I bought an 2007 Audi A4 2.0 FWD for my husband 2years ago when he returned from Iraq.
I went for the 5k service and no one ever mentioned rotating the tires. Had them rotated at 10k and ever since they vibrate like crazy when ever we go over 45mph. My husband has been dying to replace them but being cheap by nature, he wanted to wait until they were worn. My local mechanic & tire man being an honest guy kept telling us they weren’t ready to be replaced…until today when he could see the wear band. Finally at 33k we can replace them. Problem is with what?? The Audi dealer is recommending Continentals, but I haven’t read the best reviews on those. Our fear is we’ll spend almost a grand on new tires and after we rotate them the first time (at 5k) they’ll vibrate again. Please help.
I’ve had very bad luck with Continental tires. Any other brand is OK but the problem you describe is similar to my experience with Continental tires. This is a symptom of the internal “belts” breaking down so the tires become out of round, move side to side slightly and vibrate.
Michelin tires are excellent, they are pricey but you get some of that back as they last a long time. You’d get 50 to 60K miles out of most Michelin tires rather than 33K. Toyo, Kumho, Cooper, just about any tire will be fine - just no Continentals.
A Grand? That’s WAY too much for a set of tires, even for an Audi.
Please consult http://www.tirerack.com for lots of good information about tires. Even if you don’t buy from them it’s still a good resource for information.
I don’t think lack of rotation is your main problem. Wheel alignment, or the lack thereof, probably made the tires wear abnormally, hence the noise. Once they’re worn there’s no way to correct them. You can rotate all you want, but if a tire has already developed a wear pattern you’re stuck with it.
Been there, done that.
Regardless of the tires you buy, have the wheel alignment of your A4 checked and adjusted by someone who knows what they’re doing. I suggest someone other than the Audi dealer.
And then, of course, you’ll need to rotate the tires.
I’m getting ready to buy new tires for my Acrua. I’ve done a lot of research and decided Bridgestone is the brand for me.
As you said, Continental doesn’t seem to rate very highly.
There are plenty of very good tyres out there. There is no ONE best tyre. One might be give you the best mpg and another might have less noise as third might last longer yet another perform best at high speeds. Lots of issues and we have not yet look at the type of driving you do and if you end up driving on snow or ice. (I recommend separate winter tyres for snow or ice.)
As has already been mentioned I recommend checking in at http://www.tirerack.com . I also agree with the other advice mcparadise offered. Be sure to look for reviews from people who may have an A4.
I bought my current tyres, which I am happy with, from Tirerack based on the information available on their web site. In fact I am also driving an A4 but mine is a Beetle diesel.
If you are “cheap” you definitely should not visit the dealer for tire replacement. Call around(independents and chains) and ask for alternatives. Make sure to get installed price not tire price(varies).
Continetals are good tires if you hit one right, they do have a reputation more than others for issues but usually initially and are replaced under the 30 day ride warranty.
I think that most of us have stories about a particular brand (or brands) of tire that we would never purchase again. In my case, the brand to avoid is Bridgestone. After two experiences with that brand, I have vowed never again, just as some have vowed after buying Continental, or some other brand of tire.
In my experience, the only brand that is consistently reliable is Michelin. They do tend to cost more, but most models of Michelin tires also have better tread wear than their competitors, thus making them no more expensive in the long run. Also, Michelin’s cheaper line of tires, B.F. Goodrich, represents a good value in my opinion. They don’t wear as well as their more expensive siblings, but they are cheaper than comparable Michelins.
As was suggested, using the resources of www.tirerack.com can be very helpful when deciding on which brand/model of tire to buy. Even if you don’t buy from Tire Rack, their own tests of many of the tires that they sell, coupled with lots of consumer reviews on their site, will give you a lot of insight into what is out there in the marketplace.
One thing to consider about their “recommendation” is perhaps that they just “recommend” whatever tire they most need to get rid of.
As others have noted, just skip the dealer. Use tirerack to shop, even if you don’t buy from there. The last time I got tires I “shopped” on tire rack and asked my regular (independent, local) shop to order my chosen tires. (BTW: Kumho Solus KR21 which I have nothing by good things to say about, and very reasonable in price).
“perhaps that they just “recommend” whatever tire they most need to get rid of”
Good point to consider.
In a similar fashion to restaurant “specials” that are actually the items that would have to be thrown out tomorrow if they are not sold today, the Continentals that the dealer is pushing may be piling up in the inventory and they may just need to get rid of them–albeit for the dealer’s usual high price.
While you and Hubby are visiting the Tire Rack site, look at the tire surveys. There is a button on the left of the home screen called “survey results”. On the next page, click the type of tire you want to consider. If you choose Grand touring All-Season, 19 different tires will show up with ratings from customers. You can ask your local dealer if they stock the ones that interest you and what the price is. Then compare to Tire Rack prices. If you buy from Tire Rack, they will help you find a local shop to install them for you.
Unfortunately, no one answered the question: It was about vibrations after the first rotation.
These types or vibration are caused by irregular wear, which is caused by misalignment and aggravated by insufficient rotation (as you experienced) and insufficient inflation pressure.
So get an alignment when you get your new tires.
My mom has these on her Cobalt(thanks to me giving them as a birthday present last year) and she reports all is good:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Assurance+TripleTred&partnum=155HR6ATT&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes
I have these on my Civic, and they’re really good too:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Pilot+Exalto+A%2FS&partnum=155VR6EXAS&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes
These are rated good, but I don’t have any experience with them:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Pilot+Sport+A%2FS+Plus&partnum=155WR6PSAS&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes
I’m having good luck with my Yokohama Avids, and Tire Rack has them for about $100/tire. You should be able to get a good set of tires for $600 or so, not $1000.
I wonder if anyone has checked for maybe a wheel weight that may have been knocked off when rotated or such?
The service advisor at Audi at the time didn’t want to be bothered. Thankfully, they have a returning advisor over there who is much more on the ball…I won’t let the dealer rotate my new tires ever. I’ll use my tire guy
I want to get it aligned, because I figure with all the Vibration it must be off. My tire guy is not sure it will need it, but he will check.