2009 AUDI S8 tire pressure

-Tires and wheels
PW-------------------
Engine II Tire designation Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
( displa ce-
normal load full load normal load
full load
ment in
liter) condition
al condition
conditional condition
PSI
I I kPA PSI
kPA PSI II kPA II PSI II kPA
12-cylinder
255/45 R18 99H All Season 36 250 38 260 32 220 32 220
6 .0 Individual
rear seats 255
/40 R19 100V XL All Season 41 41 280 36 250 36 250
255 /40 R19 100Y
XL High Performance
36 250
38 260 32
220 32 220
275 /35 R20 102Y
XL High Performance 38 41 280 35 2 40 4 4 300
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 41
280 41 280 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 41 280 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 norm al l oad cond it ion => pag e 330.
The cor rect tire pressure for the spare wheel is located on a label
either on the driver 's side B -pillar o r inside the fue l fil ler flap .
Because technica l changes may be mad e to vehicle equipmen t
du ring the mo del year, always co mpare the tire si ze designa tion on
the tire pressure label on your vehicle with the tires on your vehicle .
Make sure t hat the t ire size info rmati on on t he veh icle labe l is the
same as the size of the tires on the vehicle . This is especially impor ­
tan t if the vehicle bel ongs t o some one e lse or you boug ht the
vehic le with different rims/tires or you bought the vehicle as a previ ­
ously owned ve hicle.
Reme mbe r, you r safety an d that of your passengers a ls o depe nds
on making sure tha t load limi ts are not exceed ed. Vehicle load
inc ludes everybody and everyt hin g in an d on th e vehicle . T h ese load
limits are technical ly referred to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle
Weigh t Ra ting ("GVWR"). The 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 G ross Vehic le We ight Rating and the Gross Axle Weight
Rat ing are lis ted on the safety compliance sticker labe l located
either on the driver 's side 8 -pillar or on the inside of the fue l fi ller
fl ap . The ti re p ressure label on you r Aud i lists the maximum
combined weight of a ll of the occupants and luggage or other cargo
th at th e vehic le can carry . Fo r the location o f the t ire pressure labe l
=> page 330, fig. 274.
& WARNING
Overload ing a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control , a crash or
other accident, serious personal injury , and even death .
• Carrying more weight than your vehicle was des igned to carry
will prevent the vehicle from handling properly and increase the
risk of a loss of vehicle control . .,_

Tires and wheels -
----------------
•
& WARNING (continued)
• The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehicle within a safe distance.
• Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly
causing loss of control and a crash.
• Always make sure that the total load being transported -
including the weight of a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehicle heavier than the
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
& WARNING
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can lead to a
serious or fatal accident.
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation cause increased
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,
causing loss of vehicle control. •
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires originally installed
on your vehicle is listed on the tire pressure label located
either on driver's side 8-pillar or inside the fuel filler flap.
The recommended tire pressures are on the tire pressure label and
in the table~
page 330, "Cold tire inflation pressure".This means
that the pressure must be checked and adjusted when the tire has
not been driven for more than a couple of miles (kilometers) at low
speeds during the previous three hours. Air in the tires expands
when the tire heats up as a result of internal friction as 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~
page 330. The tires would then be
underinflated and could fail suddenly.
The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the recommended cold tire
inflation pressures at maximum capacity for the new, original equip ­
ment tires that were on your vehicle at the time it was manufac­
tured. For the location of the label
~ page 330, fig. 274.
Most tires lose air naturally over time. They can also lose some air if
you drive over a pothole or hit a curb while parking. It is usually not possible to see whether the radial tires used today are underinflated
just by looking at them.
Therefore, be sure to check tire pressures at least once a month and
always before going on a long trip. Make sure to take the number of
people and the amount of luggage into account when adjusting tire
pressure for a trip -even one that you would not consider to be
"long ." See~
page 335, "Tires and vehicle load limits" for more
important information.
Always use an accurate tire pressure gauge when checking and
adjusting inflation pressures . Check all of the tires and be sure not
to forget the spare tire . If the pressure in any tire is too high when
the tire is "cold," let air out of the tire slowly with the edge of the tire
gauge and keep checking the pressure until you reach the pressure
that is correct for the load (passengers and luggage) and kind of
driving you plan to do.
If 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
that you need to reach the correct pressure for the vehicle load
(passengers and luggage) for the tires on your vehicle as listed on
the on your vehicle and in this manual and the kind of driving you
plan to do.
Never exceed the maximum inflation pressure listed on the tire
sidewall for any reason.
Remember that the vehicle manufacturer, not the tire manufacturer,
determines the correct tire pressure for the tires on your vehicle. .,,_
Vehicle care I t •

-Tires and wheels
---------------------------------------------
It is important to ch eck the ti re pressure when the tires are cold .
• Read the req uire d tire p re s su re from the tire press ure la b el. On
USA vehicles, the tire p ressure label is located on the driver's side
8 -p illar. On Canada vehic les, the tire p ressure label is located either
on the driv er's sid e 8-pill ar or ins ide t he fuel fill er flap.
• Tur n the va lve stem cap c ounte r-cl ockwise to rem ove it fr om t he
tire valv e.
• Place th e a ir p re s sur e ga uge on th e valve .
• Th e tire pressures should only be checked and adjusted when
th e tires are col d. The s lig htly raise d pres sures of wa rm tires m ust
not be r educ ed .
• Adjus t the tire pre ssu re to the l oad you are carrying.
• Reinstal l the valve stem cap on the valve.
When should
I check the tire pressure?
The correc t tir e pr ess ure is especiall y important a t hi gh speeds . The
pressu re should the re fore be checked at l east once a mont h an d
a lways bef ore sta rting a j ourn ey . D o not for get to chec k the ti re pr es­
su re for the s pare wh eel
::::> page 352.
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Adjust the tire pr essure to the load you are carrying . After changing
a whee l or re plac ing w hee ls you have to adj ust th e tire pre ssu res on
a ll whee ls. I n ad ditio n, you must t hen stor e the ne w tire pr essu res
in t he tire pres sure mon it o ring system *=> page
41.
& 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 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 corre ctly.
• 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 mon itoring system* .
• Always inflate tires to the recommended and correct tire pres ­
s ure 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 ,
s udden 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 and wheels -
----------------
•
0 Note
Driving without valve stem caps can cause damage to the tire
valves. To prevent this, always make sure that factory installed valve
stem caps on all wheels are securely mounted on the valve .
W For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will also increase the fuel consumption. •
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or weight that any vehicle and
any tire can carry . A vehicle that is overloaded will not handle well
and is more difficult to stop. Overloading can not only lead to loss
of vehicle control, but can also damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden tire failure, including a blowout and
sudden deflation that can cause the vehicle to crash.
Your safety and that of your passengers also depends on making
sure that load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load includes every­
body and everything in and on the vehicle. These load limits are
technically referred to as the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR"l.
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic vehicle, all factory
installed accessories, a full tank of fuel, oil , coolant and other fluids
plus maximum load. The maximum load includes 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 hitch and the
tongue weight of the loaded trailer must be included as part of the
vehicle load.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR"l is the maximum load that
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 compliance sticker label located either on
the driver's side 8-pillar or on the inside of the fuel filler 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. Each seating position has a safety belt
~ page 211, "Safety belts".
The fact that there is an upper limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating means that the total weight of whatever is being
carried in the vehicle (including the weight of a trailer hitch and the
tongue weight of the loaded trailer) is limited. The more passengers
in the vehicle or passengers who are heavier than the standard
weights assumed mean that less weight can be carried as luggage.
The tire pressure label on your Audi also lists the maximum
combined weight of all of the occupants and luggage or other cargo
that the vehicle can carry. For the location of the label
~ page 330,
fig. 274.
& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control, a crash or
other accident, serious personal 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 the loss of vehicle control.
• The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehicle within a safe distance.
• Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly,
including a blowout and sudden deflation, causing loss of control
and a crash.
• Always make sure that the total load being transported -
including the weight of a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehicle heavier than the
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. •
Vehicle care
I t •

-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 330, fig. 274.
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
330, fig. 274. 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
338,
fig. 278) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific tire. •

Tires and wheels -_______________ _____.
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of different things
including proper installation and balancing, correct tire
pressure and driving style.
_/l
l '-------- ,)
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
Fig. 276 Tire tread:
tread wear indicators
(TWI)
Fig . 277 Rotating tires
for more even wear
The original tires on your vehicle have 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear
indicators":::::, fig. 276 running across the tread. Depending on the
make, there will be six to eight of them evenly placed around the
tire. Marks on the tire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other symbols)
indicate the positions of the tread wear indicators. Worn tires must
be replaced. Different figures may apply in other countries.:::::,&.
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear and can cause
sudden tire blow-out. For this reason, tire pressure must be checked
at least once a month .:::::,
page 333.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy acceleration and hard braking
increase tire wear.
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the same service life, we
recommend that the front and rear tires are rotated according to the
tire manufacturer's suggested tire rotation intervals. Please
remember the following:
• Tire rotation intervals may differ from the vehicle service inter­
vals outlined in your Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
• The longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle, the
more it wears at certain points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufacturer 's suggested tire rotation intervals .
• Vehicles with front-wheel drive experience more tread wear on
the front wheels compared to all-wheel drive (quattro®l .
• Please rotate tires as shown .:::::, fig. 277.
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction -specific tires
:::::, page 359.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, various situa­
tions during everyday driving can cause them to become unbal ­
anced, resulting in vibrations you can usually feel through the
steering wheel.
Unbalanced wheels must be rebalanced to avoid excessive wear on
steering, suspension and tires. A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed. _,,
Vehicle care I I Technical data

________________________________________________ T_ i _r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ lR
•
0
-
©
®
U.S. DOT ti re identification number
Sever snow conditions
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 hold ing and safe handling when in good cond ition and prop­
erly inflated =>& .
We recommend that a ll 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 d isposing of the old tires.
Authorized Audi dea lers have the necessary info rmation about tech ­
nical requirements for insta lling or changing tires and rims.
R epl ac ing tires and wheels
Tires shou ld be replaced at least in pairs and not individually (for
examp le both front tires or both rear tires together).
Be sure to read and heed the information to the tire pressure moni ­
toring system*=>
page 340.
Always buy replacement radial tires that have the same specifica ­
tions as the tires approved for your vehicle by Audi. Rep lacement
tires must always have the same load rating specification as the
origina l equipment or approved optional t ires listed in the table
=>
page 330.
Audi -appr oved spec ification tires are spec ially 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 330) l ists specifications of the tires approved for the Audi
models covered by your Owner's Literature.
The tire pressure labe l located either on driver's side 8 -pi llar or
inside the fuel fi ller flap(=>
page 330, fig. 275) lists the specifica ­
tions of the original equipment tires installed on your vehicle at the
ti me it was manufactured.
Federa l law requires tire manufacturers to place standardized infor ­
mation on the sidewa ll of all tires =>
page 338, fig . 278. This informa ­
t ion identifies and describes the fundamental characteristics, the
qua lity grade of the ti re and also provides a tire identification
number for safety standard certificat ion and in case of a recal l.
Tire specificat ions
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it easier to choose the
co rrect t ires . Radial tires have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewall, for example:
255 /45 R 18 99 H
This contains the following informat ion:
P Indicates the ti re is for passenger cars (where applicab le)
255 No minal tire width i n mm of the tire fro m sidewall edge to side -
wa ll edge. In general, the larger the number, the wider the tire
45 Height/width ratio in percent (aspect ratio)
R Tire construction: Radial
18 Rim diameter code (in inches)
99 Load rating code
H Speed rating lette r code
XL (or "xi", "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF") indicates that the tire is a "Rein­
forced" or an "Extra Load" ti re
M +S (o r "M/S") Indicates that the tire has some mud and snow capa ­
bility
The tires could a lso have the information of direct ion of rotation
=>
page 326.
Vehicle care I t •

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Tire manuf acturin g date
The manufacturing date is a lso indicated on the tire sidewall
(possibly only on the
inner side of the wheel):
"DOT ... 2207 ... " means, for example, the tire was produced in th e
22nd week of 2007.
Sp eed rating (l ett er code )
The speed rating letter code on the wheels indicates the maximum
permissible road speeds=>
& in "Winter tires" on page 343.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R upto 106mph(170km /h)
S upto110mph(180km/h)
T upto118mph(190km/h)
U up to 124 mph (200 km /h)
H up to 130 mph (2 10 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)3>
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)3>
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)3
l
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)3>
Your vehicle is normally factory equipped with tires, which possess
excellent driving characteristics and give your Audi optimum
driving comfort . An e lectronic speed limiter=>
page 28will normally
prevent your vehicle from going faster than the t ire speed rating
=> & .
U.S . D OT T ire Identifi cation Number (TIN ) an d tire
m anuf actur e date
This is the tire's "seria l 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-
31 F or tires with a maximum speed capab il ity over 149 mph (240 km/h), t ire
manufactur ers som etimes use the lett ers "ZR."
ture. For example, the numbers 2207 mean the tire was produced in
the 22nd 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.
T ire ply co mpositio n a nd m ate ria ls used
The number of p lies indicates the number of layers of rubber -coated
fabric in the tire. In genera l, the greater the number of p lies, the
more weight a tire can support. Tire manu facturers also must indi ­
cate the materials in the tire, which include steel, ny lon, polyester,
and others.
M ax im um Load R ating
This number indicates the maximum load in kilograms and pounds
that can be carried by the tire.
Tire quali ty grading f or tr eadwe ar, trac tion , and
t e mp era tu re resis ta nce
Tread wear, traction and temperature grades=> page 342.
Max imum P ermi ssibl e Infl ation Press ure
This number is the greatest amount of air pressure that should ever
be put in the tire under norma l driving conditions.
Repl acin g tir es o r rim s on vehicles e quippe d with t ire
pr ess ure m onit orin g syste m*
The wheels on your vehicle are equipped with a sensor which
constantly monitors the a ir pressure inside the tire, and then trans ­
m its this in formation to the tire pressure mon itoring system*. If you
are going to replace the wheel rims on your vehicle , make sure the
new rims also have these sensors. The sensors must be compa tib le
with the tire pressure monitoring system * on your vehic le.
If you install rims, which do not have the sensors, or have sensors
which are not compatible, then the tire pressure monitoring system* will not work prope rly. In this case, the tire pressure moni ­
tor ing system * would not be able to monitor the tire pressu re or
warn you if it is necessary . .,_