2009 AUDI TT COUPE winter tires

Driver inf ormation sy ste m
Speed warning system
Overview
The speed warning system helps you to keep your driving
speed below a set speed limit.
Fi g. 18 D isplay: s pee d
w arn in g sys tem
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=> fig. 18.
The speed warn ing system has
two warning thre shold s that func­
tion independent ly of each other and that have somewhat different
purposes :
Speed w arnin g 1 _ / ~ (C ana da mod els)
You can use speed warning 1 to set the max imum speed whi le you
are driving. This setting wi ll remain in effect until you turn off the
ign ition, assuming that you have not changed or reset the setting .
The speed warning symbo l / (Canada mode ls) in the warning 1
display 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. The stored maximum speed is de leted . Setting speed warning 1
~ page 30.
S
peed w arning 2 I (Canada m odel s)
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 .
The speed warning 2 symbol, _;_._ (Canada models) appears in the
display when you exceed the stored speed limit. Unlike warning 1,
it wi ll not go out until the vehic le speed drops be low the stored
speed limit .
Setting speed warning 2
~ page 31 .
[ i ] Tips
Even though your vehicle is equipped with a speed warning system,
you should still 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 button .
Storing the maximum speed
- Drive at the desired maximum speed.
Fig . 19 Section of
i ns trum ent cl uster:
Set/C heck bu tton

• Be aware of the different than usual steering response and
adjust your steering force accordingly.
• Have the problem checked and set right by an authorized Audi
dealer as soon as possible.
• If a steering malfunction occurs, this is signaled with the or.
~ indicator lights and a warning tone, see.
[ i] Tips
• If the power steering system should fail, or if the engine is not
running (for example, while being towed} , you will still be able to
steer the vehicle. However, more effort will be required to do so.
• If the power steering system is not functioning properly, contact
your authorized Audi dealer immediately.
Ap plies to vehicles : w ith A ll Wheel Drive
0 iving w i h your quattro®
With All Wheel Drive, all four wheels are driven.
General information
With All Wheel Drive, power is distributed to all four wheels. This
happens automatically depending on your driving style and the
road conditions at the time. See also=> page
184, "Electronic differ ­
ential lock (EDU".
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 250, "Winter tires".
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Intelligent technology
Snow
chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain roads, this normally
also applies to vehicles with All Wheel Drive=> page 251, "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 246, "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 192.
& 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. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

________________________________________________ T_ i _r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ fflllll
•
S idewa 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 247. 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 250.
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 244, "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 or perform in a certain way. It simply
gives tire buyers additiona l information to combine with other
considerations, such as price, brand loya lty and dealer recommen- dations
. Under UTQG, tires are graded by the tire manufacturers in
three areas : treadwear, trac tion and temperature resistance. The
U TQG information on the tires, molded into the sidewalls.
U .S . DOT Tire Identifi cation Number (TIN )
This is the tire's "serial number" It begins with the letters "DOT" and
indicates that the ti re meets a ll federa l standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it was manufactured,
and the last four numbers represent the week a nd year of manufac ­
ture . For example,
DOT ... 2209 ...
means that the tire was produced in the 22t h week of 2009. The
other numbers are marketing codes that may or may not be used by
t he tire manufacturer. This information is used to contact
consumers if a tire defect requires a recall.
Vehi cle cap acity we ight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus 150 lbs. (68 kilograms)
times the vehicle's tota l seating capacity as l is ted on the label
located on the driver's side B -pi llar.
V eh icle maximum load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is determined by distrib ­
uting to each ax le its share of the max imum loaded vehicle weight
and dividing by two.
Ve hic le normal lo ad on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is determined by distrib ­
uting to each ax le its share of the curb weight, accessory we ight,
and normal occupant weight (distributed in accordance with tab le
below =>
page 238) and dividing by two . ._
Vehicle care I t •

________________________________________________ T_ i _r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ !II
•
holding, driving characteristics, and safety of the vehicle. The table
(::::>
page 238) l ists specifications of the tires approved for the Audi
models covered by your Owner's Literature.
The tire pressure labe l located on driver's side 8 -pillar (::::>
page 238,
fig. 149) lists the specifications of the or iginal equipment tires
installed on your vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
Federal law requires tire manufac turers to place standardized infor­
mation on the sidewall of a ll tires::::>
page 246, fig . 152. This informa ­
tion identifies and describes the fundamenta l characteristics, the
quality grade of the tire and also provides a tire identification
number for safety standard certification a nd in case of a recall.
Tire sp ec ifica tio ns
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it easier to choose the
correct tires. Radial tires have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewall, for example:
P 245 / 45 R 17 9 5 H
This contains the following information :
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars
245 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire from sidewall edge to side-
wall edge. In general, the larger the number, the w ider the tire
45 Height/width ratio in percent (aspect ratio)
R Tire construction: Radial
17 Rim diameter code (in inches)
95 Load rating code
H Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF") indicates that the ti re is a"Rein ­
forced" or an "Extra Load" tire
M+ S (or "M/S") Indicates that the tire has some mud and snow capa ­
bility
The tires could a lso have the information of direction of rotation
=>
page 234 .
Tire manuf acturing date
The man ufact uring date is also indicated on the tire sidewall
(possibly on ly on the
inner side of the wheel):
"DOT ... 2209 . .. " means, for example, that the tire was produced in
the 22th week of 2009.
Speed rating (letter code )
The speed rating letter code on the wheels indicates the maximum
permissible road speeds=>
& in "Winter t ires" on page 250.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106mph(170km/h)
S up to1 10mph(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>
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)31
Your vehic le is normally factory equipped with tires, which possess
excellent driving characteris tics and give your Audi optimum
driving comfort. An electronic speed limiter:::>
page 25will normally
prevent your vehicle from going faster than the tire speed rat ing
=> & .
U.S . DOT Tire Identifi cation Number (TIN ) and tire
m anufa ctur e 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 o r 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 max imum speed capab il ity over 149 mph (240 km /h) , tire
manufacturers som etimes use th e le tters "ZR ."
Vehicle care I t •

________________________________________________ T.:......... ir--=e :....:s:......: a--=n..:.. d.::..:..... w..:....:.... h :....:..:e:....:e:..: 1-=s :...__IJlll
•
& W ARNING (continu ed )
• All four wheels must be fitted with radial tire s of the same type ,
s ize (rolling cir cumference ) and the same tread pattern . Driv ing
with different t ires redu ces vehicle h andling and can lead to a loss
of contro l.
• If the spare tire is not the same a s the tires that are mounted
on the vehicle -for e xample with winter tires -only use the spare
tire for a short period of time and dr ive with extra c are . Refit the
norm al road wheel as soon as safely possible .
• Never drive faster than the maximum speed for which the tires
on your vehicle are rated because tires that are driven faster than
their rated speed can fail suddenly .
• Overloading tires cause heat build-up , sudden tire failure ,
including a blowout and sudden deflation and loss of control.
• Temperature grades apply to t ires that are properly inflated and
not over or underinflated .
• For te chnical 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 blo cked . Redu ced airflow to
the brakes can them to overheat , in creasing stopp ing distances
and causing a collision .
• Run flat tires may only be u sed on vehicle s that were equipped
with them at the fa ctory . The vehicle must have a chassis de signed
for run flat tires and a factory -installed tire pressure monitoring
system* that indicates a loss of tire pressure. In correct use of run
flat tires can lead to vehicle damage or accidents . Check w ith an
autho riz ed 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 wheel s. Mixing tire types is not permitted .
0 Note
• For techn ica l reaso ns, it is not genera lly poss ib le to use t he
whee l rims from other vehicles. This can hold true fo r wheels of the
same vehicle type .
• I f the s pare t ire is d ifferent from the tires that you have mounted
on your vehicle ( fo r example win te r ti res or wide p rofile tires), then
use the spa re tire for a short period of time on ly and drive with extra
care. Replace t he flat tir e w ith the tire matching the others o n your
vehic le as soon as possib le.
• If you s hould put different whee ls a nd tires on your ve hic le (e.g.
winter wheels and tires), you must be certain that the whee ls and
t ires are co mpa tibl e w ith the tire pressure mon itor in g syste m*.
Otherwise the system w ill reg ister a malfunction and a fault
m essage w ill be d isplayed . For more info rma tion, co ntact your Aud i
dea ler.
0 Note
• When installing new tires, be careful not to damage the va lves or
tire p ressu re m on itoring system senso rs* .
• N ever drive without the valve stem cap. The valves could get
da mage d.
• I f the sensors must be replaced, then the valve must also be
r eplaced at the same time.
ci> For the sake of the environment
Dis p ose o f old tir es in acco rdance with the local requ ireme nts .•
Uniform tire quality grading
• Tread wear
• Traction AA A B C
• Temperature A B C
Vehicle care
I t •

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire side wall
between tread shoulder and maximum section width
=> page 246,
fig. 152.
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 tire graded 150 would 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.
& WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead
braking traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning or peak traction characteristics.
& WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla­
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or in combination, can
cause heat buildup and possible tire failure. •
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on snow and
ice. At temperatures below 45 °F (7 °C) we recommend
changing to winter tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments may require true
winter or "snow" tires, those with very deeply cut tread. These tires
should only be used in pairs and be installed on all four wheels.
Make sure you purchase snow tires that are the same size and
construction type as the other tires on your vehicle.
I f your vehicle is equipped with all-wheel drive *, this will improv e
traction during winter driving, even with the standard tires.
However, we strongly recommend that you always equip all four
wheels on your vehicle with correctly fitted winter tires or all-season
tires, when winter road conditions are expected. This also improves
the vehicle's braking performance and reduces stopping distances.
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and snow.

Tires and wheels -
----------------
•
Winter tires (snow tires) must a lways be fitted o n all four whee ls.
C om patible ti re p ressu re monito rin g sen so rs must be instal led on
a ll four wint er tires for the tire pr essure mon itor ing system* to func ­
tion proper ly =>
page 24 8.
As k you r auth orize d Aud i deal er or qua lifie d wo rksho p for per mitte d
winter tire sizes . Use only radial winter tires.
W in te r t ires lose the ir effec tive ness when the t read i s w or n do wn to
a depth of 0. 157 inch (4 mm).
On ly dr ive with w inter tires under winter conditions. Summer tires
h and le be tter when the re is no s now o r ice o n the roads and t he
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °C).
I f yo u have a flat t ire, see n otes on spa re w heel =>
page 246 .
Please a lwa ys reme mbe r tha t w inte r tires may h ave a lowe r speed
rating than the tires origi nally instal led on you r vehic le at t he time
i t was manu fac tur ed. P leas e se e=>
page 247, "S pee d rati ng (lett er
code)" for a list ing of the speed rating lette r codes and the
m axi mu m speed at w hich th e tire s ca n be dr ive n.
T he speed rating letter code(=>
page 237) is on the side wa ll of the
t ir e =>
page 246.
& 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 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
& WARNING (continued )
personal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires replaced immed i­
ately.
• Winter tires have maximum 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 .
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and traffi c conditions .
Never let the good acceleration of the winter tires and all -wheel
drive tempt you into taking extra risks. Always remember :
• When braking, an all -wheel drive vehicle handles in the same
way as a front drive vehicle .
• Drive carefully and reduce your speed on icy and slippery roads,
even winter tires cannot help under black ice conditions .
ci' For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather conditions permit. They are
q ui ete r, d o not wear as quickl y a nd re duc e fu el cons ump tion. •
Snow chains
Sno w chains may be fitted o nly to t he fro nt whe els, a nd o nly to
certain tire sizes . Ask your authorized Audi dealer on which tire
s iz es sn ow c hain s ca n be use d.
I f you are going to use snow chains, then you must install them on
the front wheels at least .
The s now chains must have l ow- pro file links a nd must n ot be thick er
than 0.53 inc h (13.5 mm), including the lock . .,_
Vehicle care I t •

Tires a nd wh eels -
----------------
•
possible with a torque wrench -preferably by an authori zed Audi
dea ler or qua lified workshop. •
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect ratio tires. These t ires
have been thorough ly tested and been selected specifically for your
model for their superb performance , road feel and hand ling under
a variety of driving conditions . Ask your authorized Audi dealer for
more deta ils.
The low aspect rat io of these t ires is indicated by a numera l of
5 5 or
les s
in the tire's si ze designation. The numeral represents the ratio
of the tire's sidewa ll height in relation to its tread wid th expressed
in perc entage. Conv entiona l tires have a h eight/width ratio of 60 or
more .
The p erform an ce of lo w-aspe ct-r a tio tire s is pa rti cula rly sen siti ve to
improp er inflation pre ssure . It i s ther efore important that low
a spect ratio tir es are inflat ed to the sp ec ified pre ssure and th at the
i nflation pr es su re is regularl y checked and mainta ined . Tire pr es­
s ure s should be che cked at le ast once a month and alw ay s before a
long tr ip :::;, page
247, "Checking tire pressure".
What you can d o to av oid tire and rim d amage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more easi ly by impact with
potholes, curbs, gul lies or r idges on the road, particularly i f the t ire
is underinflated.
In order to min imize the occurrence of impact damage to the tires
of your vehicle , we recommend that you observe the following
precautions:
• Always maintain recommended inflat ion pressures . Check your
tire pressure every 2 ,000 miles (3,000 km) and add air if necessary.
• Drive carefully on roads with potholes , deep gullies or ridges.
The impact from driving through or over such obstacles can
damage your t ires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to
your tires . •
After any impact , immediately inspect your tires or have them
inspected by the neares t authorized Audi dea ler . Replace a
damaged tire as soon as possib le.
• Inspec t you r tires every 2,000 miles (3,000 km) for damage and
wear . Damage is not always easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of
air and underin flation, which cou ld eventua lly cause tire fai lure. If
you be lieve that a tire may have been damaged , replace the tire as
soon as possible .
• These tires may wear more quickly than others.
• Please also remember that, while these tires de liver responsive
handling, they may ride less comfortably and make more noise than
other choices.
R edu ced p erform an ce in w int er/c old sea son
c ondition s
All tires are designed for c ertain purposes . The low aspect ratio,
ultra h igh performance tires origina lly instal led o n your vehic le are
intended for maximum dry and wet road performance and hand ling.
They are no t sui table for cold, snowy or icy weather conditions . If
you drive under those circumstances , you should equip your vehic le
with al l- season or winte r ti res, which offer better tract ion under
those conditions . We suggest you use the recommended snow or
all -season tires specified for your vehicle, or their equiva lent.
Refer to:::;,
page 250 for more de tai led information regarding winter
tires. •
Tire pressure monitoring system
Applies to vehi cles : with tire p ressu re mon itori ng sy stem
General notes ....J
Each t ire, including the spare (if p rovided), should be checked
month ly when co ld and inflated to the inflation pressure recom­
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placa rd or tire
inf la tion pressure label. ( If your vehicle has tires of a different s ize _,.
Vehicle care I t •