Audi UK Technical Department??

[harrier]

When showing a friend and neighbour my car's live tyre pressure and temperature readings during a mile round trip from my house, quite coincidentally, the Low Tyre Pressure monitor's warning came on and the car's right rear tyre pressure, just then noticed to be down over 0.5Bar, continued dropping in front of my eyes. By the time I parked up back home the pressure was about 1.0Bar (c.f. 2.8Bar). I soon found a conical metal shard, protruding 5mm from the very middle groove in the tread, that hissed when touched. Pulling its buried 5mm out left a very tiny tear, but the tyre still went completely flat in minutes. I pumped it back up to 3Bar and the next morning was relieved and surprised to find the TP monitor still showing 3Bar. Watching the tyre pressure as I drove, I took the car to a friendly local garage (Picador). They sells tyres and I hoped for a repair/patch, but they were perplexed to find the tyre had a 1/2" deep foam lining across almost all its inner flat width and around its whole inner circumference, seemingly held on by a thick layer of brown glue. Their tyre technician was non-plussed as was his workshop manager. I phoned my Audi dealership's parts department, knowing that their friendly service department head technician was abroad. They naturally sell tyres for Audis, but were unable to help and suggested I ring Audi UK and speak to their Technical Department for advice. Audi UK weren't able to help me and stated "We don't have a Technical Department!". Starting to get a bit frustrated, I asked "Do I really have to ring Ingolstadt where the tyres were put on the car to get an answer?"!!!!

So does Audi UK really not have a Technical Department, where owners can ring for advice and know how?

What I should have done, in hind sight, was phone Continental Tyres, but by this this time the workshop manager had discovered that Continental Contisport Contact have the foam layer for sound absorbency, but also the "glue" holding the foam is able to seal punctures, if not too big! So my tyre didn't need repairing and was put back on. The foam and glue aren't to be removed and the tyre can't be repaired in the usual manner as that could weaken it and it would have to be thrown. The tyre will either seal its punctures successfully or not and, if not, again the tyre would need to be discarded. So might Continentals still have something to offer over Mich and Pirelli, particularly if they puncture at 189 mph, or do they also offer the same puncture sealing benefit?

[MikeFish]

They all have the sound deadening layer. Not sure if they help heal punctures or not though.

[harrier]

Further to my first post:-

Thank you MikeFish and Eddie555:- you are both right and I was wrong and have been repeatedly miss-informed. Having seen the inside of my punctured Contisport Contact 5P tyre and the goo holding the foam/sponge to the lining, it seemed totally believable, when told that it was a ContiSeal self-sealing tyre, that it was. Having researched Continental's website to learn more about my particular tyre myself (not at all straight forward), I have discovered that, although there is goo under the (silent)foam layer, it is not described by Continental as a sealant. The tyre does indeed have a ContiSilent logo on it and NO ContiSeal one. The tyre since being put back on the wheel, without being repaired, has however stayed pressurised at 2.9Bar for the last month! So that begs the question - should I have the small curved slit like puncture repaired as per Continental's repair pdf (see link below)? My usual medical/surgical training's mantra, "If its not broken, don't fix it.", makes me think I should leave well alone, but is the tyre "broken" or not? Answers on a postcard to ........

All in all I think am disappointed that 3 different places selling and repairing tyres and Audi UK haven't been able to advise me!

http://blobs.continental-tires.com/www8 ... d-data.pdf

Back to my real purpose of this post:-

Does Audi UK really not have a Technical Department, where owners can ring for advice and know how?

[Eddie555]

As I mentioned in my thread. These tyres are specific to the RS6/7. And as such you will not find many tyre dealers that have any knowledge of these tyres whatsoever. I think due to the fact that the tyres are so specific it does appear that not enough product knowledge has been passed throughout the ranks of Audi themselves. Even my usually well informed stealer had to research all the information about repairing my tyre and it was the first one they had seen and fixed.

IMO regarding your tyre. I'd want to get it repaired as per the information you have found. I wouldn't leave it as it is.

[Bit_evl]

In the manual there is a number for Audi roadside assistance and help.
I have used this as it is an Audi provided service not one of the UK dealers.
The first line are general support people to connect you to the needs (breakdown, crash, enquiry)
They can put you through to second line (workshop mechanic level plus latest manuals and other things)
If it goes above this they organise a call back, timescale variable but happens well in my experience.

[Stash21]

I had a puncture in one of these tyres - the technician simply cut a square of the foam away to apply the fix.

wouldn't be happy rolling around on one of these tyres with the outer rubber compromised at any speed. would either replace or get a proper fix.

[anth8910]

I had a puncture repaired, they just cut away the foam in the area and patched it. I had already replaced the tyre at this point so I've got a spare. Not really happy repairing something that's capable of 174mph and going pop due to a weak spot.
Pro

[harrier]

Thanks Guys, I will take your advice and get it patched and keep it as a spare. Cheers.