2008 AUDI S8 Owners Manual

Tires and wheels -
-----------------------------
•
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 338. You may not find this informa­
tion on all tires because it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applicable, is molded on the tire
sidewall and indicates the maximum permissible road
speeds=> &
in "Winter tires" on page 341.
Tire pressure monitoring system
means a system that detects when one or more of a vehicle's tires
are underinflated and illuminates a low tire pressure warning tell­
tale.
Tread
means that portion of a tire that comes into contact with the road.
Tread separation
means pulling away of the tread from the tire carcass.
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the principal grooves designed to give
a visual indication of the degrees of wear of the tread . See
=> page 335, "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 Administration (NHTSA) that is designed to
help buyers make relative comparisons among tires. The UTQG is
not a safety rating and not a guarantee that a tire will last for a
prescribed number of miles (kilometers) or perform in a certain way.
It simply gives tire buyers additional information to combine with
other considerations, such as price, brand loyalty and dealer recom- mendations
. Under UTQG, tires are graded by the tire manufac­
turers in three areas: treadwear, traction, and temperature resis­
tance . The UTQG information on the tires, molded into the
sidewalls.
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
This is the tire's "serial number" It begins with the letters "DOT" and
indicates that the tire meets all 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 contact
consumers if a tire defect requires a recall.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus 150 lbs. (68 kilograms)
times the vehicle's total 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 dis trib­
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 dis trib­
uting to each axle its share of the curb weight, accessory weight,
and normal occupant weight (distributed in accordance with table
below => page 328) and dividing by two. ..,.
Vehicle care

lllffl...__T_ ir_e _ s_ a_ n
_ d_ w_ h_ e_ e_ls _________________________________________________ _
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seating capacities Designated seating capacity , num­
ber of occupants
4
5
Cold tire inflation pressure
Vehicle no rmal load, number of
oc cupants
2
3
Occupant distribution in a normally
loaded vehicle
2 in front
2 in front, 1 in back seat
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
Fig . 272 Tire pressure
label: located either on
driver's side B-pillar or
inside the fuel filler flap
llRE AND LOADING INFORMATION
T IRE SIZE COLO TIRE PRESS URE
FRONT -KPa, -PSI
REAR -KP a, -PSI
SPARE -KPa , -PSI \.~__., ::::::::;=~ ===..:;,;_. Fig. 273 Tire pressure
label
Maintaining proper tire pressure is one of the most important
things you can do to help avoid sudden tire failure. Underinflated
tires are a major cause of sudden tire failure. Keeping tires at the
right pressure is also important for safe and responsive vehicle
handling, traction, braking and load carrying.
Tire pressures are
particularly important when the vehicle is being driven at higher
speeds, and then especially when heavily loaded even within the
permissible load-carrying capacities approved for your vehicle.
The recommended tire pressures for your Audi depend on the kind
of tires on your vehicle and the number of passengers and/or
amount of luggage you will be transporting.
•
Tire pressure generally refers to the amount of air in a tire that it
needs it to do its job and safely carry the combined load of the entire
vehicle and its contents . Tire pressure is measured in kilopascals
(kPa), the international measuring unit and in pounds per square
inch (PSIJ. Tire pressure is based in part on the vehicle's design and
load limit
-the greatest amount of weight that the vehicle can carry
safely and the tire size. The proper tire pressure is frequently
referred to as the "recommended cold tire inflation pressure." Air in
the tires expands when the tire heats up because of internal friction
when it flexes in use. The tire pressure is higher when the tire has
warmed up than when it is "cold." It is the inflation pressure in a
"cold" tire that counts. Therefore, you should never let air out of a
warm tire to match "cold tire inflation pressure " recommendations .
The tires would then be underinflated and could fail suddenly. On
USA vehicles, the tire pressure label is located on the driver's
side 8-pillar . On Canada vehicles , the tire pressure label is located
either on the driver's side 8 -pillar or inside the fuel filler flap . The tire
l)ll-

________________________________________________ T_ i
_ r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ fflll
•
pressure label lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures
for the vehic le at its maximum capacity weight and tires that were
on your vehicle at the time it was manufactured .
If yo u w is h to impro ve comfo rt when oper ating the vehi cle at
norm al lo ad (up to 3 occup ants), y ou can adju st tire pre ssure s to
tho se spe cified for norm al v ehi cle lo ad . Before oper ating the vehi cle
a t maximum lo ad , you mu st incre as e the tire pre ssure s to tho se
s p ec ified for m aximum vehi cle lo ad ::::>
& .
Bear in m ind that the tire pressure monito ring system can only
monitor the tire pressures you have stored . The system does not
recognize the load condition of your vehicle .
The effect iveness of the t ire pressure mon itoring system will be
impaired if you store normal load pressures but then operate the
veh ic le at its maximum
load ::::>& .
Engin e II Tire design ati on See the i
llustration::::>
page 328, fig . 272 for the location of the label
e it h er o n driver's side 8 -p illar or inside the fue l fil ler flap (color of
the actual label and exact location on the vehicle will vary slight ly!.
Note that the following tab le is accurate at the time of going to
press and is subject to change . In the event o f discrepanc ies, the t ire
pressure label (On USA vehic les, the tire pressure labe l is located on
the driver's s ide 8 -p illar . On Canada vehicles, the tire pressure label
is located either on the driver's side 8 -pi llar or inside the fuel fil ler
fl ap) always takes precedence .
The table below lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures
for the Audi mode l covered by your Owner's Literature at the
veh ic le's capacity weight and the tire s izes insta lled on the respec ­
tive models as original equipment, or as a factory option.
Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
( displa ce-
normal load
II full load norm
al load
full load
ment in
c ondition al condition condition al condition
liter)
PSI II kPA PSI II kPA PSI I I kPA If PSI IT kPA .,
8-c ylinder 255 /45 R1 8 99H All Sea son
33 230 33 230 30 2
10
33 230
4 .2
255/40 R19100V XL All Sea son 36 250 38 260 33 230 36 250
255 /40 R1 9 1 00 Y XL High P erformanc e 33 230 33 230 30 2 10 33 230
275 /35 R20 102V XL High Performance
33 230 36 250 30 2
10
39 270
8-cylinder 2 55/45 R1 8 99H All Sea son
33 230 35 240 30 2
10
33 230
4 .2 L
255/40 R1 9 100V XL All Sea son 36 250 38 260 33 230 36 250
255 /40 R1 9 1 00Y XL High Perfo rman ce
33 230 35 240
30 2
10
33 230
275 /35 R20 102V XL High Performance 33 230 36 250 30 2 10 39 270
Vehicle care
I

___ T_ ir_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h
_ e_e_ l_ s _______________________________________________ _
Engine Tire designation Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
( displace-
normal load full load normal load
full load
ment in
liter)
condition al condition conditiona l condition
kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI
12-cylinder
255/45 R18 99H All Season 36 250 38 260 32 220 32 220
6.0 Individual
255 /40 R19 100V XL All Season 41 280 4 1 280 36 250 36 250
rear seats
255/40 R19 100V
XL High Performance
36 2
50
38 260 3
2 220 32 2 20
275 /35 R20 102Y
XL High Performance 38 41 280 35 2 40 44 300
12 -cylinder 255 /45 R18 99H All Season 36 250 36 250 32 220 32 220
6 .0
255 /40 R19 100V XL All Season 4 1
280 4
1
280 36 250 36 250
255 /40 R19 100V
XL High Performance
36 250 36 250 32 2 20 32 220
275 /35 R20 102Y XL High Performance 38 260 4 1 280 35 240 44 300
XL = reinforced or extra load tire . It may also appear as xi , EXTRA LOAD , or RF on the tire sidewall .
al norma l load cond ition => page 328.
The co rrect tire pressure for the spare wheel is located on a label
either on the driver 's s ide 8-pillar or inside t he fue l fil ler flap.
Because technica l changes may be made to vehicle equipment
du ring t he mode l year, always co mpare the tire si ze desig nati on on
the tire pressure label on your vehicle with the tires on your vehicle .
M ake s ure t hat the tire si ze info rmat ion o n the ve hicle labe l is the
same as the size of the tires on the vehicle . T his is especial ly impor ­
t an t if t he vehicle bel ongs t o so me one e lse o r yo u boug ht the
vehic le with different rims/tires or you bought the vehicle as a previ ­
ously owned ve hicle.
Reme mber, you r safety and that of y our passengers a ls o depe nds
on making su re that load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load
i nc ludes every body and everyt hin g in and o n th e veh icle . T hese load
limits are technically referred to as the vehicle's Gross Veh ic le
Weig ht Ratin g ("GVWR"). T he Gro ss Axle Weigh t Ra tin g ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each of the vehicle's two axles
. The Gross Vehic le We ight Rating and the Gross Axle Weight
Rating are l isted on the safety compl iance sticker labe l located
either on the driver's side 8 -pillar or on the inside of the fuel filler
fl ap . T he t ire p ressure label on you r A ud i lists t he m axi mum
combined weight of a ll of the occupants and luggage or other cargo
th at the v ehicle can carry . Fo r the locati on of the t ire press ure la be l
=> page 328, fig . 27 2.
& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control , a crash or
other accident, serious per sonal injury , and even death .
• Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry
will prevent the vehicle from handling properly and increase the risk of a loss of vehicle control. ...,

Tires and wheels Ill
----------------
•
& WARNING (continued )
• The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehi cle within a safe distance .
• Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly
c au sing lo ss of control and a cra sh.
• Always make sure that the total load being transported -
including the we ight of a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehicle heavier than the
v ehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating .
& WARNING
• Incorrect tire pressures and /or underinflation can lead to a
serious or fatal accident.
• Incorre ct tire pressures and /or underinflation cause in creased
tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle .
• Incorrect tire pressures and /or underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation,
c ausing loss of vehi cle control.
•
Checking tire pressure
The c orrect tire pressu re f or the tires ori gina lly installe d
on your vehicle is lis ted on the ti re pressure la bel loca ted
either on driver's side 8-pillar or inside the fuel filler flap.
The rec omme nded ti re p ressu res a re on the tire pr essure la be l an d
in the
table~ page 328, "Co ld tire inflation pressure". This means
t ha t th e pres su re m us t be c hecked a nd adjus ted w he n t he ti re has
not been driven for more than a couple of miles (kilometers) at low
speeds du rin g the p revio us th ree hou rs . Ai r in t he tires ex pand s
when the tire heats up as a resu lt of internal fr iction as it flexes in
use. The tire pressure is hig her when the tire has warmed up than
when it is "co ld ." I
t is the inflation pressure in a "cold" t ire that counts . Therefore, you
s h oul d never le t air ou t of a warm ti re to matc h "Co ld t ire in fl ati on
pressure"
recommendations~ pa ge 328 . The tires wou ld then be
u nde rinflate d and could fail sud denly .
The t ire pressure label o n your Au di lists the recomme nded cold t ire
inflation press ures at maximum capacity for the new, origina l equip ­
m ent tires t hat we re on yo ur vehicle at t he t ime it was manufac ­
tured. For the location of the
labe l~ page 328, fig . 272.
M ost tires lose a ir natu rally ove r ti m e. T hey can a lso lose so me air if
you drive ov er a pothole or h it a curb while parkin g. It is usually not
pos sible to see whe the r the rad ial tir es use d today are unde rin flated
just by look in g at t hem .
T herefore, be sure to chec k tire pressures at least once a month and
a lways be fore go ing o n a lo ng trip . Make su re to take the nu mber o f
people and the amount of luggage into account when ad justing tire
pr ess u re fo r a trip -even one t hat you wou ld not conside r to be
" long ."
See~ page 333, "Tires and vehic le load limits" for more
i mp ort ant i nfor mati on .
A lways use a n accu rate ti re p ressure gauge w hen c hec kin g a nd
adjusting inflation pressures . Chec k all of the tires and be sure not
t o fo rget t he spare t ire . If the pressu re i n an y tire is too high when
the tire is "co ld," let air out of the tire slow ly with the edge of the tire
ga uge and kee p checking the press ure u ntil y ou r each th e pr essu re
that is correct for the load (passengers and luggage) and kind of
d riv in g yo u plan to do .
I f the pressure in any tire is too low, note the difference between the
pressure in the cold tire and the pressure you need and add the air
t hat you need to r each the correct pressure for the veh ic le load
(passengers and luggage) for the tires on your vehicle as listed on
t he o n you r vehicl e and i n thi s m anua l a n d t he kind of driving yo u
p lan to do.
Never exceed the maximum inflation pressure listed on the tire
sidewall for any reason .
Remember that the vehic le manufacturer, not the tire manufacturer,
deter mines the correc t tire pressure for the ti res on your vehicle.
~
Vehicle care

-Tires and wheels Pft'::I _______________ _
It is important to check the t ire pressur e wh en the tires are cold .
• Read the req uire d tire p re s su re from the tire p re ssur e la bel. On
USA ve hicles, the tir e pressure label is located on the driver's side
8 -pilla r. On Canada vehic les, the ti re p ress ure label is located eit her
o n the driv er's s ide 8-pill ar or ins id e th e fuel fill er flap .
• Tur n the va lve stem cap co unte r-cloc kw ise to re move it fr om t he
tire valv e.
• Place th e a ir p re s sur e ga uge on th e valve .
• T he tire pressures should o nly be checked and ad justed when
th e tir es are col d. The s lig ht ly ra ise d pres sur es of wa rm tir es mu st
not b e re duc ed .
• Adjus t the tire pre ss ure to the l oad y ou are carry ing.
• Reinstal l the valve stem cap on the valve.
When should I check the tire pressure?
The co rrec t tir e pr ess ure is especiall y important a t hi gh spee ds. T he
pressu re should th er efor e b e checked a t le ast once a mo nth an d
a lwa ys be fore s ta rti ng a j ourn ey . D o not for get to chec k the ti re pr es­
sure fo r the sp are wh eel
=> page 350.
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Adjust the tire pr essur e to the load you are carrying . After chan gin g
a w hee l or r epl ac ing w hee ls you have to ad just th e tire pr essu re s on
a ll whee ls. I n ad ditio n, yo u must t hen sto re the ne w tire pressu res
in t he t ire pres sure m onit or ing
system => page 40.
& WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and /or underinflation can lead sudden tire
failure , loss of control, collision, serious personal injury or even
death .
• When the warning symbol
(l) appears in the instrument
cluster , stop and inspect the tires .
& WARNING (continued)
• Incorrect tire pressure and /or underinflation can cause
increased tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability .
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation,
causing loss of vehicle control .
• The driver is responsible for the correct tire pressures for all
tires on the vehicle. The applicable pressure values are located on
a sticker on the driver's side B-pillar or on the inside of the fuel
filler flap.
• Only when all tires on the vehicle are filled to the correct pres­
sure , the tire pressure monitoring system can work correctly.
• The use of incorrect tire pressure values can lead to accidents
or other damage . Therefore it is essential that the driver observe
the specified tire pressure values for the tires and the correct pres­
sures for the function of the tire pressure monitoring system .
• Always inflate tires to the recommended and correct tire pres ­
sure before driving off .
• Driving with underinflated tires bend more , letting them get
too hot resulting in tread separation , sudden tire failure and loss
of control.
• Excessive speed and /overloading can cause heat build-up ,
sudden tire failure and loss of control.
• If the tire pressure is too low or too high , the tires will wear
prematurely and the vehicle will not handle well.
• If the tire is not flat and you do not have to change a wheel
immediately, drive at reduced speed to the nearest service station
to check the tire pressure and add air as required . _..

Tires a nd wh eels -
----------------
•
0 Not e
Driving without valve stem caps can cause damage to the tire
valves. To prevent this, a lways make sure that factory instal led valve
stem caps on a ll whee ls are securely mounted on the va lve .
W Fo r the sake of the env ironm ent
Underinflated tires wil l a lso increase the fuel consumption. •
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are lim its to t he amount of load or weight that any ve hicle and
any tire can carry . A vehicle that is overload ed wil l not hand le well
and is more difficu lt to stop. Overload ing can not only lead to loss
of vehic le control , but can a lso damage important parts of the
vehic le and ca n lead to sudden t ire fa ilure, inc luding a blowout a nd
sudden deflation that can cause the vehic le to crash.
Your safety and that of your passengers also depends on making
sure that load l imits are not exceeded. Vehicle load includes every­
body and everything in and on the vehic le. These load limits are
technica lly referred to as the vehicle's
Gross Ve hicle We ig ht R ating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes t he weight of the bas ic ve hicle, al l factory
insta lled accessories, a full tank of fuel , oil , coolant and other fluids
p lus maximum load . The maximum load i ncludes the number of
passengers that the vehicle is intended to carry ("seating capacity")
with an assumed weight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each passenger at a
designated seating position and the total weight of any luggage in
the vehicle . If you tow a trailer, the weight of the trailer h itch and the
tongue we ight of the loaded trai ler must be included as part of the
vehic le load.
The
Gros s Axle We ight Rating ("GAWR") is the maximum load t hat
can be applied at each of the vehicle's two axles. The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
are listed on the safety comp liance s ticker label loca ted either on
the driver's side B-pillar or on the inside of the fuel fil ler flap . Your
Audi has 5 seating positions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rear for total
seating capacity of 5. Vehicles with power individual rear seats*
have 4 seating positions, 2 in the front and 2 in the rear for total
seating capacity of 4. Eac h seating position has a safety be lt
~ page 209, "Safety be lts".
The fact that there is an upper limit to your veh icle's Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating means that the total weight of whatever is being
carried in the veh ic le ( including t he we ight of a trai ler hitch and the
tongue weight of the loaded trai ler) is limited . The more passengers
in the vehicle or passengers who are heavier than the standa rd
we ights assumed mean that less weight can be carried as luggage .
The tire pressure labe l on your Audi also lists the maximum
combined we ight of a ll of the occupants and luggage or other cargo
that th e vehicle can carry. For the location of the lab el
~ page 328 ,
fig. 272 .
& WARNING
Overloading a v ehicl e can cau se loss of vehicl e control , a cras h or
o ther ac cident , serious p ers on al injur y, and eve n de ath.
• C arrying more weight th an your vehi cle was designed to c arry
will prevent the vehicl e from handling prop erl y and in cre a se the
ri sk of the l oss of vehi cle control.
• The br akes on a vehi cle that has b een overload ed may not be
a bl e to sto p the vehi cle within a safe di sta nce.
• Tir es on a ve hic le th at ha s bee n ov erlo ad ed c an fail sudd enl y,
in clu din g a bl owout and sud den d efl atio n, ca usi ng loss of con trol
and a crash .
• Al ways m ake sur e th at the total lo ad being tr ansp orted -
includin g th e w eight of a tr ailer hitch and th e tong ue weight of a
load ed tr ailer -do es not m ake the vehi cle he avie r than the
vehicle 's Gro ss Vehicl e W eight R ating. •
Vehicle care

-Tires and wheels Determining correct load limit
Use the example below to calculate the
total weight of the passengers and
luggage or other things that you plan to
transport so that you can make sure that
your vehicle will not be overloaded.
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE COMBINED
WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND CARGO SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
LBS"on your vehicle's placard (tire infla­
tion pressure label) => page 328, fig. 272.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from
"XXX" kilo­
grams or
"XXX" pounds shown on the
sticker=> page 328, fig. 272. 4. The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the
"XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will
be five 150 lbs. passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5
X 150) = 650 lbs.)
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the
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
determine how this reduces the avail­
able cargo and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
- Check the tire sidewall
( => page 336,
fig. 276) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific tire. •