Quattro gets the credit when an Audi pulls away cleanly on a snowy street, but the system can only use the grip its tires provide. That puts the tires at the center of Audi quattro winter maintenance.
SAS Automotive Repair works exclusively on European cars, Audi among them. Some winter preparation is driver homework, such as learning how chain controls work on the passes, and some is a short set of checks worth having a technician do.
How Much Do Tires Change Stopping Distance on Snow?
They change it far more than the drivetrain does. In Consumer Reports’ winter testing, an all-wheel-drive CR-V needed almost 700 feet to stop from 60 mph in snow on all-season tires. Its stopping distance improved considerably on winter tires. In a separate test, the CR-V and a front-wheel-drive Camry, both on winter tires, each stopped in about 300 feet.
Quattro can also make a slick road feel grippier than it is. It will not save a car heading too fast into a snowy curve. The same publication surveyed more than 54,000 owners who drove AWD or 4WD vehicles in snow, and less than 15 percent had fitted winter tires. Audi adds a warning of its own: even winter tires can lose traction on black ice. Its manual tells drivers to ease off the speed whenever the road turns icy or slippery.
Should a Quattro Audi Run Winter Tires?
Audi recommends winter tires during the winter months. It explains that low temperatures significantly reduce the elasticity of summer tires, which hurts traction and braking. Summer tires used in very cold weather can also crack across the tread. That damage is permanent and can bring loud road noise and imbalance. Audi of America adds that ultra-high performance tires are not suited for use on ice or snow at all.
When winter tires go on, Audi’s guidance is to fit them on all four wheels. Their effectiveness drops sharply once the tread wears down to 0.16 inch (4 mm). It also fades as the rubber ages, whatever tread remains. Winter tires can carry a lower maximum speed rating than the car’s original tires, too.
The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) suggests running snow tires between October 1 and April 30. Audi advises against driving on winter tires in summer, since summer tires handle better, run quieter, and wear less on clear roads. For the seasonal swap, Audi suggests marking tires before removing them so they go back on in the same running direction. Stored tires should lie flat in a cool, dry place.
All-season tires are an accepted alternative in Audi’s manuals. Where streets are plowed thoroughly, a set in good condition can be enough.
Why Is Tire Matching Part of Audi Quattro Winter Maintenance?
Mismatched tires turn at different speeds, and Audi warns that this can damage the drive system. That is why it requires all four tires on an all-wheel-drive car to share the same brand, construction, and tread pattern. For the spare, the requirement is narrower: it must have the same circumference as the regular tires.
What Do Nevada and California Chain Controls Mean for an AWD Audi?
Quattro alone does not exempt an Audi from chain controls, because both states also look at the tires. NDOT’s chain requirements use two levels. At the lower “chains or snow tires required” level, vehicles under 10,000 pounds may use snow tires or approved traction devices. At the “chains required” level, four-wheel-drive vehicles can skip chains only with four mud-and-snow rated tires. NDOT defines a snow tire by its M-S marking and at least 3/16 inch of tread. It adds that tires should also carry the mountain-and-snowflake symbol.
Three Tahoe-area routes are stricter: Mt. Rose Highway, Kingsbury Grade, and U.S. 50 between Glenbrook and Carson City. Whenever chain requirements are posted there, only vehicles with chains, or four-wheel and all-wheel-drive vehicles with snow tires, are allowed through. Nevada’s current requirements appear on nvroads.com and through the 511 phone line.
California handles the other side of the Sierra differently. Its R-2 level exempts all-wheel-drive vehicles with snow-tread tires on all four wheels, but those vehicles still have to carry chains or other traction devices. At R-3, every vehicle needs chains or traction devices, with no exceptions.
Can You Put Snow Chains on an Audi with Quattro?
It depends on the wheel and tire combination, since Audi’s manuals permit chains only on certain rim and tire sizes. Audi of America treats chain eligibility as specific to each car’s VIN.
Some Audis, as equipped, cannot take tire chains at all. Audi of America notes that those cars may accommodate another type of traction device instead. Nevada has approved alternative traction devices made of durable fabric or plastic that wrap around the tire tread, which may suit those cars.
Where chains do fit, the manuals for models such as the A6 and TT call for installing them on the front wheels only. That applies even on all-wheel-drive cars. The manuals also set a 30 mph limit with chains on, and the A6 manual says to remove them on roads without snow.
That manual also warns that chains adding more than 0.4 inch of height can severely damage the wheel housings. It notes that switching on sport mode may help while chains are on.
Why Can the Tire Pressure Warning Act Up in Winter?
On Audis such as the TT, the warning comes from comparing the wheels through the ABS sensors rather than reading each tire directly. A change in how any tire rolls can therefore set it off. The pressures have to be stored again in the infotainment system after any adjustment or tire change. Otherwise, the warning can come on even when the pressures are correct.
The TT manual also notes that snow chains may cause a system malfunction. In winter conditions, the warning itself may be delayed. Checking pressures with a gauge after every tire change or cold snap gives a reading that does not depend on the system.
What Does Road Brine Do to an Audi Over the Winter?
Salt raises the risk of corrosion on anything it reaches, which is why Audi advises rinsing any component that contacts salt water with fresh water.
The City of Reno lays down salt brine on its highest-priority streets ahead of storms. After plowing, crews spread sand and salt on icy intersections, hills, curves, and bridges. The city’s own brine FAQ suggests rinsing the brine off a vehicle after each storm.
Audi says burnished, polished, or chrome-plated wheels must not be used in winter driving conditions, because their surface lacks enough corrosion protection. Road salt can damage them permanently.
What Else Should Be Checked Before Winter Arrives?
Audi notes that cold weather places higher demands on the battery and reduces its starting ability. It recommends having the battery checked before cold weather begins. Audi also warns that a deeply drained battery can be destroyed from the inside. On a car parked for long stretches, it recommends charging the battery every month.
The quattro system deserves a look as well, since the parts that send power to the rear axle differ by Audi model and system type. The right service depends on which version the car has, so our Audi quattro service starts by confirming the system type before recommending anything.
Get Your Audi Ready Before the First Chain Control
Tires and chains are far easier to sort out in a shop than at a chain-control checkpoint in falling snow.
Call or text SAS Automotive Repair at (775) 825-2850, or book online, to schedule Audi quattro winter maintenance. Mention which tires are on the car and the routes you drive in winter. We can then check the setup against the chain rules on those routes.