2010 AUDI S6 technical data

________________________________________________ T_ i_ re _ s_ a_ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l _s _ ........
Incorrect wheel alignment
In correct whee l al ignme nt can ca use excessive tir e wea r, impairing
th e sa fety o f the vehicl e. If t ires show excessive w ear, hav e the w heel
alignment checked by a n authorized A udi dea ler or qualifie d work­
shop.
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles wi th quattro® must always have tires of the same size ,
con st ruct ion an d tread type . For details see~
page 246.
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to los s of control, a cra sh 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 t ire damage, such as
grease , oil, gasoline and brake fluid away from tires.
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
especially at high speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
lower speeds.
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history. " Old used tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failu re and loss of vehicle control. •
Vehicle OP-eration
New tires and replacing tires and whee ls
N ew t ires an d w hee ls have to be brok en in .
Fig. 220 Tire specificat ion codes on th e sidewall of a tire
No.
©
®
®
©
©
©
Description
Passenger car tire (where applicable)
Nom inal wid th of ti re in mil limeters
Ratio of hei9ht to width (aspect ratio)
Radial
jj Rim diameter code
L oa d index and speed rating
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

________________________________________________ T_i_re _ s_ a _ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ l!'II
Tire manufacturing date
Th e manufacturing date is also indicated on the tire sidewall
(possibly on ly on the
inner s ide of the wheel):
"DOT ... 2209 ... " means, for example, that the tire was produced in
the 22nd week of 2009.
Speed rating (letter code)
The speed rat ing letter code on the wheels ind icates the maximum
permissible road speeds =>
& in "Winter tires" on page 309.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
S up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 1 18 mp h (190 km/h)
U up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 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)3>
Your vehicle is normally factory equipped with t ires, which possess
excellent driving characterist ics and give you r A udi optimum driv ing
comfort. An electronic speed limiter=>
page 23 will normally prevent
your vehicle from going faster than the tire speed rating =>
&-
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN) and tire
manufacture date
This is the tire's "serial number". It begins with the letters "DOT" and
indicates that the tire mee ts all federal standa rds. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it was manufactured, and
the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufacture .
For example, the numbers 2209 mean that the tire was produced in
3
l For tires w ith a maxim um speed capabi lity ove r 149 mph (240 km/h), tire
manufacture rs sometimes use the letters "ZR."
Safety first
the 22nd week of 2009 . The other numbers are marketing codes that
may or may not be used by the tire manufacturer . This i nformation is
used to contact consumers if a tire defect requires a recall.
Audi Original tire
Tires with the identification "AO" or "RO" have been specially
matched w ith your Audi. We recommend using only these tires
because they meet the highest standards regard ing safety and
driv ing characteristics when used correct ly. Your authorized Audi
dealer will gladly provide you with more information .
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of plies indicates the number of layers of rubber-coated
fabric in the tire. In general, the greater the number of plies, the
more weight a tire can support . Tire manufacturers also must indi­
cate the materials in the tire, which include steel, nylon, polyester,
and others .
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the maximum load in kilograms and pounds
that can be carried by the tire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and temperature grades=> page 308.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
Th is number is the greatest amount of air pressure that should ever
be put in the tire under normal driving conditions.
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/ or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can lead to loss of control, collision
and serious personal injury. _,.
Vehicle care Technical data

________________________________________________ T_i_re _ s_ a _ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ _
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA, Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal Safety Requirements
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 conditions
of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differences 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 trac­
tion 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 .
Safety first
& 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.
If your vehicle is equipped with all-wheel drive*, this will improve
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 .
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on all four wheels .
Ask your authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop for permitted
winter tire sizes. Use only radial winter tires. ..,_
Vehicle care Technical data

Tires and wheels Ill
----------------
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Snow chain s are available in different sizes. Always make sure
to follow the instructions provi ded by the snow chain manufac­
turer.
• Wh en driving with snow cha in s never drive fa ster than the
speed permitted for your specific snow chains .
• Always observe local regulations.
0 Note
• Remove snow chains before d riving on roads not cove red w it h
snow to avoid damaging t ires and wearing t he snow chains down
unnecessar ily.
• Snow chains, which come into direct contact wi th the wheel rim,
can scratch or damage it. The refore, make s ure that the snow chai ns
are sui tably covered. Chec k the pos it ion o f the snow cha ins afte r
driving a few yards and correct if necessary . Follow the instructions
from t he snow chain man ufacturer when doing so .
• If the Adaptive A ir Suspension* sho uld ma lfunct ion, do no t mount
or use snow cha ins because t he ve hicle will be ex tremely low . If you
do drive w ith snow chains o n while the veh icle is at t his level, the
snow c hains m ight severe ly damage the whee lhouse and other parts
o f the ve hicl e.
[I) Tips
W he re snow c ha ins a re mandato ry on certain ro ads, this no rm ally
also applies to ve hicles with A ll W hee l Dr ive. •
Safety first
Wheel bolts
Wheel bol ts mus t alwa ys be tigh tened to the co rrect
torque .
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the factory installed rims. If
differe nt rims a re fitte d, the correc t wheel bolt s wi th the r ig ht length
and co rrectly s haped bolt heads must be used. Th is ensures that
w heels are fitte d se cu rely and that the br ake system fun ctions
correctly .
In certain circumstances, yo u may not use wheel bolts from a
different veh icle -even if it is the same model~
page 346.
& WARNING
Improperly tightened or ma intained wheel bolts can become
loose causing los s of control, a collision and seriou s per sonal
injury .
• Always keep the wheel bolts and the thread s in the wheel hub s
clean so the wheel bolts can turn easily and be properly tightened .
• Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel
hubs. They can become loose while driving if greased or oiled , even
if tightened to the specified torque.
• Only use wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed.
• Never use different wheels bolts on your vehicle .
• Always maintain the correct tightening torque for the wheel
bolts to reduce the risk of a wheel loss . If the tightening torque of
the wheel bolts is too low , they can loosen and come out when the
vehicle is moving . If the tightening torque i s too h igh, the wheel
bolts and threads can be damaged and the wheel can become
loose .
0 Note
The specified tor que fo r th e wheel bolt s i s 90 ft lb (120 Nm) wi th a
tolerance of ± 7,4 ft lb( ± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bo lts diagonally. .,_
Vehicle care Technical data

Tires and wheels -_______________ _____.Effll
than the size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure
label , you sho uld determine the proper tire infla tion pressure fo r
those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire pressu re monitoring sys tem (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pres ­
sure telltale when one o r more of your t ires is s ignificantly under­
inflated. Accord ingly, when the low tire pressure tellta le illumi nates,
you should stop and check your tires as soon as possib le, and inflate
them to the proper p ress ure. D riving on a sign ificantly under-inflated
tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire fa ilure . Under­
inflation also reduces f uel efficiency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle's handling and stopping ability .
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire mainte­
nance, and it is the d river's responsibility to mainta in correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not reached the level to trigger
ill umination of the TPMS low tire press ure te lltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped w ith a TPMS malfunction indi­
cato r to indica te when the system is not operating properly . The
TP MS ma lf u nction indicator is combined with the low tire p ress ure
telltale. When the system detects a malfunct ion, the telltale will
fl ash for approximate ly one minute and then rema in continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
sta rt-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the ma lfunction indicator is illum inated, the system may not
be able to de tect or signa l low ti re pressure as intended . TPMS
ma lfunctions may occur fo r a var iety of reaso ns, includ ing the instal­
lation of replacement o r alternate tires or wheels on the vehi cle that
prevent the T PMS from functioning properly . Always check the TPMS
ma lfunction tellta le after replacing one or more tires or whee ls on
yo ur vehicle to ensure that the replacement o r alte rnate t ires and
wheels allow the TPMS to continue to funct ion proper ly .•
Vehicle OP-eration
App lies to vehicles : wi th t ire p ressu re mon it ori ng system
Tire pressure indicator appears
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument cluster
informs you if the tire pressure is too low or if there is a
system malfunction.
Fi g. 221 D is pl ay:
un der infl ation
wa rning
Fi g. 2 22 Display :
Sys tem malfun ction
Us ing the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitor ing system compares
the t ire tread c ircumference and vibration characteristics of the ind i­
vidual tires .
If the pressure decreases in one or more tires, this is indi -
cated in the instrument cl uster with a warning symbol and a
message ~ fig. 221. The d river message in the display goes o ut after
5 seconds . The driver message can be displayed again by p ressing the
!C HECK ] button. If on ly one t ire is affected, the display will ind icate
its position. ._
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Tires and wheels -________________ fWII
reset the pressure in the tire pressure monitoring system accord ing
t o the loa d you are car rying ~
page 297. •
Safety first Vehicle care Technical data

What do I do now? I'll ______________________________ ____::..:..:..:..::..::....::..::.....::.....:::...::,_ __ __,J
& WARNING (continued)
• Never start or run the engine while the vehicle is supported by
the jack.
• If you must work under the vehicle, always use safety stands
specifically designed for this purpose.
• Never use the hexagonal socket in the handle of the screw­
driver to loosen or tighten the wheel bolts.
• Always make sure the spare tire and even a flat tire are secured
in place and not loose, otherwise they could fly forward, causing
personal injury to passengers in the vehicle in an accident or
sudden maneuver. •
Tools
The vehicle tools are stored in the luggage compartment
behind the right-side trim panel.
-
The onboard tool kit includes:
• Hook for removing wheel covers*
• Wheel bolt wrench
• Alignment pin for changing wheels
• Screwdrive r with reve rsible blade
Fig. 225 Luggage
compartment: vehicle
tool kit
Vehicle OP-eration
• Towing eye
[ i] Tips
Some of the onboard items listed above are provided on certain
models only or are optional extras. •
Spare wheel
The spare wheel is stored in the wheel well underneath
the floor panel in the luggage compartment.
Fig. 226 Luggage
compartment spare
wheel
Your vehicle is equipped with a regular spare wheel. It is held
in place by plastic retaining knurled screw .
Taking out the spare wheel
- Raise the floor panel at the plastic handle.
- Securely engage the handle in the luggage compartment
seal as illustrated to keep the floor panel up.
Unscrew the knurled retainer bolt in the wheel center
=> fig. 226. Turn it counter-clockwise.
- Take out the spare wheel.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service iTechnical data

_____________________________________________ W __ h_a_ t_ d_o_ I_ d_o _ n_ o_ w _ ? __ _
& WARN ING (con tinued)
Trans missio n in "P " (Pa rk) w ill not pre ve nt the vehicle from
mo ving .
• Befo re you ch an ge a wheel , be s ure the ground i s le ve l an d
firm . If ne cess ary, us e a sturdy b oard und er the jack.
• Aft er in st a llin g the sp are wheel , make sure that you repl ace
the flat tire /wheel in it s storage area prop erly and tight en the
knurled ret ain ing s crew se cu rel y.•
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow the sequence described
below step-by-step and in exactly that order .
1. Activate the vehicle jack mode (only vehicles with Adaptive
Air Suspension) =>
page 168.
2. Remove the decorative wheel cover *. For more details see
also =>
page 320, "Decorative wheel covers" .
3 . Loosen the
wheel bolts => page 320.
4. Locate the proper mo unti ng point for the jack and align
the jack below that point=>
page 321.
5. Lift the car with the jack => page 321.
6. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and then install the
spare =>
page 322.
7. Tighten all wheel bolts lightly.
8 .
Lower the vehicle with the jack.
9. Use the wheel bolt wrench and
firmly t ighten all wheel
bolts =>
page 320.
10. Replace the decorative wheel cover *.
Safety first
1 1. Deactivate the vehicle jack mode (only vehicles with
Adaptive Air Suspens ion)=>
page 168 .
& WARNING
Alwa ys re ad and f ollow all WARNINGS and information ~ & in
" Ra ising the vehicl e" on pag e
321 and ~ pag e 323. •
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not complete without the doing the
following .
-Store and secure the wheel you replaced in the spare
wheel well .
- Replace the tools and the jack in the ir proper location.
- Check the tir e pr essur e on the spare wheel immediately
after mounting it .
- As soon as possib le, have the
tighten ing torques on a ll
wheel bolts checked with a torque wrench . The correct
tightening torque is 90 ft lb (120 Nm) .
- Have the flat tire
replaced as soon as possible.
[ i ] Tips
• If you not ic e that the wheel bolts are corroded and difficu lt to turn
wh ile chang ing a tire, they should be replaced before you check the
tightening torque .
• Drive at reduced speed until you have the tighten ing torques
checked. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data