Technical Service Bulletin
44 Steering wheel shimmy, vibration, and/or oscillation
44 16 59 2022563/13 February 11, 2016. Supersedes Technical Service Bulletin Group 44 number 15-57 dated
October 5, 2015 for reasons listed below.

Model(s)

Year

VIN Range

Vehicle-Specific Equipment

All

2008 - 2017

All

Not Applicable

Condition
REVISION HISTORY
Revision

Date

Purpose

13

-

Revised Service (Revised instructions)
Revised attachments (Updated Tire Data Sheet)

12

10/5/2015

Revised attachments (Updated Tire Data Sheet)

11

12/8/2014

Revised header data (Added models and model years)
Revised Service (Revised instructions)
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.

© 2016 Audi of America, Inc.

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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

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.

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:
© 2016 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
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:
• 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. Audi-recommended 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).

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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

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.
®

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.

© 2016 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
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.
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 Doc-IT.

© 2016 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
Warranty
Claim Type:

Use applicable claim type:
• Up to 6/6: 110 claim type
• 6/6 to 12/12: 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)
Claim Comment:

As per TSB #2022563/13

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.

© 2016 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
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.

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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.

Tire Data Sheet
› This document is only applicable to either factory-installed or OEM replacement tires!
› ALL fields are mandatory!
VIN

DATE

MILEAGE

/

REPAIR ORDER #

/

CUSTOMER COMPLAINT
Description of complaint:

At what speed?

mph

Only while braking?

Felt in:

Yes

Only when vehicle is cold?

No
Yes

steering wheel

Tire type:
No

entire vehicle

Factory-installed

floorboard

OEM replacement

Tire brand:

Tire mileage (if replacement tires):
Manufacturer labeling:

AO

Tire model:

miles
RO1

AOE

Tire size:

TIRE CONDITION A (Cold tires – prior to any diagnosis or repairs)
Left front

Right front

Left rear

Right rear

Wheel damage?

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

Tire damage?

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

Tire pressure (PSI):
DOT (MM-YY):
Tread depth (outer/center/inner):
Weights attached to wheel (Oz):

Outer

Inner

Outer

Inner

Outer

Inner

Outer

Inner

TIRE CONDITION B (Tires warmed prior to the radial-force variation (RFV) measurement)
(Preliminary test drive of at least 12mph with top speed of ≥ 62mph for 15 miles)

Left front

Right front

Left rear

Right rear

Tire pressure (PSI):
RFV (lbs):

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Before

SAVE

Tire Data Sheet_1/19/2016

After

PRINT