2008 AUDI S6 wheel

Tires and wheels -_______________ _____.
5. Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on th e
vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult this manual to determin e how this reduces the avail ­
able cargo and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
- Check the tire sidew all (~
page 325,
fig . 244) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific tire . •
Tire service life
The ser vic e life of ti res depends on a lo t o f different things
inclu ding p roper i nstallation and bal ancing, correc t tire
pressu re a nd drivi ng style .
Tread Wear Ind icator (TWll
Fig . 24 2 Tire tread:
tre ad we ar indi cato rs
(TWll
Fig . 2 4 3 Rot ating tire s
for mo re even wear
The or iginal tires on your vehicle have 1 /16 inch ( 1.6 mm) high " wea r
indicators"=> fig. 242 running across the tread. Depending on the
make, the re wil l be six to eight of them even ly p la ced a rou nd the
t ire . Marks on the tire sidewa ll (for example "TWI" or other symbols)
indicate the positions of the tread wear indicators. Worn tire s must
be r eplaced. Di fferen t fi gures may apply in other countries ::::>,& . .,_
Vehic le care I I Technical data

--~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear and can cause
sudden tire blow-out. For this reason, tire pressure must be checked
at least once a month~
page 319.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy acceleration and hard braking
increase tire wear.
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the same service life, we
recommend that the front and rear tires are rotated according to the
tire manufacturer's suggested tire rotation intervals. Please remember the following:
• Tire rotation intervals may differ from the vehicle service inter­
vals outlined in your Maintenance and Warranty Booklet.
• The longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle, the
more it wears at certain points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufacturer's suggested tire rotation intervals.
• Vehicles with front-wheel drive experience more tread wear on
the front wheels compared to all-wheel drive (quattro®l .
• Please rotate tires as shown ~
page 323, fig. 243.
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction -specific tires
~ page 344.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, various situa­
tions during everyday driving can cause them to become unbal ­
anced, resulting in vibrations you can usually feel through the
steering wheel.
Unbalanced wheels must be rebalanced to avoid excessive wear on
steering, suspension and tires. A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can cause excessive tire wear, impairing
the safety of the vehicle. If tires show excessive wear, have the
wheel alignment checked by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop.
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles with quattro® must always have tires of the same size, construction and tread type. For details see~
page 264.
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of control, a crash and serious
personal injury!
• Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire is worn down
to the wear indicators.
• Worn tires are a safety hazard, they do not grip well on wet
roads and increase your risk of "hydroplaning" and loss of control.
• Always keep chemicals that can cause tire damage, such as
grease, oil, gasoline and brake fluid away from tires.
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
especially at high speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
lower speeds.
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history." Old used tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control. •

Tires and wheels -_______________ _____.
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in.
Fig. 244 Tire specification codes on the sidewall of a tire
No.
G)
@
©
©
©
©
Description
Passenger car tire (where appl icable)
Nominal width of tire in millimeters
Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
Radial
Rim diameter code
Load index and speed rating
0
©
U.S. DOT tire identificat ion number
Sever snow conditions
Tire ply composition and materials used
Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and temperature grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pressure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the vehicle's design. The
tires and rims approved by Audi are specially matched to the char­ acteristics of the vehicle and can make a major contribution to good
road holding and safe handling when in good condition and prop­
erly inflated =>& .
We recommend that all work on tires and wheels be performed by
an authorized Audi dealer. They are familiar with recommended
procedures and have the necessary special tools and spare parts as
well as the proper facilities for disposing of the old tires.
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary information about tech ­
nical requirements for installing or changing tires and rims.
Replacing tires and wheels
Tires should be replaced at least in pairs and not individually (for
example both front tires or both rear tires together).
Be sure to read and heed the information to the tire pressure moni ­
toring system =>
page 327.
Always buy replacement radial tires that have the same specifica ­
tions as the tires approved for your vehicle by Audi. Replacement
tires must always have the same load rating specification as the original equipment or approved optional tires listed in the table
=> page 317.
Audi -approved specification tires are specially matched to your
vehicle and its load limits, and can contribute to the important road-.,_
Vehic le care I I irechnical data

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
holding, driving characteristics, and safety of the vehicle. The table
(~ page 37 7) lists specifications of the tires approved for the Audi
models covered by your Owner's Literature .
The tire pressure label located either on driver 's side 8 -pillar or
inside the fuel fi ller flap (~
page 317, fig. 241) lists the specifica ­
tions of the original equipment tires installed on your vehicle at the
time it was manufactured.
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to place standardi zed infor ­
mation on the sidewa ll of al l tires ~
page 325, fig. 244 . T his informa ­
tion identifies and describes the fundamenta l characteristics, the
quality grade of the tire and also provides a tire identification
number for safety standard certification and in case of a recall.
T ire spe cifi catio ns
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it easier to choose the
correct tires . Radial tires have the tire specifications ma rked on the
sidewall, for example :
P245 / 45 R 17 99 H XL
This contains the fo llowing information :
P Ind icates the tire is for passenger cars (where app licable)
24 5 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire from sidewall edge to side -
wall edge. In general , the larger the number , the wider the tire
45 Height/width ratio in percent (aspect ratio)
R Tire construction: Radial
17 Rim diameter code ( in inches)
99 L oad rating code
H Speed rat ing letter code
XL (or "xi ", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF") indica tes that the tire is a"Rein­
forced" or an "Extra Load" tire
M +S (or "M/S") Indicates that the tire has some mud and snow capa ­
bili ty
The tires could also have the information of direction of rota tion
~ page 313.
Ti re manuf acturing d ate
T he manufacturing date is a lso indicated on the t ire sidewa ll
(possibly on ly on the
inner side of the wheel!:
"DO T ... 2207 ... " means, for example, that the tire was produc ed in
the 22th week of 2007.
S peed rating (lett er cod e)
The speed rating letter code on the whee ls indicates the maximum
permissible road speeds~
& in "Winter tires" on page 329.
P up to 93 mph ( 150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R upto 106mph(170km/h)
S up to110mph(180km/h)
T upto118mph(190km/h)
U up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)21
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)21
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)21
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)21
Your vehic le is normally factory equipped with tires, which possess
excellent driving characteristics and give your Audi op timum
driving comfort . An e lectron ic speed limiter~
page 30will normal ly
prevent your vehic le from going faster than the tire speed rati ng
~ & -
U.S. DOT Tire Ident ification Numb er (TIN ) and tire
m anuf acture d ate
This is the tire's "seria l number" . It begins with the letters "DOT"
and indicates that the tire meets al l federa l standards. The next two
numbers or letters ind icate the plant where it was manufactured,
and the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufac -
~
21 For tires w ith a maximum speed capab ility over 149 mph (240 km /h ), tire
manufacture rs som etim es us e th e lette rs "ZR."

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•
ture . For example, the numbers 2207 mean that the tire was
produced in the 22th week of 2007. The other numbers are
marketing codes that may or may not be used by the tire manufac­
turer. This information is used to contact consumers if a tire defect
requires a recall.
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of plies indicates the number of layers of rubber-coated
fabric in the tire. In general, the greater the number of plies, the
more weight a tire can support . Tire manufacturers also must indi­
cate the materials in the tire, which include steel, nylon, polyester,
and others .
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the maximum load in kilograms and pounds
that can be carried by the tire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and temperature grades~ page 328.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest amount of air pressure that should ever
be put in the tire under normal driving conditions.
Replacing tires or rims on vehicles equipped with tire
pressure monitoring system
The wheels on your vehicle are equipped with a sensor which
constantly monitors the air pressure inside the tire, and then trans­
mits this information to the tire pressure monitoring system. If you
are going to replace the wheel rims on your vehicle, make sure the
new rims also have these sensors . The sensors must be compatible
with the tire pressure monitoring system on your vehicle.
If you install rims, which do not have the sensors, or have sensors
which are not compatible, then the tire pressure monitoring system
will not work properly. In this case, the tire pressure monitoring system would not be able to monitor the
tire pressure or warn you
if it is necessary.
• The battery inside of the tire pressure sensor has a limited
service life.
• Always drive with the valve stem caps securely mounted. We
recommend using factory installed valve stem caps. Ask your autho­
rized Audi dealer to replace lost valve stem caps .
The installation of replacement tires with steel cord body plies in
the tire sidewall may cause malfunction of the tire pressure moni­
toring system, and is not recommended (cord material information
in molded on the tire sidewall).
Always check your tire pressure monitoring system indicator after replacing one or more tires on your vehicle. If the tire pressure
monitoring system indicator flashes, or is on, your system is not
working properly. Your replacement tire might be incompatible with
your tire pressure monitoring system, or some component of the
tire pressure monitoring system may be damaged.
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/ or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can lead to loss of control, collision
and serious personal injury.
• Always use tires, rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifica­
tions of original factory-installed tires or other combinations that
have been specifically approved by the vehicle manufacturer.
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
especially at high speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
lower speeds.
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history." Old used tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
~
Vehicle care I t •

lllffll,.___T_ ir_e _ s_ a_ n_ d _ w __ h_e _e_ l_ s _______________________________________________ _
& WARN ING (continued )
• All four wheels mu st be fitted with radial tires of the same type,
si ze (rolling cir cumference ) and the same tread pattern. Driving
with different tires redu ces vehicle handling and can le ad to a loss
of control.
• If the spare tire is not the same as the tires that are mounted
on the vehi cle -for e xample with winter tires -only use the spare
t ire for a short period of time and drive w ith extra care . Refit the
normal road wheel as soon as safely possible.
• Never drive faster than the maximum speed for whi ch the tires
on your vehicle are rated becau se t ires that are driven faster than
their rated speed c an fail suddenly .
• Overload ing tires cause heat build-up , sudden tire failure,
including a blowout and sudden deflation and loss of control .
• Tempe rature grades apply to t ires that are properly inflated and
not over or underinflated.
• Fo r techni cal reasons it is not always possible to use wheels
from other vehicles -in some cases not even wheels from the
same vehicle model .
• If you install wheel trim discs on the vehicle wheels , make sure
that the air flow to the brakes is not blo cked . Reduced airflow to
the brakes can them to overheat , increasing stopping distances
and causing a collision .
• Run flat tires may only be u sed on vehicles that were equipped
with them at the factory . The vehicle must have a chas sis designed
for run flat tires and a factory -installed tire pressure monitoring
system that indi cates a loss of tire pressure . In corre ct u se of run
flat tires can lead to vehicle damage or accidents . Check with an
authori zed Audi dealer or tire specialist to see if your vehicle can
be equipped w ith run flat tires . If run flat tires are used , they must
be installed on all four wheels . Mi xing tire types is not permitted.
0 Note
• For technical reasons, it is not ge nerally poss ible to use the
whee l rims from other vehicles. This can ho ld t rue for whee ls of the
same ve hic le type.
• I f the s pa re tire is diffe rent from the tires that you have mo unted
o n your veh icle ( for e xample w inter t ires or w ide pro file t ires), the n
use the spare tire for a short period of time on ly and drive with extra
ca re. R ep lace the flat t ire w ith th e ti re m atc hin g the o thers o n your
vehic le as soon as possib le.
• I f you should put different w hee ls and t ires o n you r ve hicle (e.g.
winter wheels and tires), you must be certain that the wheels and
t ires are co mpat ible w ith the tire pressure monit oring syst em.
Otherwise the system will register a ma lfunction and a fau lt
m essage w ill be d isplayed . For more info rmatio n, con tact your Aud i
dea ler.
0 Note
• When insta lling new tires, be carefu l not to damage the va lves or
t ire pressu re m oni toring sys te m sensors .
• N ever drive without the valve stem cap. The va lves could get
damaged.
• I f the sensors must be replaced, then the valve must also be
r ep laced at t he same t ime .
~ For the sake of the environment
Dispose of o ld tires i n acco rdance wit h the local requ ire men ts .•
Uniform tire quality grading
• Tr ead wear
• Tr action AA A B C
• T emperature A B C

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•
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire side wall
between tread shoulder and maximum section width =>
page 325,
fig. 244.
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA, Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal Safety Require­
ments in addition to these grades .
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate
of the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and one half (1 1/2)
times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual condi ­
tions of the ir use, however, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differ ­
ences in road characteristics and c limate .
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest , are AA, A, Band C .
Those grades represent the tire 's ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled conditions on specified government
test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have
poor traction performance =>& .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing
the tire 's resistance to the generation of heat and its ability to dissi ­
pate heat when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire to
degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure =>& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of performance which all
passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher leve ls of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law.
& WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead
braking traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning or peak traction characteristics.
& WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla­
tion, or excess ive loading, either separately or in combination, can
cause heat buildup and possible tire failure . •
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on snow and
ice. At temperatures below 45 °F (7 °C) we recommend
changing to winter tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments may require true
winter or "snow" tires, those with very deeply cut tread. These tires
should only be used in pairs and be installed on all four wheels .
Make sure you purchase snow tires that are the same size and
construction type as the other tires on your vehicle.
If your vehicle is equipped with al l-wheel drive *, this will improve
traction during winter dr iving, even with the standard tires.
However, we strongly recommend that you always equip all four
wheels on your vehicle with correctly fi tted winter tires or all-season
tires, when winter road conditions are expected . T his also improves
the vehicle 's braking performance and reduces stopping distances.
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and snow.
Vehicle care I t •

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on a ll four wheels .
Compati ble t ire press ure moni to ring senso rs m ust be installed o n
a ll four w inter t ires for the t ire pr essure mo nitoring system to func­
tion p roper ly
~ page 327.
Ask you r au thori zed Aud i dealer o r qual ified w ork s hop f or per mitted
winter tire s izes . Use only radial winter tires.
Win ter tires lose their effec tivenes s whe n the trea d is wo rn down to
a depth of 0.1 57 inch (4 mm).
Only drive with winter tires unde r winter conditions. Summer t ires
ha ndle better when there is no snow or ice o n th e roads a nd th e
temperature is above 45 °F ( 7 °C).
If you ha ve a flat tir e, see notes on s pare w heel
~ page 325.
Please a lways reme mber t hat winte r ti res may have a lower speed
rating than the tires originally instal led on your vehic le at t he time
i t was ma nufactured. Please see~
page 326, "Speed rating (letter
code)" for a listing of the speed rating letter codes and the
m aximu m sp ee d at whic h th e t ires ca n be d riven .
T he speed rating letter code(~
page 316) is on the side wa ll of the
t ir e ~
page 325.
& WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limit s that may be lower than
your vehicle' s ma ximum speed. Always know the ma ximum speed
before driving off . Never drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific winter tires . This will cause damage to the tires
leading to an accident and serious personal injury to you and your
passengers .
& WARNING
Driving faster than the ma ximum speed for whi ch the winter tires
on your vehicle were designed can cause tire failure including a
blowout and sudden deflation , loss of control , crashes and serio us
& WARNING (continued)
personal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires repla ced immedi­
ately.
• Winter tires have maximum speed rating that may be lower
than your vehicle's maximum speed.
• Never drive faster than the speed for which the winter or other
tires installed on your vehicle are rated.
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and traff ic conditions .
Never let the good acceleration of the winter tires and all -wheel
drive tempt you into taking extra risks . Always remember:
• When braking, an all -wheel drive vehicle handles in the same
way as a front drive vehicle .
• Drive carefully and reduce your speed on icy and slippery roads,
even winter tires cannot help under black ice conditions .
Use summer tires when weather conditions permit. They are
q uieter, d o not wear as qu ickly a nd red uce fuel c onsu mp tion .•
Snow chains
S no w chains may b e fitte d only to t he fron t w hee ls, an d only to
certain tire sizes. Ask your authorized Aud i dea ler on which tire
sizes sn ow chai ns ca n be use d.
I f you are going to use snow chains, then you must instal l the m on
the front wheels at least.
T he snow chains mus t have low-pro file l inks a nd mus t not be thicke r
than 0.53 inch (13.5 mm), including the lock. .,,_