Technical Service Bulletin
44 Steering wheel shimmy, vibration, and/or oscillation
44 14 56 2022563/11 December 8, 2014. Supersedes Technical Service Bulletin Group 44 number 14-50 dated
May 14, 2014 for reasons listed below.
Model(s)

Year

VIN Range

Vehicle-Specific Equipment

All

2008 - 2016

All

Not Applicable

Condition
REVISION HISTORY
Revision

Date

Purpose

11

-

Revised header data (Added models and model years)
Revised Service (Revised instructions)
Revised attachments (Updated Tire Data Sheet)

10

5/14/2014

Revised attachments (Updated Tire Data Sheet)

9

4/17/2014

Revised header data (Removed models)
Revised Condition (Updated Tip)

8

11/21/2013

Revised Condition (Removed scenarios)
Revised Service (Revised instructions)

7

9/27/2013

Revised header data (Updated customer codes)
Revised Condition (Clarified description; added scenarios)
Revised Technical Background (Removed RFV description; added table and
reference to Elsa)
Revised Service (Revised instructions)

6

2/18/2013

Revised title (corrected ElsaWeb error)

• 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.

© 2014 Audi of America, Inc.

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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.

Technical Service Bulletin
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.

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.

© 2014 Audi of America, Inc.

Page 2 of 7

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.

Technical Service Bulletin
Production Solution
Not applicable.

Service
Note that 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.

© 2014 Audi of America, Inc.

Page 3 of 7

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.

Technical Service Bulletin
2. Measure RFV and balance:
• Ensure that the contact surfaces of the tire balancer
flange and wheel are clean. It is mandatory that the
appropriate centering collet (Figure 3, A)--not a cone
(Figure 3, B)--and a five-finger style clamping plate
(Figure 4, 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, 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.
®

• With the SmartWeight feature turned on, measure the RFV and balance of the wheel and 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.
®

© 2014 Audi of America, Inc.

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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.

Technical Service Bulletin
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.

© 2014 Audi of America, Inc.

Page 5 of 7

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.

Technical Service Bulletin
If vibration is still present:
Open a TAC ticket and include the following for each wheel and tire assembly:
• A completed Tire Data Sheet (attached to this TSB)
• A copy of the RFV printout from the VAS 6230/Hunter GSP9700 Road Force Measurement system
®

If any of the documents cannot be uploaded to the TAC ticket, email them to chassis@audi.com and state in the
TAC ticket that these documents were emailed instead of being attached.
The e-mail subject line must include the TAC Access Code and the complaint.
• Example: 1234567_Tire vibration
Failure to upload the RFV printouts will result in non-payment of the claim.

Warranty
Claim Type:

Use applicable 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 (A 4412 9999
copy of the before-and-after radial force and
balance values must be attached to the Repair
Order).

190 TU

Includes additional time for extended road test
prior to service procedure.
2 wheels, remove and reinstall

4405 2000

20 TU
(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)
Claim Comment:

© 2014 Audi of America, Inc.

As per TSB #2022563/11

Page 6 of 7

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.

Technical Service Bulletin
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.

© 2014 Audi of America, Inc.

Page 7 of 7

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.