2009 AUDI S8 winter tires

Speed warning system
Overview
The speed warning system helps you to keep your driving
speed below a set speed limit.
The speed warning system warns the driver if he exceeds a previ ­
ously stored maximum speed . A warning tone wi ll sound as soon as
the vehicle speed exceeds the set speed by about 3 mph (3 km/h) . At
the same time, a warning symbol appears in the display.
The speed warning system has
t wo w arning th reshold s that func­
tion independently of each other and that have somewhat different
purposes:
S p ee d wa rning 1 B (U SA mod els)/ 8 (Ca na d a mo dels)
You can use speed warning 1 to set the maximum speed while you
are driving. This setting will remain in effect until you turn off the
ignition, assuming that you have not changed or reset the setting.
The speed warning symbol
8 (USA models)/ 8 (Canada models) in
the warning 1 disp lay appears when you exceed the maximum
speed. It goes out when the speed falls be low the stored maximum
speed.
The speed warning symbol will also go out if the speed
exceeds the
stored maximum speed by more than about 25 mph (40 km/h) for at
least 10 seconds. However, this does no t reset the stored maximum
speed .
Setting speed warning 1
=> page 37.
S pee d war ning 2
8. (U SA models)/ 8. (C an ad a m od els)
Storing warning 2 is recommended if you always want to be
reminded of a certain speed, for example when you are traveling in
a country that has a general maximum speed limit, or if you do not
want to exceed a specified speed for winter tires.
Contro ls and eq uip­
ment
Dri ver inf orm atio n di spl ay
The speed warning 2 symbol, 8, (USA models)/ 8, (Canada models)
appears in the disp lay when you exceed the stored speed limit.
Unlike warning 1, it wil l not go out until the vehicle speed drops
below the s tored speed limit .
Setting speed warning 2
=> page 38.
[ i ] Tips
Even though your vehicle is equipped with a speed warning system,
you should sti ll watch the speedometer to make sure you are not
driving faster than the speed limit .•
Speed warning 1 : setting a speed limit
Warning threshold 1 is set by the I CHECK) button.
[C HECK •~ F
ig . 19 C HECK button
in th e inst ru m ent
c luster
Storing the maximum speed
- Drive at t he desired maxim um speed.
- Briefly press the
[CHECK) but to n => fig . 19.
Resetting the m aximum sp eed
- Drive the vehicle at a speed of at least 3 mph (5 km/h)
- Press the
I CHECK) button for more t han 1 second.
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

Driver inf ormati on displ ay
The warning light n also illuminates in the case of a system
mal fu n ction.
The system continuously receives radio signals from sensors located inside each tire .
Be aware that tire pressure is also dependent on the temperature of
the tire. For every 18 °F (10 °C) increase in tire temperature, tire pres­
sure increases by about
1 .5 psi (0.1 bar). The tire warms up while the
vehic le is moving and tire pressure rises. So you should adjust tire
pressure only when the tires are
cold, when the temperature of the
tires is roughly the same as the ambient air temperature .
In order to keep the tire pressure monitoring system properly cali ­
brated, tire pressure on al l four tires and on the spare tire * should
be checked at regular intervals, adjusted if necessary and sav ed in
the proper setting (recommended pressure) =>
page 44.
The tire pressure is shown on the tire pressure label. On USA vehi­
cles, the tire pressure label is located on the driver's side B -pi llar. On
Canada vehicles, the tire pressure labe l is located either on the
driver's side B -pil lar or inside the fuel filler flap . The tire pressu re
label lists the recommended cold t ire inflat ion pressures for the
vehic le at its maximum capacity weight and the tires that were on
your vehicle at the time it was manufactured . For recommended tire
pressures for normal load conditions, please see chapter
=>
page 330 .
The current temperatures and pressure of your tires can be viewed
i n the MMI =>
page 44.
& WARNING
• When the t ire pre ssure moni toring sy st em warning light i s lit ,
one or more of your tir es is s ignifi cantly under -infl ate d . Y ou s hould
s to p and che ck your tir es as soon as poss ible, and infl ate th em to
th e p rop er p ress ure as i ndicated on the vehicle's tire press ure
lab el
=> page 3 30 . Driving on a s ig n ific antly und er-inflated tir e
ca uses the t ire to overheat an d ca n le a d t o tir e fai lur e. U nde r- infl a-
& W ARN IN G (c ontinued )
tion a lso is likel y to imp air t he veh icle 's handling and sto pping
ability .
• Do not adju st t ire press ure when t ire temper atu re i s excessiv e.
T hi s c ould le ad to seriou s tire dam age and even cause the ti re to
bur st, w ith the additional d ange r of an accident .
Driving with under -inflated tires reduces fuel efficiency and tire
tread life.
[ i ] Tips
• Each tire, includin g the sp are*, should be checked monthly when
cold and set to the recommended inflation pressure as specified on
the tire pressure label=>
page 330.
• T he tire pressure monitoring system he lps the d river to keep an
eye on tire pressures . But the dr iver st ill has the responsibility for
maintaining the correct tire pressure .
• Tire pressure must only be adjusted when the temperature of the
tires is about the same as ambient air temperature.
• When tires are replaced, the sensors and valves shou ld not be
detached or exchanged . Only the valve core needs to be replaced
and, if necessary, the va lve and the wheel electronics replaced .
• If you should put different whee ls 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
authorized Audi dea ler.
• Adjust the tire pressure and store the pressure in the tire pres ­
sure mon itor ing system to the load you are carrying=>
page 330.
• For Declaration of Compliance to United States FCC and Industry
Canada regulations =>
page 385. •

ll}Jl __ ln_ t _e_ ll-'"ig ...,_ e_ n_t _t_ e_ c_ h _ n_o _ l_o _,.g= y,_ __________________________________________ _
Winter tires
When driving in the winter, your vehicle with All Wheel Drive has an
advantage, even with regular tires. In winter road conditions it may be advisable to mount winter tires (or all -season tires) for improved
driveability and braking: these tires must be mounted on
all four
wheels.
See also ~ page 343, "Winter tires".
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain roads, this normally
also applies to vehicles with All Wheel Drive~
page 344, "Snow
chains".
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles with All Wheel Drive must always have tires of the same
size. Also avoid tires with different tread depths . For details see
page ~
page 338, "New tires and replacing tires and wheels".
Off-Road driving?
Your Audi does not have enough ground clearance to be used as an
off-road vehicle. It is therefore best to avoid rough tracks and
uneven terrain as much as possible. Also refer to~
page 281.
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to road and traffic conditions. Do not
let the extra safety afforded by All Wheel Drive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
• Although the All Wheel Drive is very effective, always
remember that braking capacity is limited by tire traction. You
should therefore not drive at excessive speeds on icy or slippery
road surfaces.
• On wet road surfaces, be careful not to drive too fast because
the front wheels could begin to slide on top of the water (aqua­
planing).
If this should occur, you will have no warning from a
sudden increase in engine speed as with a front-wheel drive
vehicle. Always drive at speeds which are suited to the road condi­
tions - risk of crash. •
Energy management
Starting ability is opt:m·zed
Energy management controls the distribution of electrical
energy and thus optimizes the availability of electrical
energy for starting the engine.
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system is not driven for a
long period of time, the battery is discharged by idling current
consumers (e.g . immobilizer) . In certain circumstances it can result
in there being insufficient energy available to start the engine.
Intelligent energy management in your vehicle handles the distribu­
tion of electrical energy. Starting ability is markedly improved and
the life of the battery is extended.
Basically, energy management consists of
battery diagnosis, idling
current management
and dynamic energy management.
Battery diagnosis
Battery diagnosis continuously determines the state of the battery.
Sensors determine battery voltage, battery current and battery
temperature. This determines the current state of charge and the
power of the battery .
Idling current management
Idling current management reduces energy consumption while the
vehicle is standing. With the ignition switched off, it controls the
energy supply to the various electrical components . Data from
battery diagnosis is considered.
Depending on the battery's state of charge, individual consumers
are gradually turned off to prevent excessive discharge of the
battery and thus maintain starting capability.
Dynamic energy management
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic energy management distributes the energy generated according to the needs of the indi-•

Tires a nd wh eels 111111 ________________________________ ::..:..:....::.=.....::.:..:..:..::..:___:__ _ ___:,___
•
Sidewa ll
means that portion of a tire between the tread and bead.
Speed ra ting means the speed at which a t ire is designed to be driven for
extended periods of time. The ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
t o 186 mph (298 km/h) =>
page 340. You may not find this informa ­
tion on all tires because it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applicab le, is molded on the tire
sidewa ll and indicates the maximum perm issible road speeds=>
&
in "Winter tires" on page 343.
T ire pre ssu re m onit orin g sys te m *
means a system that detects when one or more of a vehicle's tires
are under inflated and illuminates a low tire pressure warning tell­
tale.
Tre ad
means that portion of a tire that comes into contact with the road .
Tread sepa ra ti on
means pu lling away of the tread from the tire carcass.
Tr ea dw ear indi cato rs ( TW I)
means the projections with in the principal grooves designed to give
a visual indication of the degrees of wear of the tread . See
~ page 337, "Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)" for more information on
measuring tire wear.
U ni form Tire Q ua lity G radin g
is a tire information system developed by the United States National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (N HTSA) that is designed to
help buyers make re lative 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 .
I t simply gives tire buyers additional information to combine with
other considerations, such as price, brand loya lty and dealer recom -mendations
. Under UTQG, tires are graded by the tire manufac ­
t urers in three areas : treadwear, traction, and temperature res is ­
tance. The UTQG information on the tires, molded into the sidewal ls .
U .S . DOT Tir e Identifi cation Numb er (TIN )
This is the tire's "ser ia l number" It begins with the letters "DOT" and
indicates that the tire meets a ll federa l standards . The next two
numbers or letters indicate t he plant where it was manufact ured,
and the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufac­
ture. For example,
DOT ... 2 20 7 ...
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 reca ll.
V ehi cle ca pac ity w eig ht
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 d river's side 8 -pillar or on the inside of the fuel
filler flap.
V eh icle max imum load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is determined by distrib­
uting t o each ax le its share of the max imum loaded vehic le weight
and dividing by two.
V ehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is determined by distrib­
uting t o each ax le its share of the curb weight, accessory weig ht,
and normal occupant weight (distributed in accordance with table
below =>
page 330) and dividing by two . _.,
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.
~

________________________________________________ T_ i _r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ lllll
•
& WARNING
The tr action 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
W inter tires c an im prove vehicle handli ng on snow and
ice. At t emperatures belo w 45 °F (7 ° C) we re comme nd
cha ngi ng to wint er tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments may require true
winter o r "snow" tires, those with very deeply cut tread. These tires
shou 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 size and
co nstruction type as t he o the r tires on your vehicle .
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 ti res .
However, we strongly recommend that you always equip a ll four
w hee ls on you r vehic le wi th cor rec tly fit ted w inter tires o r all-season
t ir es, when w inter road co nditions ar e expected . T his also improves
the vehicle 's br aking perfo rmance and reduces stopping distances.
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 .
Compatible ti re pres sure monito ring sensors * must be insta lled on
all four wi nte r tires fo r the t ire pressu re mon ito ring system* to fu n c­
tion proper ly ~
page 34 0.
Ask your authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop for permitted
winter tire sizes. Use only ra d ial winter tires .
Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the tread is worn down to
a depth of 0 .157 inch ( 4 mm).
Only d rive wi th winter tires und er w inter cond itio ns. Summer t ires
handle better when there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
t empe ra tu re i s above 4 5 °F (7 °C) .
I f you have a f lat tire, see notes on spare whee l
~ page 338.
Please a lways remember that winter tires may have a lower speed
r ati ng tha n the ti res orig in ally installed o n yo ur veh icl e at the time
it was manufactured . P lease see~
page 340, "Speed rating (letter
c od e)" for a l isti ng of th e speed ratin g le tter codes a nd the
maximum speed at which the tires can be driven.
The s peed ra ting letter code( ~
page 329) is on the side wa ll of the
t ir e ~
page 338 .
& 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 specifi c 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
personal 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
I t •