2008 AUDI S6 winter tires

Driver inf ormati on displ ay
Ignition lock malfunction ~
If the symbol in the display comes on, there is a malfunc -
tio n in the e lectronic ignition lock. An additional driver
message can be displayed by pressing the [ CHECK) button:
D efectiv e ignition sw itch
- Drive to an authorized service facility at your earliest
convenience to have the malfunction corrected. •
Windshield wipers faulty )
. Win dshield wi per malfun ction
When this symbol il luminates, it means that the e lectronics for
the windshield wipers are defective. Please go to an authorized dealership to have the windshield wiper system repaired. •
Speed warning system
Overview
The speed warning system helps you to keep your driv ing
speed below a set speed limit.
The speed warning system warns the driver if he exceeds a previ ­
ously stored maximum speed . A warn ing tone wi ll sound as soon as
the vehicle speed exceeds the set speed by about 6 miles per hour
(10 k m/h). At the same time, a warning symbol appears in the
display.
The speed warning system has
t w o w arning thre sh o ld s that func ­
tion independent ly of each other and that have somewhat diffe rent
purposes:
S pee d war ning 1
You can use speed warning 1 to set the maximum speed while you
are driving . This setting will remain in effect until you turn off the
ignition, assuming that you have not changed or reset the setting.
The speed warning symbol
8 (USA mode ls)/ 8 (Canada models) in
the warning 1 display appears when you exceed the maximum
speed. It goes out when the speed falls below the stored maximum
speed.
The speed war ning symbol wi ll also go out if the speed
exceeds the
stored maximum speed by more than about 25 mph (40 km/h) for at
least 10 seconds. The stored maximum speed is deleted.
Setting speed warning 1
=> page 39 .
S pee d w arning 2
Storing warning 2 is recommended if you always want to be
reminded of a certain speed, for example when you are traveling in
a country that has a general maximum speed limit, or if you do not
want to exceed a specified speed for winter tires.
The speed warning 2 symbo l,
6 (USA models)/ 8, (Canada models)
appears in the display when you exceed the stored speed limit.
Un like warning 1, i t wi ll not go out unti l the vehic le speed drops
below the stored speed limit.
Setting speed warning 2
=> page 39.
[ i ] Tip s
Even though your vehicle is equipped with a speed warning system,
you shou ld still watch the speedometer to make sure you are not
driving faster than the speed limit. •

Driver inf ormati on displ ay
<£> For th e sak e of th e environm ent
Driving w ith under -inflated tires reduces fuel efficiency and tire
tread life.
[ i ] Tip s
• Each tire, incl udin g the sp are, should be checked monthly when
cold and set to the recommended inflation pressure as specified on
the tire pressure label=>
page 317.
• The factory supplied spare whee l is equipped with a sensor for
the tire pressure monitoring system. As long as the spare whee l it
not mounted, the tire pressure of this tire will not be monitored.
• The tire pressure monitoring system he lps the driver to keep an
eye on t ire pressures. But the driver stil l has the responsibility for
maintaining the correct tire pressure.
• Tire pressure must only be adjusted when the temperature of the
tires is about the same as ambient air temperature .
• When tires are replaced, the sensors and valves shou ld not be
detached or exchanged. Only the valve core needs to be rep laced
and, i f necessary, the valve and the wheel electronics replaced.
• If you should put different wheels and tires on your vehicle (e.g.
winter wheels and tires), you must be certain that the wheels and
tires are compatible with the tire p ressure monitoring system.
Otherwise the system w ill register a ma lfunction and a fault
message will be displayed . For more information, contact your Audi
dea ler.
• Adjust the tire pressure and store the pressure in the tire pres­
sure monitor ing system to the load you are carry ing. •
Significant loss of air pressure ft)
The yellow symbol appears in the event of a significant
loss of air pressure .
0
"' 8
i
Fig . 26 Disp lay: ye llow
s y mbo l w ith m essage
If the warni ng l ight in the i nstrument cluster comes on
and t hen the ' ) symbol appears in the display~ fig. 26,
press ure in at least one t ire is too low.
Stop driv ing as soo n as possible without endangeri ng
yourself and other drivers o n the road .
- Inspect all tires.
- Change the tire if necessary~
page 338.
The' warning ligh t in the instrument cluster comes on when the
tire is significantly underinflated.
In addition, the tire symbol appears in the display together with
the message
Pl ease check tir e pr ess ure::::> fig. 26 .
After a few seconds, the message disappears again. If you would
like to show the message again, press the [ CH ECK] button. _.,,

___ 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 _________________________________________________ _
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the tread and bead.
Speed rating means the speed at which a tire is designed to be driven for
extended periods of time. The ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298 km/h)=>
page 326. You may not find this informa ­
tion on a ll tires because it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applicable, is molded on the tire sidewa ll and indicates the maximum perm issible road speeds =>
&
in "Winter tires" on page 329.
Tire pressure monitoring system
means a system that detects when one or more of a vehicle 's tires
are under inflated and illuminates a low tire pressure warning te ll­
tale.
Tread
means that portion of a tire that comes into contact with the road.
Tread separation
means pu lling away of the tread from the tire carcass.
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the principa l grooves designed to give
a visual indication of the degrees of wear of the tread . See
=>
page 323, "Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)" for more information on
measuring tire wear .
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire information system developed by the United States National
Highway Traffic Safety Adm inistration (NHTSA) that is designed to
help buyers make relative comparisons among tires. The UTQG is
not a safety rati ng and not a guarantee that a tire will last for a
prescribed number of miles or perform in a certain way . It simply
gives tire buyers additiona l information to comb ine with other
considerations, such as price, brand loyalty and dealer recommen- dations
. Under UTQG, tires are graded by the tire manufacturers in
t hree areas : treadwear, traction and temperature resistance. The
UTQG information on the tires, molded into the sidewalls.
U .S . DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN )
This is the tire's "seria l number" It begins with the letters "DOT" and
indicates that the tire meets a ll federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it was manufactured,
and the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufac ­
ture. For example,
DOT ... 2207 ...
means 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 manufacturer. This information is used to contac t
consumers if a tire defect requires a reca ll.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus 150 lbs . (68 kilograms)
t imes the vehicle's tota l seating capacity as listed on the label
located either on the driver's side 8-pillar or on the inside of the fuel
filler flap.
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is determined by distrib­
uting to each axle its share of the maximum loaded vehicle weight
and dividing by two.
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is determined by d istrib­
uting to each axle its share of the curb weight, accessory weight,
and normal occupant weight (distributed in accordance with table
below=>
page 317) and dividing by two. .,_

-~_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. .,,_