2008 AUDI S8 load capacity

failure. Under-inflation also reduces fue l efficiency and tire tread
life, and may affect the veh ic le's handling and stopping abi lity.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire mainte­
nance, and it is the driver's responsibi lity to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not reached the leve l to tr igger
illumination of the TPMS low tire pressure tellta le.
Your veh icle has a lso been equipped with a TPMS malfu nction indi­
cator to indicate when the system is not operating properly . The
TPMS malfunction indicator is combined w ith the low tire press ure
telltale . When the system detects a ma lfunction , the telltale wi ll
fl ash for approximately one minute and then remain continuously
illum inated . This sequence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start -ups as long as the ma lfunction exists.
When the ma lfunctio n indicator is i llum inated, the system may not
be ab le to detect or signa l low tire pressure as intended . TPMS
malfunctions may occ ur for a var iety of reasons, i nclud ing the
installation of replacement or alternate tires or wheels on the
vehic le that prevent the TPMS from f unctioning proper ly . Always
check the TPMS malfunction tellta le after replac ing one or more
t ires or whee ls on yo ur ve hicle to ens ure t hat the replacement or
a lternate tires and wheels allow the T PMS to continue to function
proper ly. •
Introduction
The tire pressure monit oring system m onitors air pressure
in all four road wheels and the spare tire* while the
vehicle is movin g.
As soon as the tire pressure moni toring system se nses a signi ficant
loss of air pressure in one or severa l tires, text messages and yellow
symbo ls appear in the inst rume nt cluster d isplay to aler t t he driver .
T he
(l) warning light in the instrument c luster comes on when the
t ire is sig nificant ly underinflated
=> page 20 .
Controls and equip­
ment
Driver information di splay
The warning light U) also i lluminates in the case of a system
mal fu ncti on.
The system continuous ly receives rad io signa ls from sensors
located inside each tire .
Be aware that t ire p ressu re is also dependen t on the tempera ture of
the tire . For every
18 °F (1 O °C) increase in tire temperature, tire pres­
sure increases by about 1 .5 psi (0 .1 bar). The tire warms up wh ile the
vehicle is moving and t ire pressure rises . So you should adjust tire
pressure only when the t ires are
cold, when the temperature 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 and on the spare tire* should
be checked at regular intervals, adjusted if n ecessary and saved in
the proper setti ng (recommended
pressure) => page 44.
The tire pressure is shown on the tire pressure label. On USA vehi ­
cles, the tire pressure labe l is located on the drive r's s ide B -p ill ar. On
Canada vehicles, the tire pressure labe l is located either on the
driver's side B -pillar o r inside the fuel fi ller flap. The t ire press ure
label l ists t he recommended cold tire inflat io n pressures for t he
vehic le at its maximum capacity weight and the tires that were on
your ve hicle at the time it was manufactured . For recommended tire
pressures for normal load condit ions, please see chapter
=> page 328 .
The current temperatures and pressure of your tires can be viewed
in the M MI
=> page 43 .
& WARNING
• When the tire pre ssure monitoring system warning light i s lit ,
one or more of your tires is signifi cantly under -infl ated . You should
stop and check your tires a s soon a s po ssible , and inflate them to
the proper pre ssure a s indi cated on the vehi cle' s tire pre ssure
label
=> page 328 . Driving on a significantly under -inflated tire
ca use s the tire to o verheat and can lead to tire failure. Under -infla -
~

Driver inf ormation displ ay
• Green: If current tire pressure and the spec ified pressure are
approximate ly the same, t he tire pressure is shown in green.
• Yellow : If current tire pressure is too low with respect to specified
pressure, the tire pressure is shown in yellow.
[ i ] Tips
• During the learn ing period, t ire pressure and t ire temperature
are not displayed . Horizontal lines--,-- are displayed for pressure
and temperature.
• The tire pressure is shown on the label located either on the
driver's side B-pi llar (visible when the door is open) or ins ide the fuel
filler flap .
• The tire pressure monitor ing system he lps the driver to keep an
eye on tire pressures . But the driver stil l has the responsibility for
maintaining the correct t ire pressu re .•
Storing tire pressures
Correct storage of specified pressure is the basic require­
ment for reli able tire pressure moni toring .
In order for the tire pressure monitor ing system to o perate
appropr iately, you have to re-save the specified p ressures
whenever you adjust tire pressure, for example when the load condition of your vehicle changes . Proceed as fo llows :
Correcting tire pressure
-Check t he pressure in the tires ( includin g the spare tire*).
-Ad just air pressure as needed in accordance with the
informat io n on the label loca ted either on the d river 's
side B- pillar (visible whe n the do or is ope n), ins ide the
f u el fill er flap a nd a ddit ionally in the manua l.
Saving tire pressur es
-Tur n on the ignition .
-Press the I CAR] fu nct ion button .
-Select Systems in the CAR me nu.
-Selec t Tire pressure monitoring .
-Select Store curr. tire pressures=> page 43, fig. 27.
A ll pressure warning indicators in the display wi ll be cance led .
Following each intentional cha nge in speci fied pressures, tire pres ­
sures must be resaved.
Afte r the pressures are saved, the tire pressure monitoring system
measures the current t ire pressures and saves them as the new
specified pressures .
[ i] Tip s
• T he tire pressure is shown on the tire pressure label. On USA
veh ic les, the tire pressure label is loca ted on the driver's side B­
pillar . On Canada vehicles, the tire pressure labe l is located either on
t he dr iver's side B -p illar or i nside the fuel filler flap . The t ire pressure
label lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures for the
vehic le at its maximum capacity weight and the tires tha t were on
your vehicle at the time it was manufactured . For recommended tire
pressures for normal load conditions, please see chapter
=> page 328.
• The tire pressure monitoring system he lps the driver to keep an
eye on tire pressures. But the driver still has the responsibility for
maintaining the correct tire pressure.
• If your vehic le is equipped with a standard spare tire *, it must be
inflated to the maximum pressure spec ified for the vehicle. •

--~S~e~ a~t ~s ~a~n~d~ s~t~ o~r~ a:!Jg~ e:._ _____________________________________________ _
If necessary, retighten the mountings and check the entire system
from time to time.
• After mounting a roof rack system, or when you transport
objects on the roof of your vehicle, the height of the vehicle is natu­
ra lly increased . Be careful when driving under low bridges or in
parking garages for examp le. This cou ld cause damage to the load
and even the vehicle itself. •
Mounting locations
Safe installation of a roof rack requires that the rack
sup ports are m ounted between the small arrows marked
inside the door frames on all four doors .
Mounting
Fig. 1 09 Front and r ear
ma rkings
Th e roof r ack sy stem mu st be in stalled exactly according to th e
i n stru ction s prov ided .
Mount the roof racks suppo rts in the side roof moldings. Make sure
to position the supports on
all four doors between the points
marked by small
arrows => fig. 109. The markings can only be seen
when the doors are open . •
Loading the roof rack
Always distribute loads evenly. Make sure anything on the
r o of rack is securely tied down .
-Always distribute the loads on the roof rack evenly.
Always attach items to the roof rack securely before you
drive off.
T he maximum permissible roof weight is 220 lb (100 kg ). The roof
we ight is made up o f the weight of the roo f rack system and the
weight of the object being transported .
When using a roof rack system which has a lower load carrying
capacity, you must not use up the total maximum permissible load
carrying capacity specified above . Instead, you should load the roof
r ack system only to the maximum capacity specified by the manu ­
facturer of the roof rack system .
& WARNING
Weak, damag ed or improper str ap s used to secur e item s to the
r o of rack can fail du ring hard b raking o r in a colli sion and c ause
s eriou s per sonal injur y.
• Make sure the roof rack i s in stalled exactly as s pecifi ed abo ve
=> page 104 .
• Alway s use suitable m ounting strap s for securing it e ms t o the
r o of rack to help prevent item s from shiftin g or fly ing forward.
• Items on the r oof rack mus t al w ay s be se curel y mo unted .
• The u se of a roof r ack can n egatively affect the way a v ehicle
hand les . C arg o that i s la rge , he avy, bulky , long or fl at will h ave a
greater ne gative influence on the vehicle' s aerodyn amics, center
of grav it y and o verall handli ng. Alw ays dri ve slowl y, avoid sudden
braking and maneuver s when tr ansp orting carg o on the roof of
yo ur vehicle . ...,

lll.___l_n _t _e _ll _ig=- e_n _ t_ te_ c_h _n_ o_ lo...; g'"'-=- y ___________________________________________ _
Intelligent technology
Notice about data recorded by
vehicle control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Data Recorder (EDRl,
installed by some manufacturers for the express purpose of
capturing data for retrieval after an accident or crash event . EDR's
are sometimes called "crash recorders".
Some state laws restrict the retrieva l or downloading of data stored
by EDR's that were insta lled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or cras h event without the owner's
consent.
Although your vehicle is not equipped with an EDR, it is equipped
with a number of electronic control modules for various vehicle systems such as, for example, engine function, emission contro l, as
we ll
as for the a irbags and safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record vehic le-related data
dur ing norma l ve hicle opera tion for diagnost ic and repair purposes .
The recording capacity of the electronic control modules is limited
t o data (no sound is recorded) and only a small amount of data is
actua lly recorded over a very limited period of time and stored when
a system fault or other condition is sensed by a control unit. Some
of the data then stored may relate to vehic le speed, d irection,
braking as we ll as restraint system use and performance in the
event of a crash o r other condition . Stored data can only be read and
downloaded with special equipment. •
Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP)
General information
The ESP improves the vehicle stability.
I~
" "'
( ~ 1~ IA I 3-)
Fi g. 25 4 Cen ter
co nso le w it h ES P
sw itch
ESP is designed to he lp you maintain vehic le control in situations
where the car approaches the limits of "grip", especia lly when
acce lerating and cornering . ESP reduces the risk of skidding and
improves stabil ity under al l road conditions.
T he system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system. If the Ant i-Lock Brake System (ABS) malfunc­
tions, the ESP wi ll also shut down .
How the syste m w ork s
The Anti -Lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Differential Lock (EDU
and the Anti-Sl ip Regulation System (ASR) are integrated in the e lec­
tronic stabi lization program. In addition to the data provided by
t hese functions, the ESP control unit requires additional measure ­
ment data provided by high performance sensors . The rotational
speed of the veh ic le about its vertica l axis, the lateral acce lerat ion
acting on the vehicle, the brake pressure and the steering angle are
a ll measured . _,,,,

Tires and wheels -
----------------
•
& WARNING (continued)
crashes and serious personal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately.
• 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
low speed.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power seats, radio, and heater, to
the extent that these items are available as factory-installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not).
Aspect ratio means the ratio of the height to the width of the tire in percent.
Numb ers of 55 or lower indicate a low sidewall for improved
steering response and better overall handling on dry pavement.
Bead
means the part of the tire that is made of steel wires, wrapped or
reinforced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond between components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the tire.
& WARNING (continued)
• 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.
• If you notice unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one side
when driving, always stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the wheels and tires for damage.
•
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer
for a tire of a designated size that has not been driven for more than
a couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in the three hour period
before the tire pressure is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor vehicle with standard equipment
including the maximum capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi­
tioning and additional weight of optional equipment.
Extra load tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads and at higher infla ­
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Extra load tires
may be identified as
"XL", "xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the side ­
wall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR")
means the load-carrying capacity of a single axle system, measured
at the tire -ground interfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
( " GVWR")
means the maximum total loaded weight of the vehicle.
Vehicle care

_L--_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread ribs.
L oa d r atin g (code)
means t he m aximum load that a t ire is rated to carry for a given
inf lation pressure . You may not find this information on a ll tires
because it is not required by law.
M ax imum l oad r ating
means t he load rating for a tire a t the maximum permissib le infla­
tion pressure for that tire.
Maximum l oaded v ehi cle wei ght
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capaci ty weight, and
(d) Product ion options weight
M ax imum (p er mis sibl e) infl ati on pr essure
means the maximum cold i nflation pressure to wh ic h a t ire may be
inflated. Also cal led "maximum inflation pressure."
Normal occ upant we ight
means 150 lbs. (68 ki lograms) times the number of occupants
seated in the veh ic le up to the total seating capacity of your vehicle.
Oc cupant distributi on
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle .
Outer di ameter
means the overal l diameter of an inf lated new tire.
O verall width
means the linear distance between the exteriors of the sidewa lls of
an infla ted t ire, includ ing elevat ions due to labe ling, decorat ions, or
protective bands or ribs .
Ply
means a layer of rubber -coated para llel cords.
P rodu cti on opt ion s we ig ht
means the co mbined weight of those insta lled regular product ion
options weighing over 5 lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard
items which t hey replace, not previously considered in curb weight
or accessory weight, inc luding heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof
rack, heavy du ty bat tery, and special trim .
Rad ia l pl y tir e
means a pneumat ic t ire in wh ich t he ply cords that extend to the
beads are laid at substantially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
t read .
Recomm ended infl ation pres su re
see :::::> page 325, "Cold tire inflat ion pressure".
R einforc ed tir e
means a tire des ign to operate at higher loads and at higher infla­
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Reinforced
t ires may be iden tified as
"XL", "xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the
sidewa ll.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and tube assembly upon
whic h the t ire beads are seated.
Rim di ame ter
means nominal diameter of the bead seat. If you change your whee l
size, you wi ll have to purchase new tires to match the new rim diam ­
eter.
Rim siz e design ation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim w idth
means nominal distance between rim flanges .

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-