2008 AUDI S6 four wheel drive

• Each tire, including the spare, should be checked monthly when
cold and inflated to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pres­ sure label. (I f your vehicle has tires of a different size than the size
indicated on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label, you
should determine the proper tire inflation pressure for those
tires.) •
TPMS malfunction indicator
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS malfunction indi ­
cator to indicate when the system is not operating properly . The
TPMS malfunction indicator is combined with the low t ire pressure
telltale. When the system detects a ma lfunction, the te lltale wi ll
flash for approximately one minute and then remain continuously il luminated . T his sequence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
starts up as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated, the system may not be ab le to detect or signa l low tire pressure as intended.
TPMS ma lfunctions may occur for a variety of reasons, including the
installation of replacement or alternate tires or wheels on the
veh ic le that prevent the TPMS from functioning proper ly . Always
check the TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or more
tires or whee ls on your ve hicle to ensure t hat the replacement or
a lternate tires and wheels a llow the TPMS to continue to function
proper ly .•
Introduction
The tire pressure monitoring system monitors air pressure
in all four road wheels while the vehicle is moving .
As soon as the tire pressure monitoring system senses a significant
loss of air pressure in one or severa l tires, text messages and yellow
symbo ls appear in the instrument cluster display to a lert the driver .
Controls and equip ­
ment
Dr ive r informat ion di spl ay
The , J warning light in the instrument cluster comes on when the
t ire is significantly underinflated
~ page 20 .
The warning light I also i lluminates in the case of a system
malfunction.
Be aware that t ire pressure is also dependent on the temperature of
the tire . For every 18 °F (10 °C) increase in tire temperature, tire pres ­
sure increases by about 1 .5 psi (0 .1 bar). The tire warms up while the
vehicle is moving and tire pressure rises . So you should adjust tire
pressure on ly when they are
cold, when the tempera ture of the tires
is roughly the same as the ambient air temperature.
I n order to keep the tire pressure monitoring system properly cali ­
brated, tire pressure on all four tires should be checked at regular
intervals, adjusted if necessary and saved in the proper setting
(recommended pressure) ~
page 45.
The tire pressure is shown on the label located either on the driver's
s ide 8 -pi llar (visible when the door is open) or inside the fue l filler
flap .
& WARNING
• Wh en the tire pre ssure mon itor ing system warning light i s lit,
one or more of your tir es i s s ignifi cantly und er-inflated. You should
s to p and che ck your ti re s as s oon as possible , and infl ate them to
the proper pre ssure as indicated on the vehicle's tire pre ssure
l a bel ~
page 317 . Driving on a signifi cantly und er- inflated tire
c au se s the tire to ov erheat and can l ead to tir e fa ilure. Under-infla­
tion als o i s lik ely to impair the ve hicle' s handling and st opping
a bility .
• Do not adju st tire pre ssure when t ire tempe rat ure is exces sive.
Thi s could lead to ser iou s tire d amage and ev en cau se the tire to
bur st, w ith the addition al d anger of an ac cid ent . .,,
I • •

When the abnormal situation is over, you should activate the ASR
again.
& WARNING
The increased safety afforded by ASR does not mean that you can
take safety risks. Always adapt your driving style to the road
conditions and traffic situation.
[ i] Tips
To ensure that the ASR works properly, all four wheels must be fitted
with identical tires. Any differences in rolling radius of the tires can
cause the system to reduce engine power when this is not desired.
See also~
page 325, "New tires and replacing tires and wheels". •
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still subject to wear,
depending largely on operating conditions and driving habits~& .
On vehicles which are driven mostly in stop-and-go city traffic or
which are driven hard, the brake pads should be checked by your
authorized Audi dealer more often than specified in the
Mainte­
nance
& Warranty booklet.
On steep slopes, you should use the braking effect of the engine.
This way, you prevent unnecessary wear on the brake system. If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes down continuously.
Pump the brakes at intervals.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Intelligent technology
Moisture or road salt
If
you are driving faster than 50 mph (80 km/h) and the windshield
wipers are on, the brake pads will briefly touch the brake discs in regular intervals so as to improve reaction time when braking on
wet surfaces. You, the driver, will not notice anything.
Under certain conditions, for example, when driving through water
or very heavy rain, or even after washing your vehicle, the braking
effect can be reduced due to moisture (or in freezing conditions ice)
on the brake pads. A few careful brake applications should dry off
the brake pads or remove any ice coatings .
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced when the vehicle is driven on a salt-covered road and the brakes are not used. Here too,
you should clean off accumulated salt coating from brake discs and
pads with a few careful applications of the brake ~& .
Corrosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up on the brake pads and
corrosion to form on the discs if the car is not driven regularly or
only for short trips with little use of the brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if corrosion has formed on
the discs, it is advisable to clean off the pads and discs by braking
firmly a few times from a moderately high speed~&.
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in brake pedal travel, then
one of the two brake circuits may have failed~& .
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if the brake fluid level is
too low . The brake fluid level is monitored electronically .
& WARNING
• You should perform braking maneuvers for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system only if road conditions permit. Other
road users must not be put at risk -you may cause an accident!
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ ln_ t _e_ ll-'"ig ...,_ e_ n_t _t_ e_ c_ h _ n_o _ l_o _,.g= y,_ __________________________________________ _
• Be aware of the different than usual steering response and
adj ust you r steer ing for ce accordingly.
• Have the problem checked and set right by an Audi dealer as
s o on as possible .
[ i ] Tip s
• When th e engine is running, never hold the steering whee l
turned all the way to the right or to the left for longer than 15 seconds. The power steering pump will overheat the hydrau lic
fluid if you keep ho lding the steering wheel turned all the way. This
is like ly to damage the power steering system.
• If the power steering system should fail entirely, or if the engine
is not running (for example, while being towed), you wil l still be able
to steer the vehicle . However,
considerably more effort will be
required to do so.
• If the power steering system should have a leak, or is not func ­
tioni ng properly, contact your authorized Audi dealer immediately.
• The power steering system requires a specially formulated
hydraulic fluid . The power steering reservoir is the one located most
forward on the left side of the engine compartment~
page 298. The
correct fluid level in the reservoir is important for proper func ­
tioning of the power steering.
App lies to vehic les: with A ll Wheel Dr ive
Dr iving with your quattro®
With All Wheel Drive, all four wheels are driven.
Gen era l i nfo rm ati on
With All Wheel Drive, power is d istr ibuted to all four whee ls. Th is
happens automatica lly depending on your driving style and the
road conditions at the time. See also ~
page 259, "Electronic differ ­
entia l lock (EDU".
Wint er tir es
When driving in the winte r, your vehicle with All Wheel Drive has an
advantage, even with regular tires. In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all -season tires) for improved
driveability and braking: these tires must be mounted on
a ll fou r
wh eel s.
See also ~ page 329, "Winter tires".
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain roads, this normally
a lso app lies to veh icles with A ll Wheel Drive~
page 330, "Snow
chains".
R epl acing w hee ls/t ires
Vehicles with All Wheel Drive must always have tires of the same
size. Also avoid tires with different tread depths . For details see
page ~
page 325, "New tires and replacing tires and wheels" .
Off-R oa d dri ving?
Your Audi does no t have enough ground c learance to be used as an
off -road vehic le. It is therefore best to avoid rough tracks and
uneven terrain as much as possible . Also refer to~
page 269.
& WARNING
Always a djust yo ur driving to r oad and traffi c condition s. Do not
let the e xtr a s afet y affor ded b y All Whee l Dri ve tempt you into
taking extr a risks.
• Although the All Wheel Dr ive i s very effe ct ive , a lwa ys
r e member that braking capacity i s limited b y tire trac tion. You
s hould therefore not d riv e at e xcess iv e speed s on icy or slipp ery
road surfaces .
• On we t road surf aces, be care fu l no t to d riv e t oo fas t beca use
the front whe els could b egin to slid e on top of the w ater (aqu a­
planing ). If t his sho uld occ ur, you will h ave no warn ing from a
s udden incr ease in engine sp eed a s with a front -wh eel drive
v ehicl e. Alwa ys dri ve at spee d s w hic h are s uited to th e road condi ­
tion s - risk of cra sh.
;:i

--~_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. •

-~_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."

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

________________________________________________ T_ i _r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ llll
•
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. .,,_