2010 AUDI S8 Owners Manual

Tires and wheels Ill
----------------
sure label lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures for the
vehicle at its maximum capacity weight and tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
If you wish to improve comfort when operating the vehicle at
normal load (up to 3 occupants), you can adjust tire pressures to
those specified for normal vehicle load. Before operating the
vehicle at maximum load, you must increase the tire pressures to
those specified for maximum vehicle load~& .
Bear in mind that the tire pressure monitoring system* can only
mon itor the tire pressures you have stored . The system does not
recognize the load condition of your vehicle.
Th e effectiveness of the tire pressure monitoring system* will be
impaired if you store normal load pressures but then operate the
vehicle at its maximum load~.&, . See the
illustration
~ page 310, fig. 2 52 for the locat ion of the label
either on dr iver's side B-pillar or inside the fuel filler flap (color of the
actual label and exact location on the vehicle will vary slightly) .
Note that the following tab le is accurate at the time of going to press
and is subject to change. In the event of discrepancies , the tire pres­
sure label (On USA vehicles, the tire pressure label is located on the
dr ive r's side B -pillar . On Canada veh icles, the tire pressure label is
located either on the dr iver's s ide B-pillar or inside the fue l f ill er flap)
always takes precedence.
The table below lists the recommended cold t ire inflation pressures
for the Audi model covered by your Owner's Literature at the vehicle's
capacity weight and the tire sizes insta lled on the respective models
as original equipment, or as a factory option .
Engine Tire designation Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
(displace- normal load full load normal load
full load
ment in conditiona> condition conditiona> condition
liter)
PSI kPA PSI kPA
a -cylinder 255/45 Rla 99H All Season
33 230 36 250 30 210 35 240
4.2
255/40 Rl9 l0OV XL All Season 36 250 39 270 33 38 260
255/40 Rl9 l00Y XL High Performance 33 230 36 250 30 210 35 240
265/35 R20 99V XL High Performance 35 240 38 260 32 220 36 250
275/35 R20 102V XL High Performance 38 260 41 280 35 240 44 300
a-cylinder 255/45 Rla 99H All Season 33 230 36 30 210 35 240
4.2 L
255/40 Rl9 l00V XL All Season 36 250 39 270 33 230 38 260
255/40 R19 l00Y XL High Performance 33 230 36 250 30 35 240
275/35 R20 102V XL High Performance 38 260 41 280 35 240 44 300
Safety first Vehicle care Technical data

Ill Tires and wheels
-------------------
Engine Tire designation Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
(displace- normal load
full load normal load
full load
ment in
liter) conditiona
> condition
conditiona> condition
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI
kPA
PSI kPA
12-cylinder
255/45 R18 99H All Season 36 250 39 270 32 220 35 240
6 .0
255/40 R19 lOOV XL All Season 41 280 44 300 36 250 39 270
255 /40 R19 lOOY XL High Performance 36 250 39 270 32 220 35 240
275/35 R20 102V XL High Performance 3 8 260 41
280 35 240 44 300
XL= reinforced or extra load tire . It may also appear as xl, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire sidewall.
a) norma l load cond iti on => page 310.
The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is located on a label
ei ther on the driver 's s ide B- pillar o r inside the f uel fille r flap .
Beca use techn ica l changes may be made to vehicle equipment during
the model year, always compare the tire size designation o n the tire
pressure labe l on yo ur vehi cle w it h the tires on your ve hicle. Make
sure that the tire size information on the ve hicle labe l is the same as
t he s ize of the tires on the vehicle. This is especia lly im portant if the
vehicle belongs to someone e lse or you boug ht the vehicle w it h
different r ims/ tires or you bo ugh t the vehicle as a prev iously owne d
veh icle .
Remember, your safety and that of your passengers also depends on
ma king sure that load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load includes
everybody and everything in an d on the vehicle . These load limits are
t echnically refer red to as the veh icle's G ross Ve hicle Weig ht Ra ting
("GVWR"). The Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is the max imum
load that ca n be applied at ea ch of the vehi cle's two axles. The G ross
Vehicle Weight Rating and the Gross Ax le Weight Rating are listed on
t he safety compliance sticke r label lo cated ei ther on the d river 's side
B-pil lar or o n the inside of the fuel filler flap. T he tire pressure label
on yo ur A udi lists the maximum comb ined weight o f all of the occu -pa
nts and luggage or other ca rgo that the ve hicle can carry . For the
loc atio n of t he tir e pressure label~
page 310, fig. 252.
& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control, a crash or
other accident, serious personal injury, and even death.
• Carry ing more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry
will prevent the vehicle from handling prope rly and increase the
ri sk of a lo ss of vehicle control.
• The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehicl e within a safe distance.
• Tires on a vehicle that ha s been overloaded can fail suddenly
causing lo ss of control and a crash .
• Always make sure that the total load being transported -
i ncluding the weight of a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehicle heavier than the
vehicle 's Gro ss Vehicle Weight Rating .
~

Tires and wheels -________________ Effll
& WARNING
• Incorr ect tire pressures and /or underinflation can lead to a
s erious or fatal accident .
• Incor rect tire pressures and /or unde rinflation cause increased
tire wear and can aff ect the handling of the vehicle .
• Incorrect tire pressures and /or underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure , including a blowout and sudden deflation,
caus ing loss of vehicle cont rol. •
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires orig in a lly installed
on your vehicle is listed on the tire pressure label located
either on driver 's sid e 8-pillar or inside the fuel filler flap.
The recommended tire pressures a re on the tire p ressure labe l and in
t he table => page 310, "Cold tire infla tion pressure ".This means that
the pressure must be chec ked and adjusted when the tire has not
bee n dr iven for more tha n a coup le of m iles (k ilomete rs) at low
speeds dur ing t he previous three ho urs . Air in t he tires expands when
t he tire hea ts up as a r esu lt of in te rna l fr ic tion as it flexes in use. The
tire pressure is higher when the tire has warmed up than when it is
" ld "
co .
It is the inflation pressu re in a "cold" ti re that counts. Therefore, yo u
sho uld never let air out of a warm tire to matc h "Cold tire inflation
pressure" recommendations=>
page 310. The t ires would then be
underinflated and co uld fail sudden ly.
Th e tire press ure label on your Audi lists the re comme nded cold t ire
inflation pressures at max imum capacity for t he new, origina l equip­
ment tire s that were on yo ur vehi cle at t he time it was m anufactu red .
For the location of the label=>
page 310 , fig. 252.
M ost tires lose air nat urally
over time. They can also lose some air if
you d rive
over a potho le or hi t a curb while pa rking. It is usually not
Safety first
poss ible to see whether the radial t ires used today are underinflated
ju st by loo king at th em.
Th erefore, be sure to check t ire pressures a t least once a month and
always before going on a long trip. Make sure to take the n umber of
people a nd t he amount of luggage into account whe n ad justi ng tire
pressure for a tr ip -
even one that you would not consider to be
" long. " See =>
page 314, "Ti res and vehicle load limits" fo r more
important information.
Always use an acc urate t ire pressure ga uge when chec king and
adjust ing inf lation press ures. Check all of the tires and be sure not to
forget the spare tire . If the press ure in any tire is too hig h when the
t ir e is "cold," let air out of the t ire s lowly w it h the edge of the t ire
gauge and keep chec king the pressure u nti l yo u reach the pressure
t ha t is co rre ct for the load (passenge rs an d luggage) a nd kind of
dr iv ing you plan to do.
If the pressure in any ti re is too low, note t he difference betwee n th e
pressure in the co ld tire and the pressure you need and add the a ir
tha t you need to reach the correct p ressu re fo r th e ve hicle load
(passengers a nd luggage) fo r th e tires on yo ur vehicle as listed on the
on your vehicle and in this man ua l and the kind of driving you p lan to
do .
Never e xceed the max imum inflation pressure l isted on the tire
s idewall for any reason.
Remember that the vehicle manufacture r, not the t ire manufacturer,
de termines the correct tire press ure for the t ires on your vehicle.
It is i mport ant to che ck the t ire pressure when t he ti res a re cold.
• Read the required t ire pressure from the t ire pressure label. On
US A veh icles, the tire pressu re labe l is loca ted on the d river's si de B ­
pillar . On Canada vehicles, the tire pressure label is located either on
t he drive r's side B-pillar or inside the fuel fille r flap.
• Turn the
valve stem cap counter -clockw ise to remove it from the
tire
valve.
• Place the air press ure gauge on the valve. ..,.
Vehicle care Technical data

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
• The tire pr ess ure s sho uld o nly be c hecke d an d adjusted wh en the
t ire s ar e cold . Th e slightly rais ed pr ess ure s of war m tir es mu st not b e
r e d uced .
• Adjust th e tire p re ss ur e to t he load yo u a re ca rr yin g.
• Reinstall the valve stem cap on the valve.
When should I check the tire pressure?
The correct tire press ure is especia lly imp orta nt at high speeds . T he
pr essu re s hou ld t here fo re b e ch ec ked at least onc e a mo nth an d
always be fore sta rting a jo ur ney. Do not fo rget to check the tire pres­
su re for th e s pare wheel~
page 33 4.
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Adjus t the tire pr essur e to th e load yo u are carrying . A ft e r changi ng a
w heel
or replac ing w heels yo u have to adjust the ti re pressures on all
w heels. In addi tio n, yo u mu st then stor e the new tir e press ures in the
tire pressu re monitoring system*~
page 326.
& WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can lead sudden tire
failure, los s of control, collision, serious personal injury or even
death.
• When the warning symbol appears in the instrument
cluster , stop and inspect the tires.
• Incorrect tire pressure and/or underinflation can cause
increased tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability.
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation,
causing loss of vehicle control.
• The dr iver is responsible for the correct tire pressures for all
tires on the vehicle. The applicable pressure values are located on
a sticker on the driver 's side 8-pillar or on the inside of the fuel
filler flap .
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Only when all tires on the vehicle are filled to the correct pres­
sure, the tire pressure monitoring* system can work correctly .
• The use of incorrect tire pressure values can lead to accidents or
other damage. Therefore it is essential that the driver observe the
specified tire pressure values for the tires and the correct pres­
sures for the function of the tire pressure monitoring system*.
• Always inflate tires to the recommended and correct tire pres­
sure before driving off .
• Driving with underinflated tires bend more , letting them get
too hot resulting in tread separation, sudden tire failure and loss
of control.
• Excessive speed and/overloading can cause heat build-up,
sudden tire failure and loss of control.
• If the tire pressure is too low or too high, the tires will wear
prematurely and the vehicle will not handle well.
• If the tire is not flat and you do not have to change a wheel
immediately, drive at reduced speed to the nearest service station
to check the tire pressure and add ai r as required.
0 Note
Dr iv ing witho ut valve stem caps can caus e damage to the tire valves.
T o preven t this, alw ays m ake s ure th at facto ry installe d valv e st em
caps o n all whee ls a re securely mo unted o n the valve.
Under infla ted tires will a lso inc rease t he f uel cons umption .•
Tires and vehicle load limits
T here a re lim its to the amount of load or we ight that any veh icle a nd
a ny t ire c an car ry. A veh icle th at is overloade d wi ll not ha n dle we ll an d ...

Tires and wheels -________________ fWII
is mor e difficult to s top . Ov erloadin g can not only lead to loss of
ve hicle cont rol , but can a lso dam ag e im por tant parts of th e veh icl e
and can lead to s udden t ire failur e, incl uding a blowout and sudd en
deflation that can cause the vehicle to c ras h.
You r saf ety an d that o f your p assenger s also d ep end s on maki ng sur e
tha t load limits a re not exceeded. Vehi cle load in cludes everyb ody
a nd every thing in and on the ve hicl e. The se l oad l imi ts are tech nicall y
referred to as the ve hicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVW R").
Th e "GVWR " includes the we ight of the basic vehicle, all factory
ins talled accessories, a f ull tank of fue l, o il, coola nt and o ther flu ids
plus maxim um loa d. The maxim um loa d i ncludes the number of
pass eng ers that t he v ehicle is inten ded to ca rry ("s eating capa city")
w it h an ass ume d we ight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each passenger at a
desig nated se ating pos it io n and t he tota l weig ht o f any luggage in
the vehicle . If you tow a tra iler , the weight of t he trailer hitch and t he
t o ngue we ig ht of th e load ed t rail er m ust be i ncluded as p art o f the
vehicle load.
Th e
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAW R") is the ma ximu m load that
can be a pplied at each of t he veh icle's two axles.
T he Gross Vehicle Weight Rati ng and the Gross Axle Weight Rat ing
a re list ed on the sa fe ty c ompl iance sticke r label loca te d ei the r on the
driver's side B-pilla r or on the inside of the fuel fille r flap . Your Audi
h as 5 se ating posit ion s, 2 i n the fro nt and 3 in t he re ar for to tal
seating capacity of 5. Ve hicles wit h power ind iv id ual rear s eats* have
4 se ating posi tions, 2 in the front and 2 i n the rea r for tot al sea ting
capacity of 4. Each seat ing pos ition has a safety belt =>
page 197,
"Safety be lts" .
Th e fa ct that th ere is an upper li mit to your ve hicle's Gross Vehicle
We ight Rating means that the total weight o f whatever is being
c ar ried in the vehicle ( including the we igh t o f a t rail er hit ch and the
tongue weight of the loa ded tra ile r) is limited. The mo re passengers
in the vehi cle or p assen gers wh o are he avie r than t he stand ard
we ights assum ed mean t hat less weight ca n be carried as luggage.
Safety first
The tire pressure label on yo ur Aud i also lis ts the maxim um combined
we ight of all of the o ccupant s and lug gage o r oth er c argo that t he
vehicle ca n car ry . For the location o f the label=>
pag e 310, fig. 252 .
& 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. •
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. .,_
Vehicle care Technical data

-Tires and wheels
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
l.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 310,
fig. 252.
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 310, fig. 252.
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 available
cargo and luggage load capacity of your
vehicle.
- Check the tire sidewall( ::::}
page 318,
fig. 256) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific tire.•

________________________________________________ T_ i_ re _ s_ a_ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l _s _ ....... JIII
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 Indic ator (TWI )
Fig. 2 54 T ir e t read :
t rea d we ar i ndicators
( T WI)
Fig . 255 Rotati ng
t ir e s fo r mo re e ve n
w ea r
Th e or iginal t ires on your veh icle have 1/16 inch ( 1.6 mm) high "wear
ind icators"=> fig . 254 running across the tread . Depending on the
make, there w ill be six to e ight of them evenly placed around the tire.
Marks on the t ire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other symbols) indi­
cate the posit ions of the tread wear indicators . Worn tires must be
replaced. Different fig ures may apply i n other countr ies => ,& .
Vehicle OP-eration
Tire pres sur e
Incorrect tire pressure ca uses premature wear and can cause sudden
tire blow-out . For this reason, tire pressure m ust be checked at least
once a mo nth =>
page 313.
Driv ing 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 fron t and rear tires a re rotated accord ing to the
t ire manufact urer's suggested tire rotation intervals . Please
remember the follow ing:
• T ire ro tat ion interva ls may differ from the ve hicle service in tervals
outlined in your Warranty
& Maintenance book let.
• The longer one tire is used in one location on the veh icle, the more
i t wears at certain points; therefore, we recommend that you follow
the t ire manufacturer's suggested tire rotation intervals.
• Vehicles with front-whee l drive experience more tread wear on the
front wheels compared to all-wheel dr ive (quattro
® ).
• Please rotate tires as sh own => fig. 255.
• Extra care must be taken when rotat ing d irection-spec ific tires
=:> page 341.
Wheel balancing
The w heels on new vehicles are balanced . H oweve r, various sit uat ions
dur ing everyday dr iving can cause them to become unbalanced,
resulting in vibrations yo u can usu a lly fee l through the s teering
wheel.
Unbalanced whee ls must be rebalanced to avoid excessive wear on
steering, suspension and t ires . A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed. _,,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

___ T_ i_ r _e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e_ l_ s _______________________________________________ _
Inco rrect wheel al ignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can cause excessive tire wear, impairing
the safety of the vehicle . If tires show excessive wear, have the wheel
alignment checked by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified wo rk­
shop .
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles with quattro ® must always have tires of the same s ize,
constr uction and tread type . For details see~
page 257.
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure c an lead to loss of control , a cra sh and seriou s
personal injur y!
• Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire i s worn down
to the wear ind icators .
• Worn tire s are a s afety hazard, they do not grip w ell on wet
roads and increa se your risk of "h ydroplaning" and lo ss of control.
• Always keep chemical s that can cause tir e damage, su ch as
grea se , oil , gasoline and brake flu id away from tires .
• Tires age even if they ar e not b eing used and can fail suddenly ,
especially at high speeds. Tires that are more than 6 year s old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
lower speeds .
• Never mount u sed tir es on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history. " Old used tires m ay have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control. •
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in.
Fig. 256 Tire specifica tion cod es on t he sidewall of a tire
No.
©
@
®
©
©
©
Descript ion
Passenger car tire (where applicable)
Nom inal width of tire in mi llimeters
Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
Radial
Rim diameter code
Load index and speed rating