bg_2007Q7

When I had to change to the inflatable spare, I just inflated it to 50psi with the compressor off the car. Then once I knew it was good, I changed the tire. Amazing the spare was still good after 15 years of sitting there.

Blackfunk

The tire/wheel is considered sacrificial. It is only supposed to be used for less than 50 miles at speeds less than 50 mph. The fact that you've used it more than once is a good indicator that its time for a new one. It's better to have it fail in a garage than barreling down the road. The tire should also be replaced every 7 yrs due to potential dry rot.

'10Q7TDI_Prestige'

+1
IIRC, the owner's manual calls out exactly what is posted above in regards to the expectations from the temp spare wheel/tire combo; it is designed as a space/weight saving, consumable item, and it's not a real tire that is designed to withstand regular usage under the weight of this vehicle. Count yourself lucky if you've gotten multiple uses from it. Run-flat tires are of a similar ilk; designed to be consumed when use is required.

We hedged our bets by buying replacements for the Bridgestone Alenza A/S Sport RF (run-flat) our '15 (air suspension) had mounted already, so if we get an especially bad puncture/air loss, we can still roll on the run-flat insert w/o wheel damage occurring for the same distance/speed as the temp spare is designed for, just w/o the drama of having to change the wheel out, which is a suck-fest at best, and possibly dangerous, if you are doing it yourself on the side of the road. I've picked up a few screws/nails in the main tread area with minor air loss, and been able to patch them just fine on our RF tires too, just like you can with any other standard tire.

94teener

I had this issue once. The spare was used once before and the shop that deflated it and put it back in the car didn't seat the needle valve fully. Pump ran fine but air just leaked out. Once the valve was tightened down it worked fine.

diydad8662

I had this issue recently on my 2019 SQ5 - the spare worked fine ~2 years ago but then wouldn't hold air (bead not seated correctly) when I had to use it this week.

Regarding the spare being "sacrificial" and needing to be replaced after use

• Maybe my 2019 SQ5's setup is different, but I could not find any mention in my owner's manual or the spare itself about the spare being a 1-time-use item.
• In fact, the owner's manual specifically mentions how to deflate the tire for storage, ostensibly to be used again in the future.
• I drove for about 1 mile on it last time, at most 45 mph. So I don't think I wore it out.
• If the spare was consumable, then why didn't the tire shop (most places are notorious for trying to sell whatever they can) try selling me a new one?
• I agree with the comments about limited distance and speed for the spare. I'm just challenging the notion that the collapsible spare is a 1-time use.

Regarding removal of the valve stem for inflation

• Again, maybe my 2019 SQ5's setup is different, but - at least for me - the valve core wasn't the problem for inflation.
• I agree there are circumstances in which the spare needs a lot of pressure and volume quickly to re-seat the bead.
• In my case, the 12V inflator couldn't get the spare inflated (bead seated) even with the valve core removed.
• We were able to use house air at work and physical manipulation to get the spare's bead to re-seat. But by then I had already plugged my normal tire, so I didn't need the spare.
• Removing the valve core on inflation creates the new problem of quickly capping the stem to avoid loosing too much pressure. My spare seemed very sensitive to having ~50 psi, otherwise it leaned to the inside

Actual root cause

• This is mostly what happened to me, except the valve wasn't the problem - the bead was.
• It would have been best practice for me to check that the spare was ready to go again, although the bead issue could have appeared much later. It isn't standard maintenance to check this...
• The tire shop took out the valve core to deflate the tire, then didn't put it back in, then the spare was stored fully deflated. According to the instructions, this is what to do. But apparently it can result in the bead coming loose.
• It just seems like a bad idea to remove the valve core under pressure. One has to be careful to avoid shooting it off, never to be found again. The alternative it that it just takes a long time to deflate the spare, although my inflator does have a leak valve so I didn't have to press in the valve core by hand.

Fixes

• I pressured cycles the spare a few times, and it hasn't reproduced the bead issue.
• I replaced the valve core and stored it with some pressure. Hopefully this avoids the bead issue.

Links to similar posts
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q7-...spare-2848859/
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q5-...-spare-2861424

Blackfunk

@atoner This is as per Audi. I too was unaware of this limitation until a few years ago and specifically I'm referring to the tire needing to be replaced. Not the wheel per se.

https://www.audifletcherjones.com/ho...n%2070%20miles

-Wes-

When it comes to prolonging the life of the tire material as much as possible, especially on a spare (whether full-size, donut, or collapsible), I find that 303 Protectant helps tremendously. It's not a miracle cure, but it does help preserve the rubber compound substantially when compared to no treatment.