So I drove on a flat tire..

[Spacemani]

Hello gents,

Tonight I was out driving on the highway and noticed the car pulled a bit to the left.. Didn't reallt think about because I'm used to the car tracking in the worn down asphalt, untill I stoped at a gas station to buy some coke... It came smoke from my front left tire and it was absolutly flat! Filld it up and it seams to be okay... BUT,

Now the question;
I drove around like this for probably 35km(22 miles) at a speed of roughly 110km/h (about 70mph), is my QUATTRO going to die from this??? I've heard its VERY sensetive. I just hope that anything didn't got messed up.

Thanks in adanvce

[kastro]

kinda weird it didnt shred the rubber at those high speeds for such a distance................................... so im to assume it wasnt completely flat all that way.. ur probably ok. also kinda weird u didnt notice :P

[Plasticar]

The quattro should be OK. If it was having a bit problem it would likely have signaled you on the driver information screen. The tire, however, is toast. It may not look like it, but driving for 20 miles at highway speeds has surely cooked the sidewall rubber and weakened the belts. You should replace it as soon as possible.

[Spacemani]

Well, I was bummed out, tired and couldnt sleep, thats why I went out in the first place and thats probably the reason for this "miss".. But hey, the car pulls like everywhere when there is no problem..

And for the "flatness" the rim stod on the ground with the rubber mashed under it. It may have been slowly leaking and didnt really get flat just before i stopped i dont know..

So if I'm okay, why all this noise about the quattro burning up?

[Spacemani]

The quattro should be OK. If it was having a bit problem it would likely have signaled you on the driver information screen. The tire, however, is toast. It may not look like it, but driving for 20 miles at highway speeds has surely cooked the sidewall rubber and weakened the belts. You should replace it as soon as possible.

I guess your right...

Damn, theese tires would have lasted at least two more seasons. Maybe I have to see this as an opportunity to get a new set of wheels, again.

[Stone825]

Well think of the whole Quattro thing. When you put the spare tire on the car, it is a lot smaller in width and diameter than the regular wheel. Would Audi really design a spare tire that destroyed your Quattro system when you used it?

If it actually did I think there would be a few class action lawsuits by now.

[[email protected]]

I drove on a flat tire for about 30 miles doing an average of 60mph on the way to LA.

I only saw the flat when I stopped at Yreka for gas, touched the tire and it was hot. I am surprised it didn't shred to pieces on the I-5.

Lucky for me I had my full size spare otherwise it would have been one slow limp for the rest of the drive.

[onceover]

Well think of the whole Quattro thing. When you put the spare tire on the car, it is a lot smaller in width and diameter than the regular wheel. Would Audi really design a spare tire that destroyed your Quattro system when you used it?

If it actually did I think there would be a few class action lawsuits by now.

my spare is a full size rim.

[Stone825]

my spare is a full size rim.

Oh I have a smaller donut sitting for my spare. Then again I have a 2002 A6 2.7T which is different from the B6 A4. I guess that's what happens when I lurk on other forums.

[3.0L AUDI A4]

Any body else find it weird he stopped at a gas station to buy coke?







Just Playing... :P

[Spacemani]

Any body else find it weird he stopped at a gas station to buy coke?







Just Playing... :P

HAH... where else to get my fix at 1 in the morning :P

[a2gtinut]

outside might look ok, but inside is filled with rubber dust - sidewall.

[doublezero30]

post a close up picture of the sidewall. my bet is there is a slight ring around it. looking at it from the outside this may seem ok, but the inside is where the real damage is.

[Capt. Obvious]

Our cars have open diffs and the Quattro is not as delicate as people think it is, I highly doubt you did any real damage to the car.

Technically, you can "safely" tow a Quattro car up to 30 miles with one set of wheels on the ground turning and the others locked without frying anything (according to Audi tech manuals). But would I do it unless I *really* had to, no.

There's not really anything in the drive train that will break from the forces of driving like that. What damages stuff and causes it to break is the intense heat created in the center diff by the different rotation speeds of the front and rear wheels.

[Raus]

No, quattro isn't going to break. I've done the same thing without realizing that I had a flat tire. Then on another occasion didn't realize that I had very low pressure in a front tire for 2 weeks.

[Spacemani]

post a close up picture of the sidewall. my bet is there is a slight ring around it. looking at it from the outside this may seem ok, but the inside is where the real damage is.

I took a closer look at it tonight, just now.. And all the air has gone to the worlds, and the slight ring your speaking of, is not so slight, in one place the sidewall even has a "mould" (in lack of better english words ). I guess thats where the rim sat on it when i stopped at the gas station when the tire still was hot.
Thats totally sucked!!! I'm guessing someone did something to my wheel at the parkinglot.. My neighbour got all four wheels stolen the same night (I have lock-bolts so thats pobably why I had to eat shit).

Good to hear that my quattro line should survive anyway! Now I just have to find my self a new set of tires.

Thanks everyone for all the replies!

[illaudiill]

kinda weird it didnt shred the rubber at those high speeds for such a distance................................... so im to assume it wasnt completely flat all that way.. ur probably ok. also kinda weird u didnt notice :P

Thats always a good thing

[Plasticar]

[QUOTE=Spacemani;3220688]
Now I just have to find my self a new set of tires.
QUOTE]

Just one will be fine, unless the other ones are nearly ready for replacement also. Just like the previous comments, the quattro will absorb the slight diameter difference from one new tire and 3 somewhat worn ones.