Properly maintaining your Audi A5 tire pressure is crucial for safety, maximizing fuel efficiency, and extending the life of your tires. Yet many A5 owners neglect to check tire pressure regularly. This comprehensive checklist will ensure you never overlook this vital maintenance task again.
Why Proper Tire Pressure Matters
Driving on underinflated or overinflated tires impacts four key areas:
Safety
Incorrect tire pressure severely compromises traction, braking distances, handling, and stability. The risk of blowouts or skidding rises exponentially. Maintaining the manufacturer’s recommended PSI keeps all four tires gripping the road properly.
Fuel Efficiency
Underinflated tires create more rolling resistance with the pavement, forcing your A5’s engine to burn more gas while working harder. Keeping your tires filled to the optimal PSI reduces drag and rolling resistance for improved MPG.
Tire Wear
When the tire pressure drops, the tread makes uneven contact with the road, wearing in inconsistent patterns. This causes premature and irregular tire wear, shortening their lifespan. Proper inflation allows even wear across the tread.
Comfort
Improperly inflated tires degrade shock absorption and isolate fewer road irregularities from reaching the A5’s chassis. Maintaining correct pressure provides a smoother, more comfortable drive.
When to Check Audi A5 Tire Pressure
Many drivers fall into the habit of only adding air to low tires when they appear visibly underinflated. By then, you’ve already incurred safety risks and unnecessary tire wear. Instead, make a regular schedule for preventative pressure checks using the following guidelines:
- Check tire pressure at least once a month
- Verify pressure before any long road trip
- Inspect pressure after leaving vehicles idle for more than 2 weeks
- Confirm adequate pressure during oil changes
- Check the pressure when the weather changes seasons
Additionally, always recheck pressure after fixing flats, tire rotations, balancing, or replacing tires.
Checking Tire Pressure Procedure
While the basics seem simple, there are particulars to checking inflation properly on your A5:
- Only use a tire pressure gauge (typically $10-$50) within its validity date – Old gauges lose accuracy
- Check when tires are cold – Warm tires show higher pressure
- Refer to the PSI sticker inside the driver’s door jamb
- Review the owner’s manual for front vs rear inflation
- Check pressure standing, not leaning over the tire
- Remove caps by hand, no tools – Prevents stripping threads
- Press the gauge straight, tight to the valve stem at a right angle
- When finished, replace caps finger tight – Prevents cracking seals
Following this protocol yields precise pressure readings so you can properly inflate.
How to Maintain Proper Tire Pressure
With a calibrated gauge in hand and tires cool, maintaining optimal pressure requires ensuring you stay within the set PSI range for your A5’s front and rear tires.
DO NOT inflate to the maximum itself or exceed it. Overinflation alters wear patterns while reducing grip. Instead, consider the listed PSI as a maximum threshold.
- If front OR rear pressure reads low – Inflate to the highest underinflated tire’s PSI
- If both front AND rear read equally underinflated – Inflate all four tires according to the owner’s manual recommended PSI
This guarantees all four tires match without exceeding limits. Equally important – address ANY underinflation promptly. Driving on a low tire risks damage.
DIY or Shop Inflation
While home inflation is convenient with a portable compressor, gas station pumps notoriously give inaccurate pressure readings. Instead, invest in a quality dial gauge and use a tire shop with a tire inflator holding precision-calibrated digital gauges for inflation. This better ensures correctly hitting your Audi’s PSI for all tires simultaneously.
Why Tires Lose Pressure
While a sudden drop indicates a flat, gradual deflation stems from:
- Natural seepage through the rubber – 1-2 PSI monthly
- Unnoticed micro-punctures in the tread slowly leaking
- Loose, worn, or damaged valve stem caps
Regardless of the cause, responding quickly to any loss of pressure keeps your A5’s tires in their ideal operating range.
The Right Tires for Your A5
In addition to monitoring PSI, also ensure you purchase appropriate replacement tires for your Audi. Using tires designed for performance sedans with specifications meeting your A5’s weight, handling needs, and OEM standards helps maintain proper inflation ranges season after season.
Signs of Overinflation
While underinflation garners deserved attention for safety issues, overfilling tires leads to their own handling, wear, and traction problems. Watch for these warning signs:
- Excessive vibration and bouncing
- Reduced grip through turns
- Wear concentrated on the center tread
- Premature cracking of the tread grooves
As soon as you suspect overinflation, use a tire gauge to confirm pressure exceeds maximum PSI limits. If so, slowly bleed air until reaching the target inflation window.
Signs of Underinflation
Low pressure requires a quicker response to prevent damage. Be proactive in watching for symptoms of gradual underinflation:
Tire pressure monitoring light illuminating – This sensor triggers the A5’s warning based on rolling diameter and rotational speeds.
Visible tire deflation – Gradually sinking tires signal lost pressure.
Uneven tread wear – Edge wear indicates consistent underinflation.
Reduced fuel economy – A common early sign heralding gradual air loss.
At the first sign or every 30 days, use a gauge to check the pressure in all four tires, correcting any underinflation immediately to prevent further side effects.
Preventing and Fixing Flats
While running over nails and debris that puncture the tread is unavoidable, you can minimize flats by:
- Maintaining proper PSI – Underfilled tires more easily puncture
- Driving slower on construction sites
- Avoiding curbs when parking
- Rotating tires every 5,000 miles prevents wear in one spot
- Checking tread depth every 2nd oil change
- Replacing tires before the wear bars show at 2/32nds depth
When you do get a flat, use a quality plug kit to patch holes up to 1⁄4 inch. This prevents slowly leaking air when properly sealed. Always follow up plugging by fully reinflating the tire to recommended pressures.
Should You Purchase a Tire Inflator and Sealant?
Rather than a short-term fix, tire inflator kits are best for an emergency. Sealants can damage tire pressure sensors. Instead, plug punctures for gradual leaks then reinflate. Better yet, keep a spare tire in good condition with proper pressure. This allows quickly swapping the full-size wheel until you can patch the flat properly.
Why Air Leaks from Tires
If one tire loses pressure faster than the rest with no visible punctures, suspect a damaged, loose, or incorrectly installed valve stem. The thin valve easily cracks, preventing the air-tight seal. Similarly, loosening the valve nut by over-tightening allows air to leak through the wheel itself.
Compare wear on the suspect tire’s valve condition to the others. Look for:
- Cracked, dry, or missing valve caps
- Valve stems not aligning straight out from the wheel
- Rust around stem base indicating moisture entered
Installing new, quality valve stem caps helps. For bent or cracked valve stems, replace the full valve assembly. Applying thread seal tape or rubber gaskets ensures tight seals when reinstalling the new stem’s nut.
Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems in Audi A5s
Newer A5 models feature TPMS – Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems alerting you via a dashboard warning light reflecting real-time pressure losses. This acts as an early indicator to use a gauge and find the low tire.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the recommended tire pressure for an Audi A5?
A. Consult your owner’s manual or the tire placard on the driver’s side door jamb for the recommended PSI for both front and rear tires. This varies between models and tire sizes.
Q. How often should I check my Audi A5’s tire pressure?
A. Check pressure at least monthly, before long trips, after the car sits idle for over 2 weeks, at oil changes, and when the weather changes seasons.
Q. Why does my TPMS warning come on if I don’t see visibly low tires?
A. The TPMS measures rolling diameter differences detecting pressure loss before tires appear underinflated. Use a gauge monthly regardless of TPMS alerts.
Q. What causes my Audi A5’s tires to lose 1-3 PSI per month?
A. Natural rubber permeation through the tire allows air molecules to slowly diffuse outward gradually decreasing pressure. Top off at least monthly.
Q. Can overinflated tires cause accidents in an A5?
A. Yes. Exceeding the maximum tire pressure alters grip, handling, traction, and braking effectiveness leading to loss of control in emergency maneuvers.
Q. Will underinflated tires damage my Audi A5’s tire pressure sensors?
A. Yes. Drastic or chronic underinflation distorts the wheel profile, eventually rupturing sensors valued at $100-$300 each. Maintain PSI diligently.
Q. Should I add sealant when adding air to Audi A5 tires?
A. No. Sealants can corrode TPMS sensors. Only use soapy water to locate punctures, then use quality plug patches for small holes up to 1⁄4 inch before reinflating fully.
Q. Can I mix different brands of tires on an A5?
A. Avoid mixing unless the new tires match OEM-certified standards for dimensions, weight ratings, and speed categories. Differing traction, stiffness, and grip undermine performance.
Q. How much does it cost to replace valve stems on an Audi A5?
A. Stems average $10-25 from tire shops or Audi dealerships plus $50+ labor costs. DIY stems are under $15 but require removing the tire to access the wheel’s internal valve channel.
Q. Will incorrect tire pressure hurt my Audi A5’s engine, transmission, or suspension?
Yes. Underinflation strains drivetrain components accelerating wear. It also overloads shocks and struts while lowering fuel economy. Maintain proper PSI to prevent expensive damage.
