Pdvsa

I have recently purchased a 2014 RS5. I don't believe the car comes with a spare tire.

Is the "spare" really to be a can of fix a flat? It seems very odd to me that the RS5 doesn't have a spare even though one fits perfectly (after removing the small electric pump).

I did put a spare in the trunk off an S5. I assume it will fit. It was for an S5 19" rims and I have 20" rims on the RS5.

Thank you

superswiss

No spare tire on these kinds of cars. The B7 RS4 didn't have a spare tire. BMW M cars don't have spare tires. Most performance oriented cars don't have spare tires. Regular cars less and less have spare tires as well. The fix-a-flat is for when you are in a pinch and need a quick fix, provided the damage isn't too big. Otherwise, a call to Audi Roadside Assistance is what you are supposed to do. Frankly, I'm one of the unluckiest guys when it comes to picking up nails and screws, but even I have only needed a spare tire once in the last 10 years. Full flats are rare if you properly maintain your tire pressure, regularly inspect your tires and watch where you are driving.

Pdvsa

Thank you the info. Maybe the reasoning is less weight because a spare fits. The RS5 is quite a fatty at 2 tons.

I haven't had to use a spare in a long time either but I do plug tires probably 1x every 1-2 yrs.

eric strauss

I carry a repair kit; plugs of various sizes and an electric tire pump that runs off of the lighter. I use the pump often to vary tire pressures for different conditions. The repair kit comes in very handy. I got mine from Griot's: Tire Repair Kit - Griot's Garage

Happy Motoring

Eric

superswiss

I do the same, but I wouldn't use the Griot's kit on a performance car. I carry one with mushroom plugs (forgot where I got it), even better would be one with vulcanizing mushroom plugs that become part of the tire. I've been thinking of replacing the one I currently carry with vulcanizing plugs, but I hadn't even been in a situation yet where I need to plug a tire.

HamOnRye

Good point. A simple plug or even a patch inside the tire will nullify the manufacturer's speed rating. Any repair attempted without removing a tire from the wheel is improper. Without inspecting the inside of the tire for hidden damage comes the risk of returning a weakened tire to service.

Sure, if you're stuck in the middle of nowhere, a plug can be a lifesaver to get you going again; but don't count on the tire being safe for high speeds anymore.

eric strauss

... I should have noted that the plugs are used as an "emergency" feature to get us home from the mountains. We have three 100-150 mile loops we do that are quite isolated (no cell coverage).

I have the Audi tire protection plan and have used it three times. The plug gets me home. Then the tire is dismounted and either properly repaired or discarded depending on the size of the hole and where the puncture occurred. In only one out of the three cases was the tire salvageable. But, at least I got home!

best

Eric

HamOnRye

Glad you made it home! Carrying the repair kit was certainly worth it.

I 'm curious; what sort of repair was done on the salvageable tire after dismounting, and why were the other 2 punctures deemed unrepairable?

eric strauss

In the case of the salvageable tire, The nail puncture was in the middle of the tread face, away from the sidewall. They used a mushroom shaped patch, applied from the inside and sealed with a very sticky square.

The other two were too close to the edge. The picture below is from our 2014 S4 with a nail puncture that was NOT salvageable, due to the location of the nail.

WhydidIbuy

Can you we are reading posts about supplies to carry because the vendor is refusing to sell vehicles with a proper spare safety tire? Why did we buy a premium car or suv that forced us to carry stuff that might not be enough to get us back on the road home?
A spare is not optional. It’s a safety issue as well. Audi cheaped out bland avoid costs, weight and design creativity by simply skipping over a spare. I won’t buy another Audi for this reason and the fact the battery too was inappropriately stuffed where I can’t replace it easily and moved out of the engine compartment. Crazy idiot engineering.