2009 AUDI S6 Owners Manual

Tires and wheels -_______________ _____.
5. Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on th e
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 determin e how this reduces the avail ­
able cargo and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
- Check the tire sidew all (~
page 329,
fig . 251) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific tire . •
Tire service life
The ser vic e life of ti res depends on a lo t o f different things
inclu ding p roper i nstallation and bal ancing, correc t tire
pressu re a nd drivi ng style .
Tread Wear Ind icator (TWll
Fig . 249 Tire tread:
tre ad we ar indi cato rs
(TWll
Fig . 2 50 Rot ating tire s
for mo re even wear
The or iginal tires on your vehicle have 1 /16 inch ( 1.6 mm) high " wea r
indicators"=> fig. 249 running across the tread. Depending on the
make, the re wil l be six to eight of them even ly p la ced a rou nd the
t ire . Marks on the tire sidewa ll (for example "TWI" or other symbols)
indicate the positions of the tread wear indicators. Worn tire s must
be r eplaced. Di fferen t fi gures may apply in other countries ::::>,& . .,_
Vehic le care I I Technical data

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Tire pr essure
Inco rrect tire pressure causes prematu re wear and can cau se
sudden tire blow-out. For this reason, tire pressure must be checked
at least once a month
~ page 323 .
Driving style
Dr iv ing fa st around curves, heavy acceleration and hard brak ing
increase tire wear.
Rotating tire s for more even wear
For all four t ires on your vehic le to have the same service life, we
recommend that the front and rea r tires are rotat ed acc ord ing to the
tire manufacturer 's suggested tire rotation intervals. Please
remembe r the f ollo wi ng :
• Tire rotat ion i nterva ls m ay d iffer from the vehic le serv ice inte r­
vals outl ined in your Maintenance and Warranty Book let.
• The longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle, t he
more it wears at certain points; the refo re, we recommend that you
f ollow the tire manu facturer's sug ges ted t ire rotat ion i nte rvals.
• Vehicles with fro nt-w hee l dr ive e xper ience more tread wear on
the front wheels compared to all -wheel drive (quattro®l .
• Please rotate tires as sh ow n~
page 32 7, fig. 250 .
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction -specific tires
~ pag e 349 .
Wheel balancing
T he w hee ls o n new v ehic les are balanced. However, various s itua ­
tions during everyday driving can cause them to become unba l­
anc ed, resu lti ng in vib rati ons yo u ca n us ually feel thro ugh t he
steer ing whee l.
U nba la nce d w heels must b e re ba lance d to avoid e xcessive wea r on
steering, suspension and tires. A whee l must a lso be reba lanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect w hee l al ig nm ent ca n cau se e xcess ive ti re wea r, impa iring
t h e s afety of th e veh ic le. If t ires s how excessive w ear, have the
w hee l a lig nme nt checke d by a n autho rize d Aud i deale r or qualifie d
wo rkshop.
All Wheel Drive
Vehic les with quattro® must always have tires of the same size,
co nstruct ion an d tread ty pe. For deta ils see ~
page 268.
& 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_ls _ ____. 11111
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in.
Fig. 251 Tire specification codes on the sidewall of a tire
No.
G)
@
©
©
©
©
Description
Passenger car tire (where applicable)
Nominal width of tire in millimeters
Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
Radial
Rim diameter code
Load index and speed rating
0
©
U.S. DOT tire identificat ion number
Audi Original tire
Sever snow condit ions
Tire ply composition and materials used
@ Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and temperature grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pressure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the vehicle's design . The
tires and rims approved by Audi are specially matched to the char ­
acteristics of the vehicle and can make a major contribution to good
road holding and safe handling when in good condition and prop ­
erly inflated
=> & .
We recommend that all work on tires and wheels be performed by
an authorized Audi dealer. They are familiar with recommended
procedures and have the necessary special tools and spare parts as
well as the proper facilities for disposing of the old tires.
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary information about tech­
nical requirements for installing or changing tires and rims.
Replacing tires and wheels
Tires should be replaced at least in pairs and not individually (for
example both front tires or both rear tires together).
Be sure to read and heed the information to the tire pressure moni ­
toring system
=> page 336.
Always buy replacement radial tires that have the same specifica­
tions as the tires approved for your vehicle by Audi. Replacement
tires must always have the same load rating specification as the
original equipment or approved optional tires listed in the table
=> page 327. ~
Vehic le care I I irechnical data

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Audi-approved specification tires are specially matched to your
vehicle and its load limits, and can contribute to the important road­
holding, driving characteristics, and safety of the vehicle . The table
( =>
page 321) lists specifications of the tires approved for the Audi
models covered by your Owner's Literature.
The tire pressure label located on driver's side 8 -pillar (=>
page 321,
fig. 248) lists the specifications of the original equipment tires
installed on your vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
Federa l law requires tire manufacturers to place standardized infor ­
mation on the sidewall of al l tires=>
page 329, fig. 251. This informa­
tion identifies and describes the fundamental characteristics, the
quality grade of the tire and also provides a t ire identification
number for safety standard certification and in case of a recall.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it easier to choose the
correct tires. Radial tires have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewa ll, for example:
P245 / 45 R 17 99 H XL
This contains the following information :
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars (where applicable)
245 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 Load rating code
H Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF") indicates that the tire is a"Rein ­
forced" or an "Extra Load" tire
M+S (or "M/S"l Indicates that the tire has some mud and snow capa­
bility
The tires could a lso have the information of direction of rotation
=>
page 317. Tire
manufacturing date
The manufacturing date is also indicated on the tire sidewall
(possibly only on the
inner side of the wheell:
"DO T ... 2208 ... " means, for example, that the tire was produced in
the 22nd week of 2008.
Speed rating (letter code)
The speed rating letter code on the wheels indicates the maximum
permissible road speeds=>
& in "Winter tires" on page 333.
P up to 93 mph ( 150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R upto 106mph(170km/hl
S upto110mph(180km/hl
T upto118mph(190km/hl
U up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)31
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)31
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)3
l
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)31
Your vehicle is normally factory equipped with tires, which possess
excellent driving characteristics and give your Audi optimum
driving comfort. An electronic speed limiter:::>
page 27will normal ly
prevent your vehic le from going faster than the tire speed rating
=> & .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN) and tire
manufacture date
This is the tire's "serial number". It begins with the letters "DOT"
and indicates that the tire meets all federa l 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-
~
31 For tires with a maximum speed capability over 149 mph (240 km/h), t ire
manufac turers sometimes use the letters "ZR."

Tires and wheels -________________ w-.
•
ture. For exam ple , t he numbers 2 208 mean that the tire was
pr od uce d in the 22nd w eek o f 20 08 . T he ot her num bers a re
marketing cod es that may or may not b e used by the tire manufac ­
tu rer. This inf or ma tion is use d to conta ct consum ers if a tir e defec t
requires a recall.
Audi Original tire
Ti res with the identification "AO" or "R O" hav e been specia lly
m atc h ed wi th you r A ud i. We re comm end u sing on ly these tire s
becaus e they meet the highest standards re garding safety and
dri ving c haracter istic s when used correctly . You r aut horized Audi
d ealer w ill glad ly prov ide you with mor e information .
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of p li e s indicates the numb er of layers of rubber -coat ed
fabric i n the tir e . In genera l, the grea te r the number of pl ies, th e
mo re we ig ht a t ire can suppo rt. T ire ma nufactu rers also must ind i­
cate the materia ls in the tire, which include steel, ny lon, polyester,
and oth ers .
Maximum Load Rating
This numb er ind icat es the maximum load in kil ograms and pou nds
th at ca n be ca rried by t he tire.
Tire qual ity grading for treadvvear , traction , and
temperature resistance
T read wear , traction and temperature grades::::;, page 332.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest amount of air pressure that should ever
be put in the t ir e u nder nor mal d riving co nd it ion s.
& 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 .
& WARNING (continued )
• Always use tires, rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifica­
tions of original factory -installed tires or other combinations that
have been spec ifically approved by the veh icle manufacturer .
• 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.
• All four wheels must be fitted with radial tires of the same type ,
size (rolling circumference ) and the same tread pattern. Driving
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 ,
includ ing a blowout and sudden deflation and loss of control.
• Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and
not over or underinflated .
• For technical 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.
~
Vehicle care I t •

-Tires and wheels
PW-------------------
& WARNING (continued)
• 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. 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
• For technical reasons , it is not generally possible to use the
wheel rims from other vehicles. This can hold true for wheels of the
same vehicle type .
• If the spare tire is different from the tires that you have mounted
on your vehicle (for example winter tires or wide profile tires), then
use the spare tire for a short period of time only and drive with extra
care. Replace the flat tire with the tire matching the others on your
vehicle as soon as possible.
• Never drive without the valve stem cap. The valves could get
damaged.
~ For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accordance with the local requirements. •
Uniform tire quality grading
• Tread wear
• Traction AA A B C
• Temperature A B C
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire side wall between tread shoulder and maximum section width~
page 329,
fig. 251 .
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 ti re graded 150 wou Id 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 their use, however, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differ­
ences in road characteristics and climate.
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 levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law. .,_

Tires and wheels -_____________ .:.....::...=..____:__:_:_:_=-=----
•
& WARNING
The traction grade ass igned to this t ire i s based 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 t ire is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed , underinfla ­
tion , or ex ces sive loading , either separately or in combination , can
c ause heat buildup and possible tire failure . •
Winter tires
Wi nter tires c an im prove vehicle handli ng on snow and
ic e. At t emperatures below 4 5 °F (7 ° C) we re commend
cha ngi ng to winte r tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments may require true
winter o r "snow" tire s, those with ve ry 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 are the same si ze and
co nstruction type as t he o the r tires on your veh icle .
I f your vehicle is equipped with all -wheel drive *, this will improve
t raction d uring win te r dr iving, eve n with the s ta n dard t ires .
However, we strongly recommend that you always equip a ll four
w hee ls on you r vehic le wi th cor rec tly fi tted w inter tire s or all-season
t ir es, when w inter road co nditions ar e expec ted . T his also improves
the vehicle 's br aking perfo rmance and reduces stopping distance s.
Summer tires p rov ide less gr ip on ice a nd sno w.
Winter tires (snow tires) must a lways be fitted on all four whee ls .
Ask you r author ized Aud i deale r o r qualified wo rksho p fo r pe rmitted
winter tire sizes . Use only rad ial wint er tires. Winter tires
lose their effec tiveness when the tread is worn down to
a depth of 0 .1 57 inch (4 mm).
Only drive with w inter tires under winter conditions. Summer tires
handle better when there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
t emperature is above 45 °F (7 °C).
I f you have a flat tire, see notes on spare whee l
~ page 329.
Please always remember that winter tires may have a lower speed
rating than the tires original ly installed on your vehicle at the time
it was man ufact ured. Please see~
page 330, "Speed rating (lette r
code)" for a l ist ing o f th e speed rati ng lette r codes a nd the
maximum speed at which the tires can be driven.
The s peed rati ng letter code(~
page 320) is on th e sid e wa ll o f the
tire
~ page 329 .
& WARNING
Winter tires have maximum 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 acc ident 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
personal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires replaced immedi ­
ately.
• Winter tires have max imum 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 . ...
Vehicle care
I t •

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and t raffic condit ions .
Never let the good a cceleration of the winter tires and all -wheel
dri ve tempt you into tak ing extra ri sk s. Always remember :
• When braking, an all -wheel drive vehicle handles in the same
way as a front drive vehicle .
• Drive carefully and redu ce your speed on icy and sli ppery roads ,
even winter tires cannot help unde r bla ck ice conditions.
c£> For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather conditions permit. They are
quieter, d o no t wear as quick ly a nd re duce fuel consump tio n.•
Snow chains
Snow cha ins may be fitte d o nly to the fron t whee ls, and o nly to
certain tire sizes . Ask your authorized Audi dealer on which tire
s iz es snow c hains can be used.
If you are going to use snow chains, then you must install them on
the front wheels at least.
The snow cha ins must have low -profile l inks and must not be thicker
than 0 .53 inch ( 13.5 mm), including the lock.
Remove wheel center c overs and trim discs before putt ing snow
chains on your vehicle~
0 . For safety reasons cover caps must
then be fitted ove r the wheel bo lts . These are avai lable from autho­
r ized Aud i dealers.
& WARNING
Using the wrong sno w chains for your vehi cle or installing them
incorre ctly can in crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury .
& WARNING (continued )
• Snow chains are available in different sizes. Alw ay s make sure
to follo w the instructions provided by the snow chain m anufac ­
turer .
• When driving with snow cha ins never drive faster than the
s peed permitted for your specific snow chains .
• Alway s observe lo cal regu lations.
0 Note
• Remove snow c hains before driving on roads not covered with
snow t o av oid da maging tires a nd wea ring the snow cha in s dow n
unnecessari ly.
• Sno w cha in s, w hich come in to direc t contact wi th th e wheel ri m,
can scratch or damage it. Therefore, make sure that the snow chains
a re sui tab ly cove red. Check the position of t he snow cha ins a fter
driving a few yards and correct if necessary . Follow the instructions
from the snow chain manufacture r when doing so .
• I f the Adaptive Air Suspension * shou ld malfunction, do not
mo unt or use snow chains because the veh icle w ill be ext remely
l ow . If you do drive with snow chains on while the vehicle is at this
l evel, the snow chains might severe ly damage the wheelhouse and
other parts of the vehicle.
[ i ] Tips
Where snow c hains a re ma ndatory on ce rtai n roa ds, th is norma lly
a lso app lies to veh ic les with A ll Wheel Drive. •