2009 AUDI S8 Owners Manual

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 _ ls _________________________________________________ _
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can cause excess ive tire wea r, im pairing
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, c ons truc tion and tread type. F or details see
~ p age 275 .
& 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 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 dam age , 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 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 los s of veh icle control. •
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New t ires and wheels h ave t o be broke n in.
Fig . 278 T ir e specif ication cod es on the sidewall of a tir e
No.
©
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 ra ting

________________________________________________ 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 . .,_

__________________________________________________ T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ _
•
• T he battery inside of the tire pressure sensor has a limited
service life.
• Always drive with the va lve stem caps securely mounted. We
recommend using fac tory insta lled valve stem caps . Ask your autho­
rized Audi dealer to replace lost valve stem caps .
T he installation of replacement tires with steel cord body plies in
the tire sidewall may cause malfunction of the tire pressure moni ­
toring system *, and is not recommended (cord material info rmation
i n molded on the t ire sidewa ll).
A lways check your tire pressure monitoring system * indicator after
replac ing one or more tires on you r veh ic le . If t he tir e pressure
monitoring system * indicator f lashes, or is on, your system is not
wo rking pr ope rly. Your re place ment tire might be i nco m patible wit h
your tire pr essure monitoring system *, or some component of the
t ir e pr ess ure moni toring system * m ay be da maged.
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and / or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can lead to los s of control , collision
and serious personal injury .
• Alway s use tires , rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifica ­
tions of original fa ctory -installed tires or other combination s 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 . Tire s that a re more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
lo wer speeds .
• Never mount used tire s on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history ." Old used tires may have been dam aged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
ti re failure and lo ss 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
& W ARNING (continued )
with different tires redu ces 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 dri ve with extra care . Refit the
normal road wheel as soon a s safely pos sible.
• Never drive faster than the ma ximum 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 , su dden 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 te chni cal reasons it is not always po ssible 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 blo cked . Redu ced airflow to
the brake s can them to overheat , increa sing stopping distances
and causing a collision.
• Run flat tires may only be used on vehicles that were equipped
with them at the fa ctory . The vehicle mu st have a cha ssi s designed
for run flat tires and a factory -installed tire pressure monitoring
s ystem* that indicates a lo ss of tire pressure . Incorrect use of run
flat tires can lead to vehicle damage or accident s. Check with an
authorized Audi dealer or tire specialist to see if your vehicle can
be equipped with run fl at tires . If run flat tires are used , they must
be installed on all four wheels . Mi xing tire types is not permitted.
0 Note
• Fo r techn ica l reaso ns, i t is no t genera lly p oss ibl e to use the
whee l rims from other vehicles . T his can hold true for wheels of the
sa me vehicle type. ..,.
Vehicle care
I t •

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
• If the spare tire is different from the tires that you have mounted
o n your vehi cle (for e xample winter tires or wide profile tires), then
use the spare tire for a short period of time on ly and drive with extra
care . Replace the f lat tire with the tire matching the others on your
vehicle as soon as possible.
• If you should put different wheels and tires on your vehicle (e.g.
winter wheels and tires), you must be certain that the wheels and
tires are compatible with the tire pressure monitoring system* .
Otherwise the system will register a ma lfunction and a fault
message will be displayed . For more information, contact your Audi
dea ler.
0 Note
• When installing new tires, be careful not to damage the valves or
tire pressure monitoring system* sensors.
• Never drive without the va lve stem cap. The valves could get
damaged.
• If the sensors must be replaced, then the valve must also be
replaced at the same time.
c£> For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accordance with the loca l requirements. •
Uniform tire quality grading
• Tread wear
• Traction AA A B C
• Temperature A B C
Qua lity grades can be found where applicable on the tire side wal l
between tread shoulder and maximum section width
=> page 338,
fig. 278.
For e xample: Tread wear 200 , Traction AA, Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal Safety Require­
ments in addit ion to these grades.
Tread w ea r
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate
of the tire when tested under contro lled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 wou ld 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 upo n the actua l condi­
tions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the
n orm due to variations in d riving habi ts, service practices and differ­
ences in road characteristics and climate.
Tra ction
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 contro lled conditions on specified government
t est surfaces of asphalt and concrete . A tire marked C may have
poor traction performance => & .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), 8, and C, representing
the tire's resistance to the generation o f heat and its abi lity to dissi ­
pate heat when tested under control led conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the mater ial of the tire to
degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure=>&.
T he grade C corresponds to a leve l of performance which a ll
passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher levels of
p er formance on the la b ora tory test whee l than t he mi nimum
required by law.
~