds and loads. Once you or a technician introduce a patch, the tire will be compromised and no longer meet its OEM specifications. We recommend you replace your tires when they reach a 4/32-inch tread depth.

Porsche Roadside Assistance: 1 (800) PORSCHE (767-7243)

Audi Roadside Assistance: 1 (800) 411-9988

If you call one of these numbers, a roadside technician will drive to your location and assist you with whatever issue you are experiencing (flat tire or otherwise). Of course, contingencies always occur and, some times, you’ll need to take other measures when attending to a flat tire. If your situation requires that you take an action other than calling roadside assistance, this blog post will provide you with an overview of how to change the tires on your Audi or Porsche.

To begin with, most Porsche and many Audi models do not house spare tires. This, of course, does not mean you are out of options. For instance, the Porsche 911, Cayman, and Boxster, as well as the Audi S4 and TT, come equipped with sealant and inflator kits. In the below video, Kim Smith of Porsche Southpoint demonstrates how properly to use the kit:

While this method might not work for sidewall tears, it will assist you if your wheel suffers from a puncture. Just remember, as the video states, do not remove the puncturing debris from the tire; if you do so, it will render the sealant ineffective.

It should also be mentioned that a few Audi vehicles come equipped with run-flats. A run-flat tire, as define by the faceless and nameless editors of Wikipedia, is:

a pneumatic vehicle tire that is designed to resist the effects of deflation when punctured, and to enable the vehicle to continue to be driven at reduced speeds (under 55 mph (90 km/h)), and for limited distances (up to 200 mi (320 km), depending on the type of tire).

To this end, you should, hypothetically, still be able to drive your car to a service station if you experience a puncture or tear to the fabric of your tire.

Below is a cross-section of a run-flat, followed by an enumerated list of its elements:

1) Tread: creates contact with the road. A negative profile assists water drainage; a positive profile affects grip, traction, stability and noise.
2) Tire wall: protects the tire from damage. Affects driving characteristics and comfort. The tire designations are also stamped here.
3) Inner liner: airtight inner layer (butyl layer).
4) 0° cover: this layer, made of reinforced, rubberized nylon threads, reduces the heat generated by friction. It ensures that the tire retains its shape at high speed.
5) Belt layers: stabilize the contact area and provide directional stability. At least two crossed layers made of steel cords.
6) Carcass: several layers of rubberized textile fibers (mainly rayon) run radially (at right angles) to the direction of travel. These layers determine the tire’s load capacity.
7) Apex: is located above the bead core. It affects tire deformation in the event of lateral forces, steering response and driving comfort.

Other Porsche and Audi models come equipped with deflated, collapsible tires and an inflator, such as the Cayenne and the Q5. So, if you own one of these models and need to change your tire, don’t freak out if it looks something like the tire at the beginning of this video:

As the video clearly demonstrates, Porsche and Audi provide deflated tires in order to save room for storage purposes.

If you intend on changing your tire with a collapsible spare (or an Audi model that has a traditional spare tire), you’ll want to keep in mind the following steps, which I copy-and-pasted from DMV.org, in order to ensure your safety:

• Find a safe spot to pull over. If you’re on the freeway, taking the next exit is the safest bet, even if you have to drive on a blown tire. Otherwise, pull as far onto the shoulder as possible. Don’t park in the middle of a curve where approaching cars can’t see you. Also, choose a flat spot; jacking up your car on a hill can be a disaster. If you have a manual transmission, leave your car in gear. Be sure to set your parking brake!
• Turn on your hazard lights. Get the jack, wrench, and spare tire from the trunk of the car and bring them over to the tire that is flat. Use other tools or supplies, if needed.
• Use the wrench to loosen the lug nuts. You may need to remove the hubcap. Don’t remove the lug nuts at this point; simply loosen them by turning the wrench to the left (counter-clockwise). If the lug nuts are really tight, try placing the wrench on the nut and standing on the wrench arm to use your full weight on it. You can also try hitting the wrench arm with a rock.
• Use the jack to lift the vehicle off the ground. Different car models may have different places to put the jack; consult your owner’s manual for specific locations. Once the jack is securely in the correct spot, jack up the car until the tire is about 6 inches off the ground.
• Remove the lug nuts and pull the tire off the car. Make sure to place the lug nuts in a pile that won’t get scattered, and pull the tire straight toward yourself to remove it from the wheel base.
• Place the spare on the car. Line up the lug nut posts with the holes in the spare, and push the spare all the way onto the wheel base until it can’t go any farther.
• Put on the lug nuts. Don’t put them on tightly, just make sure they’re on enough for the spare to stay on the car for a moment.
• Lower the car back to the ground. Use the jack to bring the car back down to ground level. Remove the jack from underneath the car.
• Make sure the lug nuts are tightened. With the car back on the ground, you can now tighten the lug nuts. Rather than tightening them one by one in order, start with one lug nut, tighten it about 50%, move to the opposite nut (across the circle) and tighten that one about the same amount. Keep tightening opposite lug nuts gradually in turn until each lug nut is as tight as it can be.
• Put your flat tire and tools back in your trunk. Make sure you don’t leave anything on the side of the road.

If you need more information regarding changing your tire, roadside assistance, or any Audi and Porsche maintenance concerns, call Prestige Imports at (833) 825-5423 to speak with someone from our Parts & Service Department.