A441663 2022563-

44 Steering wheel shimmy, vibration, and/or oscillation
44 16 63 2022563/14 October 19, 2016. Supersedes Technical Service Bulletin Group 44 number 16-59 dated
February 11, 2016 for reasons listed below.
Model(s)
Year
VIN Range
Vehicle-Specific Equipment
All
2008 - 2017
All
Not Applicable
Condition
REVISION HISTORY
Revision
Date
Purpose
14
-
Revised Service (Revised Instructions)
13
02/11/2016
Revised Service (Revised Instructions)
Revised attachments (Updated Tire Data Sheet)
12
10/5/2015
Revised attachments (Updated Tire Data Sheet)
 Customer feels vibration in the seat, vehicle floor, footwell, pedals, or steering wheel. This condition does not
lead to any handling concerns or loss of vehicle control.
 Customer feels the vibration while driving at highway speeds from 55 – 80 mph (88 – 128 km/h).
Tip: This bulletin is not applicable if this vehicle has a Repair Authorization on this topic. If an applicable
Repair Authorization is not followed, the claim will not be paid.
Technical Background
The vibrations felt by the customer could be a result of the harmonic vibrations caused by the radial force
variation (RFV) of the tires or an imbalance of the wheel and tire assembly.
Tire RFV (also referred to as tire uniformity):
To understand the effects of RFV, imagine the tire as a collection of springs between the rim and the tire
tread. If the “springs” are not uniform stiffness, a varied force is exerted on the axle as the tire rotates
and flexes (Figure 1). This creates a vibration in the vehicle.
Page 1 of 8
© 2016 Audi of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of Audi of
America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.
Figure 1. Vibration source from radial force variation (A).
The table below explains common causes of wheel-related and tire-related vibrations in the vehicle.
Refer to Elsa>>Wheel and Tire Guide >> Diagnosis and Testing for further diagnostic procedures and
other possible causes of vibration.
Vibration Description
Possible Cause
Vibration felt in the steering wheel while at
constant speed
Increased radial forces or imbalance on the
front tires
Vibration in the entire vehicle
Increased or critical radial forces or imbalance
on the rear tires and possible on the front
tires.
Tip: Tires with higher mileage and/or wear should be inspected to determine the best correction for the
issue (repair or replacement). Tire life and condition should be determined prior to starting any diagnosis or repair
for a vibration.
Production Solution
Not applicable.
Page 2 of 8
© 2016 Audi of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of Audi of
America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.
Service
Note:
For all warranty vibration repairs, a completed Tire Data Sheet and Hunter RFV printouts must be
retained for warranty claim payment. Failure to do so will result in non-payment of the claim.
Sections 1-4 must be completed in their entirety and in the order listed:
1. Prepare Tires for RFV Measurement:
Tip: Flat spots are not a sign of a defect and therefore are not a warrantable condition. More
information about flat spots is available in Elsa under Repair Manual >> Suspension, Wheels, Steering
>> Wheel and Tire Guide >> 44 Wheels, Tires, Wheel Alignment >> Diagnosis and Testing >> Wheel
and Tire Vibration >> Tire Flat Spots from Standing.
Temporary flat spots falsify the radial force fluctuation and must be driven out before the balance and the
radial force are checked. Flat spots develop after a warm tire has cooled down after a stationary period
of a few hours. Flat spots vary based on the type, size, and make of the tire.
To eliminate temporary flat spots:
 Set all tire pressures according to the owner’s manual based on customer’s requirements (normal
load vs. full load).
 Test drive the vehicle a distance of at least 12-15 miles at various speeds (up to 62 mph). Some tires
may require longer test drives to eliminate these temporary flat spots.
 Raise the vehicle on a lift/hoist immediately after the test drive in order to check the balance and RFV
before the tires cool down again.
2. Measure RFV and balance:
Page 3 of 8
© 2016 Audi of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of Audi of
America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.
 Ensure that the contact surfaces of the tire balancer
flange and wheel are clean. It is mandatory that the
appropriate centering collet (Figure 3, Image A)--not
a cone (Figure 3, Image B)--and a five-finger style
clamping plate (Figure 4, Image A) are used to
mount the wheel on the balancer.
 Use of these tools ensures proper centering and
mounting of the wheel on the balancer. Audirecommended collets can be ordered through
Equipment Solutions (part number HUN2018451).
 An incorrect style of clamp could damage the wheel
(Figure 4, Image C).
Figure 3. Example of a collet (A) vs. a centering
cone (B).
Figure 4. Five-finger style clamping plate (A),
wheel properly mounted with a five-finger style
clamp (B), and wheel mounted using an
incorrect clamping tool/method (C).
 Set the tire pressure of each wheel to 36 psi (2.5 bar). Use this pressure during all measurements.
 Perform a CenteringCheck® to ensure that the wheel has been properly mounted on the VAS
6230/Hunter GSP9700 Road Force Measurement® system.
Page 4 of 8
© 2016 Audi of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of Audi of
America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.
 With the SmartWeight® feature turned on, measure the RFV and balance of the wheel/tire assembly.
This feature will check both static (hop) and couple (wobble) vibrations to give the best possible
weight and placement. Do not use “Quick Match” mode since it does not measure radial force.
3. Optimize RFV and balance:
Tip: If a tire needs to be repositioned (match-mounted) on a wheel, use adequate lubrication to
properly seat the tire on the wheel:
 Not enough lubricant can prevent the tire from properly seating on the wheel.
 Excessive lubricant may cause the tire to slip on the wheel, impacting the balance, and RFV values.
Correct the balance and, if necessary, reduce RFV by match-mounting each wheel according to the
instructions from the machine. Use 18lbs (80N) or less for the first harmonic vibration as the
maximum. If the first harmonic of the radial force of the tire that is the source of the vibration cannot
be reduced to 18lbs (80N) or less, it should be replaced.
After balancing and/or optimizing the RFV, perform a “check-spin” to ensure balance values are
consistent. If consistent values cannot be obtained, check the following:
 Calibration of the machine.
 Wheel and tire assembly mounting to the machine.
4. Reinstall Wheel and Tire Assemblies:
Follow the instructions in Elsa under Repair Manual >> Chassis >> Wheels and Tire General Information
>> 44 Wheels, Tires, Wheel Alignment >> Wheels/Tires/Tire Pressure Monitoring Assembly >>
Wheel, Changing and Mounting.
Install the wheels according to VAS 6230 instructions for lowest vibration. The wheel/tire assembly with
the lowest road force values should be installed closest to the driver:
 Lowest road force value: Left front.
 Second-lowest road force value: Right front.
 Third-lowest road force value: Left rear.
 Highest road force value: Right rear.
 Set all tire pressures according to the owner’s manual based on customer’s requirements (normal
load vs. full load).
 Test drive the vehicle at the speed at which the customer felt the vibrations to verify that the condition
is repaired.
Page 5 of 8
© 2016 Audi of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of Audi of
America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.
5. Upload the following document to Doc-IT:
• A completed Tire Data Sheet (attached to this TSB).
6. If the vibration concern cannot be resolved:
 Open a TAC ticket and advise TAC that you have uploaded a completed Tire Data Sheet to TAC
case.
Warranty
Claim Type:
Use applicable claim type:
 Before Delivery: 910 Claim Type.
 Up to 6 Months/6,000 Miles: 110 Claim Type.
 Between 6 Months/6,000 Miles and 12 Months/12,000 Miles: 1EB Claim Type.
 If vehicle is outside any warranty, this Technical Service Bulletin is informational only.
Service Number:
4412
Damage Code:
0013
Labor
Operations:
Balance and radial force balance all 4 wheels
4412 9999
190 TU
4405 2000
20 TU
(Includes additional time for extended road test prior to
service procedure. Note that documents listed in Step 5
must be uploaded to DOC-IT for claim validation.)
2 wheels, remove and reinstall
(per axle)
Diagnostic Time:
GFF
No allowance
0 TU
Road test prior to service procedure
0121 0002
10 TU
Road test after service procedure
0121 0004
10 TU
Technical diagnosis at dealer’s discretion
(Refer to Section 2.2.1.2 and Audi Warranty Online for DADP allowance details)
Page 6 of 8
© 2016 Audi of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of Audi of
America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.
Claim Comment:
As per TSB #2022563/14
All warranty claims submitted for payment must be in accordance with the Audi Warranty Policies and Procedures
Manual. Claims are subject to review or audit by Audi Warranty.
Tire Warranty
Audi of America, Inc. does not warranty tires originally installed or sold as replacement for use on Audi
vehicles. Individual tire manufacturers provide all the underlying tire warranties.
Please refer to Audi Tire Center website for tire warranty coverage and claim submission details.
Required Parts and Tools
Tools
 Use VAS 6230/Hunter GSP9700 Road Force Measurement® System to check balance, Road Force values,
and to make necessary adjustments.
 Use centering collet in conjunction with VAS 6243 model-specific clamping plate (5 finger clamping device) or
similar device to ensure proper mounting of wheel and to prevent damage to wheels.
 Vetronix MTS 4100 NVH Analyzer is helpful when diagnosing vibration concerns and can help narrow the list
of possible sources of the vibration.
Additional Information
More information can be found in the following resources:
 ElsaWeb: Wheel and Tire Guide >> Diagnosis and Testing
 SSP: Noise, Vibration, and Harshness 961403
The following repair procedure(s) will be necessary to complete this procedure:
 Chassis >> Wheel and Tire Guide >> Diagnosis and Testing
All parts and service references provided in this TSB (2022563) are subject to change and/or removal. Always
check with your Parts Department and service manuals for the latest information.
©2016 Audi of America, Inc. All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest
information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any
time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in
Page 7 of 8
© 2016 Audi of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of Audi of
America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these
materials be modified or reposted to other sites without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.
Page 8 of 8
© 2016 Audi of America, Inc.
All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of Audi of
America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.