2008 AUDI S8 tire type

Adaptiv e Air Su spension 11!11
-------------------------------------=------=-------
Ad apt iv e Air Suspension
Adaptive Air Suspension and
Damping
Description
Adaptive Air Suspension and damping can be regulated
and they adapt automatically to a request from the driver
and the driving situation at the time.
Adaptive Air Suspension is an electronica lly contro lled springing
and damping system. T his chassis system makes it eas ier on the
driver by adapting to the particu lar situation through imperceptible
control processes.
The
Ad apti ve Air Suspen sion component regu lates ground c lear­
ance depending on vehicle speed, load condition and driver input .
Acce lerat ing to a speed above a predetermined limit wil l make the
vehic le lower i tself. On the other hand, driving more slowly results
in the vehic le rais ing again at specific speeds .
T he
d amp in g component provides individual contro l of the
damping forces. For examp le, with damping characteristics set to
provide greater comfort, damping is set somewhat harder for a brief
period only as required, for example, when going around a curve or
over rough road surfaces as well as when brak ing.
S ett ing s
Adaptive Air Suspension provides the driver with the opportunity to
set the chassis characteristics a lso to their individua l preference .
With the driving modes
standard, automatic and dynamic the driver
has three chassis settings availab le, ranging from comfort to sporty.
In addition,
lift provides a fourth mode wh ich can be selecting for
driving over poor stretches of
road~ page 186, "Chassis Contro ls" .
The modes are se t in MMI
~ page 188.
Controls and equip­ ment
On vehicles equipped with the sport su sp en sion Adaptive Air
Suspension -Sport *, there is genera lly more emphasis on a sporty
chassis sett ing. Settings range from comfortable to firm
~ page 187, "Sport Chassis Contro ls".
0 Note
• Whenever you park your vehicle, always make sure there is
adequate c learance above and be low the vehicle . The height of the
parked vehicle can change as the result of temperature fluctuations,
changes in l oad condition and c hanges in the driv ing m ode (ground
c learance).
• Mount the tie -down cha ins/cab les over the running surface
(circumference) of the tires . Never secure the vehicle by the axle, the
suspens ion stru ts or the front or rear towline eye . For tec hn ica l
reasons , the pressure in the suspension struts may change during
the transport and this wil l adversely affect vehicle handling.
• To prevent damage to the vehic le underbody, remember that
your vehicle is not a n off -road vehicle, even in the lift mode . The
ground clearance is insufficient for this type of operation .
• If you are going to tow a tra iler, you mus t activate the trailer oper ­
ation
mode~ page 189 .
[ i ] Tip s
Before you can raise your vehic le using the vehicle jack (for
examp le, when changing a flat tire) you must activate the jacking
mode
~ page 188 . •

lll'ft __ T_ ir_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h
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Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most abused parts
of a motor vehicle.
Tires may be the least appreciated and most abused parts of a
motor vehicle. Tires are, however, one of the most important parts
of a vehicle, particu lar ly considering the comparatively smal l patch
of rubber on each tire that assures that all -important contact
between you, your vehic le and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, making sure that your vehicle
and its t ires do not have to carry more we ight than they can safely
handle, avoiding damage from road hazards and regularly
inspecting tires for damage inc luding cuts, slashes irregular wear
and overa ll condition are the most important things that you can do
to help avoid sudden tire failure inc luding tread separation and
blowouts.
Av oidin g dam age
If you have to drive over a curb or similar obstac le, drive very slowly
and as close as possib le at a right angle to the curb .
A lways keep chem ica ls including grease, oi l, gaso line and brake
flu id off the ti res.
Inspect t he t ires regu larly fo r damage (cuts, cracks or b listers, etc .l.
Remove any foreign bodies embedded in the treads .
Storing tire s
Mark tires when you remove them to indicate the direction of rota­
tion . This ensures you to be able to moun t them correctly w hen you
reinstal l them. When removed, the wheels or tires shou
ld be stored in a coo l, dry
and preferably dark place .
S tore tires in a vert ical pos it ion if they are not mounted on r ims, in
a horizonta l position if they are mounted on rims.
New tire s
New tires have to be broken in=> &.
The tread depth of new ti res may vary, according to the type and
make of tire and the tread pattern .
Hidden dam age
Damage to tires and rims is often not readily visible . If you notice
unusual vibration or the vehicle pu lls to one side, this may ind ica te
that one of the tires has been damaged . The tires must be checked
immediately by an authorized Audi dealer or qual ified workshop .
Unidir ec tiona l tir es
A unid irec tional tire can be identified by arrows on the sidewa ll, that
point in the direction the tire is designed to rotate. You must fo llow
t he specified directio n of rotation . Th is is necessary so that t hese
tires can deve lop their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road
noise, wear and hydrop laning resistance . For more information
=> page 357.
& WARNING
New t ires or tire s th at a re old , worn or d am aged cann ot pro vide
maximum control and braking ability.
• New tire s tend to be slipper y and mu st be bro ken in . To redu ce
the risk of lo sin g con tro l, a collision and seriou s per sonal injurie s,
dri ve w ith spe cial care f or the fi rst 350 mile s (560 km l.
• Driving wi th worn or damaged tir es can l ead to lo ss of control ,
sudd en tire f ailure , inc ludi ng a blowout and sudden defl atio n, .,_

1119...__T_ ir_e _ s_ a_ n
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Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can cause excess ive tire wea r, impairi ng
the safety of the vehic le. If tires show excessive wear, have the
whee l alignment c hecked by an au th o rize d Audi deale r or qualifie d
wo rkshop.
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles with quattro® must always have tires of the same size, construc tion and tread type. F or details see
~ p age 273 .
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to los s of control, a crash and serious
personal injury !
• Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire is worn down
to the wear indi cators .
• 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 aw ay 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 speed s.
• 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 los s of veh icle control. •
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
N ew t ires and wheels h ave t o be broke n in.
Fig . 2 76 T ir e specification code s on the sidewall of a tire
No .
G)
0
©
©
©
©
Description
Passenger car tire (where applicable)
Nominal width of tire in millimeters
Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
Radial
Rim diameter code
L o ad in dex and s peed rat ing

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_ r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ l'III
•
• T he batt ery inside of the tire pressure sensor has a l imited
s er vice l ife.
• Al ways drive with the va lve stem ca ps sec ure ly m ounted. We
r ec om mend u sin g fa ctor y in sta lle d v alv e stem caps. Ask your autho­
rized Audi d ealer to replac e lost valve stem caps .
T he in stalla tio n of replacement ti res with steel cord body plies i n
th e tire s id ewal l may cause malfunct ion of the tire pressure moni ­
toring sy ste m, and is not recommended (c ord mate ria l infor mation
i n mo lded on the tire s idewa ll).
Al ways check your tir e pressure monitor ing system indicator after
r eplac ing on e o r m ore tire s on y our vehi cle. If the tire pressu re
monitorin g system indicator flashes, or is on, your system is not
w orki ng pr ope rly. You r rep lace ment tir e mi ght be in co m pati ble w ith
your t ire pr essure monitoring system, or some component of the
t ir e pr ess ure m oni to ring sys te m m ay be damaged .
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and / or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can lead to loss of control , collision
and serious personal injury .
• Always use tires , rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifica­
tions of original factory -installed tires or other combinations that
have been specifically approved by the vehi cle manufacturer .
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
espe cially 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.
• All four wheels must be fitted with radial tires of the same type ,
size (rolling cir cumference ) and the same tread pattern . Driving
&, WARNING (continued )
with different tires reduces vehicle handling and can lead to a loss
of control.
• If the spare tire is not the same as the tires that are mounted
on the vehicle
-for example with winter tires -only use the spare
tire for a short period of time and drive with extra care . Refit the
normal road wheel as soon as safely possible.
• Never drive faster than the maximum speed for which the tires
on your vehicle are rated because tires that are driven faster than
their rated speed can fail suddenly.
• Overloading tires cause heat build -up , sudden tire failure,
including a blowout and sudden deflation and loss of control.
• Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and
not over or underinflated.
• For 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 blocked . Reduced airflow to
the brakes can them to overheat , increasing stopping distances
and causing a collision.
• Run flat tires may only be used on vehicles that were equipped
with them at the factory . The vehicle must have a chassis designed
for run flat tires and a factory-installed tire pressure monitoring
system that indicates a loss of tire pressure. Incorrect use of run
flat tires can lead to vehicle damage or accidents . Check with an
authorized Audi dealer or tire specialist to see if your vehicle can
be equipped with run flat tires . If run flat tires are used , they must
be installed on all four wheels . Mixing tire types is not permitted.
0 Note
• Fo r tec hnica l reaso ns, i t is not gene rally p oss ibl e to use the
whee l rims from other vehicles . T his can hold true for wheels of t he
sa me v ehicl e typ e.
Vehicle care

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•
& WARNING
The tr action grade assigned to this tire i s ba sed on straight -ahead
braking traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
c ornering , hydroplaning or peak tra ction chara cteristic s.
& WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed , underinfla ­
tion , or ex cessive loading , either separately or in combination , can
c ause heat buildup and po ssible tire failure . •
Winter tires
Winter tires c an im prove vehicle handlin g on snow and
i ce. At tem pera tures belo w 4 5 °F (7 °C ) we re commend
changi ng to w inte r tires.
In some heavy snow areas, loca l governments may require true
winter or "s now" tire s, those with very deeply cut tread. These tires
s h ou ld on ly be used in pairs and be i nstalled on all four wheels .
M ake sure you purchase snow tires that a re the same size and
co nstruct io n type as t he othe r tires on your ve hicle.
I f your vehicle is equipped with all -wheel drive *, this will improve
t raction d uring winte r dr iving , eve n wit h th e sta n dar d tir es .
However, we strongly recommend that you always equip a ll four
w hee ls on you r vehic le wi th co rrectl y fi tted w inte r tires or all-season
t ir es, w hen w inter road condi tions are expec ted . T his also improves
the vehicle 's br aking perfo rma nce a nd reduces stopping distances .
Summe r tires p rov ide less gr ip on ice a nd s now.
Wint er tires (snow tires) must a lways be fitted on all four whee ls .
Compatible ti re p ressu re m oni to ring sen so rs must be instal led on
a ll four w inte r tires for t he ti re pr essur e moni tor ing s yste m to fu nc­
tion
proper ly => page 33 8.
Ask your authorized Audi dealer or qualifi ed workshop for permitted
winter tire sizes. Use only ra di al winter tires .
W inter tires lose their eff ectiveness when the tr ead is worn down to
a depth of 0 .157 inc h (4 mm).
O nly d rive wi th winte r ti res under w inter cond itio ns. S um mer tire s
handle better when there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
te mpera ture i s abov e 45 °F ( 7 °C) .
I f you have a f lat tire, se e notes on spar e whee l
=> page 336.
Please a lways remember that winter tires may have a lower speed
r ati ng t han th e tires orig in ally ins talled o n you r ve hicle at t he time
it was manufactu red . P lease
see => page 338, "Speed rating (letter
co de)" for a l is tin g of th e sp eed ratin g letter code s an d th e
maximum speed at which the tires can b e driven .
The speed ra ti ng le tter
co de( => page 327) is on the side wa ll of the
t ire
=> page 336.
& WARNING
Winter tires have ma ximum speed limits that may be lower than
your vehicle's maximum speed . Always know the maximum 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 maximum speed for which the winter tires
on your vehicle were designed can cause tire failure including a
blowout and sudden deflation, loss of control , crashes and serious
per sonal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires replaced immedi­
ately.
• Winter tires have maximum speed rating that may be lower
than your vehicle's maximum speed.
Vehicle care

___ A_ l-=- p _ h_ a_ b_e _t_ ic _ a_l _in _ d_e_ x ____________________________________________ _
Electromechanical parking brake ... 134
Fluid reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
How does moisture or road sal t affect the
brakes? ....................... 270
Malfunction ..... ... ... .. .... .... . 30
Warning/indicator lights ... .... .... 22
Worn brak e pads symbol ..... .. .... 34
Break -in period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
B rake pads .. ...... .... ......... . 278
Tires ..... .. .. .... .... ......... . 277
Bu lbs ... .... .... .... ....... .... ... 362
Bumper cover Caution when parking near a parking bar -
rier or curb ...... ... .... .... ... 135
C
Ca lifornia Proposition 65 Warning 308
Battery specific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Capacit ies .. .... .... .... .... ... .... 378
Car care . .... .... .... .... .... .... .. 288
Int erior .. .... .... .... .... ...... . 295
P lastic and vinyl .. .... .... ... .... 292
Weatherstrips ...... ... .. ...... .. 293
Car carrier Transporting your vehicle ........ . 369
Care of exterior . .... .... .... .... .... 288
Cargo area
See Loading the luggage compartment ..
205
Cargo net .... .... .... .... ... .... ... 101
Catalyt ic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278 Central locking
Emergency locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Changing a flat tire ...... .... ... .. .... 45
Changing a wheel .... ..... .. .... .... 351
Changing engine oi l .. .... .... .... ... 313
Chassis Undercoating ... .. .... .... .... ... 294
See also Adaptive Aur Suspension . .. 185
CHECK button .... .... .... ..... .. .... 15
Checking Engine coolant level ... .... ..... .. 315
Checking tire pressure ... .. .... .... .. 331
Child restraints Danger of using child restraints in the front seat ... ....... ...... .... .. 220
What types o f child restraint anchors are
avai lable? ... ....... ...... .... .. 256
Where can I get additional information
about child r estraints? ...... ... .. 257
Child safety ...... .. . ... .... ... . 243, 248
Additiona l information ............ 262
Booster seat ... .... ... .... .... ... 251
Convertible child safety seat .... ... 249
Conv ert ible locking r etractor ... .... 253
Guidance fixtures for lower anchorages
259
Important safety instructions for using
child safety seats ..... .. .... .... 246
Important things to know when driving with children . .... .... .... ...... 243
Infant seat .... .... .... .... ... ... 248
Installing a child restrain t using the
LATCH system ...... ...... ..... . 261 Mounting and releasing the anchorage
hook .......................... 262
Older children and safety belts ..... 252
Safety belts and older children .... . 252
Tether anchors .. ...... .... ... .. . 262
Tether strap ........... .... .... .. 263
Which restraint system should my older chi ld wear? .................. .. 252
Child safety lock
Rear doors (mechanical! ...... .... .. 58
Rear doors (power) .... .... .... .... 58
Child safety seat .. .... .... ...... .... 248
Convertible locking r etractor .... ... 253
How do I properly insta ll a chi ld safety
seat in my vehicle? .. ........ .... 246
Installing .. .. .. .... .... ..... .. ... 253
LATCH system ................... 261
Safety instructions .. ...... .... ... 246
Cigarette I ig hter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Cleaning Alcantara (synthetic suede) .... .... 298
Engine compartment ...... .... ... 299
Fab rics and fabric coverings ... .... 295
Instrument panel ...... ....... .... 296
Interior ... .... .... .... .... .... .. 295
Leather ... .... .... .... ..... .. ... 297
MMI display .............. .... ... 295
MMI terminal ...... .... ..... .. ... 295
Plastic and viny l ... .... .... ....... 292
P lastic parts ..................... 296
Safety belts ... .... .... ... .... ... 299
Trim strips . ....... .... ... .... ... 291
trim strips . ....... .... ....... .... 292
Lower anchorages ........... ..... 258 Cleaning and protection ............. 288