snagitseven

Yesterday, my wife got a flat on the right rear and drove the car (slowly) for a couple of miles home (sheesh...). She said she noticed a "little car with an arrow" in the display but didn't stop, just drove home. The tire was totally destroyed with holes all around the inside sidewall. She called AAA to come and change the tire with the inflatable spare and the guy didn't set the jack lock position on the suspension.
Today I started the car with trepidation that the suspension would be screwed up but there didn't seem to be any problem I could discern and no warning displays. I drove to Discount Tire here in Denver and they replaced the Pirelli P6 with the allroad version for just $59 which I thought was a great deal considering the warranty would not have covered the tire for damage. The original tires have 8300 miles on them and a new one would have retailed for $173 at Discount. They even knew to use the Jack lock setting before raising the car.
The Discount Tire guys are really a good bunch. We're bringing the allroad in for a replacement windshield (#2) at our dealer next week and I'll ask them to check the suspension calibration.
Moral of the story? Some wives and cars are totally disconnected. Also, if you need tires, consider the Discount Tire guys if in your area.

HPH

...I did the same thing (duh) and the worst to happen was a briefly confused leveling computer.

Hope the wheel wasn't damaged from being driven on. HPH

snagitseven

I read somewhere that if the Jack setting wasn't used, the auto leveling calibration could get semi-permantly confused until it was recalibrated by computer. Sounds like yours didn't need it.
I checked the wheel and can't see any obvious damage so hopefully, we dodged that bullet.

HPH

...is probably the procedure described in the Bentley manual, and it requires the VAG-COM tool. (This, btw, is the way that the suspension can be "fooled" as a way to lower the car, a recurring discussion topic here.)

I "recalibrated" by running it up and down all the way a couple of times, both standing in the driveway and while underway. The main result was that it took a long (very long) time for it to go up from 1 to 2 the first time. Probably had to do with pumping up the springs.

I'm not sure I'd want to make that same mistake when putting the car up on a lift. But one wheel didn't have much of an effect. HPH

yzf996fltri

No probs, everything works fine.

Feraca

I forgot to lock the suspension when I had a flat changed last week also. They used a floor jack under one side to raise the car. While the car was in the air with the right fron tire on, the suspension tried to level itself, the result being that the left fron hub moved down. This required them to jack the car higher to get the new tire back on. Another time I forgot to lock it while I was under the front bumper installing the radar/laser system. I set the suspension on level 4 to get the most clearance for sliding under the bumber. While I was under the car the front started to lower by itself. Needless to say this was scary and required quick action to get out of the way. I'm sure this is what Audi had in mind with the lock. After all the suspension has to handle changing levels while doing 80 around turns and over rough terrain. Surely a little jacking without the lock shouldn't upset the system.

yzf996fltri

That makes sense.