2010 AUDI S8 Owners Manual

________________________________________________ T_i_re _ s_ a _ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ _
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U.S . DOT tire identification number
Audi Original tire
Sever snow conditions
Tire ply composition and materials used
Treadwear, traction and temperature grades Ma ximum perm issible 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 characteris­
tics of the vehicle and can make a major contribution to good road
holding and safe handling when in good condition and properly
inflated =>
&.
We recommend that all work on tires and wheels be performed by an
authorized Audi dealer. They are familiar with recommended proce­
dures and have the necessary special tools and spare parts as well as
the proper facilities for disposing of the old tires.
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary information about tech­
nical requirements for installing or changing tires and rims.
Replacing tires and wheels
Tires should be replaced at least in pairs and not individually (for
example both front tires or both rear tires together).
Be sure to read and heed the information to the tire pressure moni­
toring system* =>
page 320.
Always buy replacement radial tires that have the same specifications
as the tires approved for your vehicle by Audi. Replacement tires must
always have the same load rating specification as the original equip­
ment or approved optional tires listed in the table=>
page 310.
Audi-approved specification tires are specially matched to your
vehicle and its load limits, and can contribute to the important road-
Safety first
holding, driving characteristics, and safety of the vehicle. The table
(=>
page 310) lists specifications of the tires approved for the Audi
models covered by your Owner's Literature.
The tire pressure label located either on driver's side B-pillar or inside
the fuel filler flap (=>
page 310, fig. 253) lists the specifications of
the original equipment tires installed on your vehicle at the time it
was manufactured.
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to place standardized infor­
mation on the sidewall of all tires=>
page 318, fig. 256. This infor­
mation identifies and describes the fundamental characteristics, the
quality grade of the tire and also provides a tire identification number
for safety standard certification and in case of a recall.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it easier to choose the correct
tires. Radial tires have the tire specifications marked on the sidewall,
for example:
255/45 R 18 99 H
This contains the following information:
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars (where applicable)
255 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire from sidewall edge to side-
wall 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 letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF") indicates that the tire is a "Rein­
forced" or an "Extra Load" tire
M+S (or "M/5") Indicates that the tire has some mud and snow capa­
bility
The tires could also have the information of direction of rotation
=>
page 306 .
Vehicle care Technical data

-Tires and wheels
---------------------------------------------
Tire manufacturing date
The manu fac tu rin g date is also indica ted on the tire sidewa ll
(poss ibly only on the
inner s ide of the w heel):
"DOT . .. 2209 ... "means, fo r example, the t ire was prod uced in the
2 2n d week of 200 9.
Speed rating (letter code )
The speed rat ing lett er code on the w heels ind icates t he maxim um
permissible road speeds => & in "Winter t ires" on
page 323 .
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 1 06 mph (1 70 km/h)
S up to 110 mp h (1 80 km /h)
T up to 118 mph ( 190 km/ h)
U up to 124 mp h (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 16 8 mph ( 270 km/h)3
)
Y up to 186 mp h (298 km/h)3>
Your vehicle is normally factory eq uipped with t ires, which possess
ex cellen t dr iv in g ch aract eri sti cs a nd give your Audi op timum driv ing
comfort. A n elect ronic spe ed limiter=>
page 26will normally prevent
your vehicle from goin g faste r tha n the t ire speed rating =>& .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN) and tire
manufacture date
Th is is the t ire's "ser ial nu mber" . It begi ns w ith t he letters "DOT" a nd
ind ic at es that t he tire mee ts all f ed eral stan dards. The nex t two
numbe rs or lette rs i ndicate the p lant where it was ma nufactu red, and
the last four numbers rep resent t he week an d year of manu fact ure.
For example, the numbers 2209 mean the tire was produced in t he
3l For t ire s w ith a m axim um spee d capability ove r 14 9 mph (240 km/h), t ire
man ufac turers somet imes use the l etters "ZR. "
22nd week of 2009 . The other numbers are market ing codes that
m ay o r m ay not be use d by the tire ma nufa cture r. T his inf orm ation is
used to contact cons umers if a ti re de fect requires a recall.
Audi original tire
T ires with t he ident ification "AO" or "RO" have been specially
mat ched w ith yo ur Audi. We recommend using o nly these t ires
b ecause t hey meet the hig hest standards regarding safety a nd
dr iv in g ch arac teris tic s when use d cor rec tly. Yo ur au thor ized Audi
dealer will g lad ly provide you with more info rmation .
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of p lies indicates the number of layers of rubber-coated
f a b ric in the tire. In ge ne ral, the g rea ter the n umbe r of plies, the
more weight a t ire can support. Tire manufacture rs also must indi­
c a te the mate rials in the t ire, w hich incl ude stee l, nylo n, polyester,
and others .
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the maximum load in kilograms and pounds
th at can be ca rr ied by the tire .
Tire quality grading for treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and temperature grades=> page 322.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
Thi s number is the greatest amo unt o f air press ure t hat should eve r
be pu t in the tire unde r norm al driv in g cond iti ons.
Replacing tires or rims on vehicles equipped with
tire pressure monitoring system*
T he wheels on yo ur vehicle are eq uipped w ith a senso r which
con stantl y m onitor s the a ir pressure insid e the tire, an d th en tra ns­
m its this info rmation to the tire press ure monito ring system *.
If you
a re goi ng to repl ace t he w heel rims on your ve hicle, m ake sur e the
new rims also have these sensors . The sensors m ust be compat ible
w ith the tire pressure mo nitoring sys te m* on you r ve hicl e. ..,_

Tires and wheels Ill
----------------
If you install rims, which do not have the sensors, or have sensors
w hich are not compa tible, then the tire pressure moni toring sys tem *
w ill not wo rk p roperly. I n this case, t he tire pressure monitor ing
system * wo uld not be ab le to monitor the tire pressure or warn yo u if
it is necessary .
• The battery inside of the tire pressure sensor has a limited service
l ife.
• Always dr ive wit h the
valve stem caps securely mo unted. We
recommend using factory ins ta lled
valve stem caps. As k your autho ­
r ized Audi dea ler to rep lace lost
valve stem caps .
Th e insta llation of repl acement tir es w ith s teel co rd bo dy plies in the
t ire sidewa ll may ca use ma lfunctio n of the tire pressure mo nitoring
system *, and is not recommende d (cord material informat io n i n
molded on the ti re s idewall).
Always check your tire pressure monito ring system* indicator afte r
re plac ing one or mo re tires on your vehicle. If the tire press ure m oni­
to ring system* indicator flashes, or is on, your system is not working
pro perl y. Yo ur repla ceme nt tire might be incomp atible with your t ire
pressure monitoring system*, or some component of the tire pres­
sure mon itor ing system * may be damaged.
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and / or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can lead to loss of cont rol, collision
and seriou s per sonal injury .
• Always use tires, rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifica­
tions of original fa ctory-in stalled tires or other combination s that
have been specifically appro ved by the vehicle manufacturer.
• 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 u sed in an emergen cy and then with special care and at
lowe r speeds.
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history." Old used tires may have been damaged
Safety first
& WARNING (co ntinued )
eventhoughthedamagecannotbeseenthatcanleadtosudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
• All four wheels must be fitted with radial tires of the same
type, size (rolling circumference ) and the same tr ead pattern.
Driving with different t ires reduces vehicle handling and can lead
to a lo ss of control.
• If the spare ti re is not the same as the tires that are mounted
on the vehicle - for example with w inter tires - only use the spare
tire fo r a sho rt pe riod of t ime and drive with extra care. Refit the
normal road wheel as soon as safely possible.
• 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 tire s cause heat build-up, sudden tire failure,
including a blowout and sudden deflation and loss of control.
• Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated
and not over or underinflated.
• For technical reasons it is not always possible to use wheels
from other vehicles - in some c ases not even wheel s 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 blocked. Reduced airflow to
the brakes can them to overheat , increasing stopping distance s
and causing a collision.
• Run flat tires may only be u sed on vehicles th at were equipped
with them at the factory. The vehicle must have a chassis designed
fo r run flat tires and a factor y-in stalled tire pres sure monitoring
system* that indicates a loss of tire pre ssure. 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 flat tires . If run flat tires are used , they must
be installed on all four wheels. Mixing tire types is not permitted . ..,_
Vehicle care Technical data

-Tires and wheels
PW-------------------
0 Note
• For techn ica l reasons, it is not generally poss ible to use the wheel
rims from other vehicles. This can hold true for whee ls of the same
vehicle type.
• If the spare tire is different from the tires that you have mounted
on your vehicle (for example w inter tires or wide profile tires), then
use the spare tire for a short period of time only and drive with extra
care . Replace the flat tire with the tire match ing 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 compatib le with the tir e pressure monito ring system*.
Otherwise the system will register a malfunction and a fault message
w ill be displayed . For more info rmation, contact your Audi dealer .
0 Note
• When install ing new tires, be careful not to damage the valves or
tire pressure monitoring system* sensors.
• Never drive without the valve stem cap. The valves could get
damaged .
• If the sensors must be replaced, then the valve must also be
replaced at the same time.
<£> For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accordance with the local requirements. •
Uniform tire quality grading
• Tread wear
• Traction AA A B C
• T emperatu re A B C Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire side wall
between tread sho
ulder and maximum section width =>
page 318,
fig. 256.
Fo r 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 tir e when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and one half (11/2)
times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actua l conditions
of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differences in
road characte ristics 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 con trolled 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.
Susta ined high temperature can cause the materia l 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

Tires and wheels -________________ f!ffl
Safety Standa rd No. 109 . G rades Ba nd A rep resent higher levels of
p erf or ma nce on t he laborato ry tes t w hee l than t he mini mum
r e q uir ed 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 tir es co n imp rove ve hi cle ha ndlin g on sno w an d
ice. At temp eratur es be low 45 °F (7 °C) w e rec ommen d
ch angin g to wi nte r tires .
In some heavy snow areas, loca l gover nme nts may requ ire t rue
w inter o r "snow" tires, those with very deep ly cut trea d. These tires
sho uld only be used in pairs and be installed on all four wheels . Make
s ur e you pu rc h ase snow ti res t hat a re the same size and const ruction
type as the ot he r tir es o n your veh icle .
If your ve hicle is equ ipped w ith all-whee l drive* , this will improve
tra ction durin g w inte r dr iving, even wi th th e sta ndard ti re s . Ho wever,
we st rongly recomme nd that you a lways equip all four w heels on your
vehicle wi th co rrec tly fitte d win ter tires o r all- season tires, when
w inter road conditions are expected . T hi s also improves the veh icle 's
bra king perfo rma nce and re duces stop ping distances .
S um mer tir es p rovide less gr ip on ice and s now .
Safety first
Wi nter tires (snow tires) m ust always be fitted on all fo ur whee ls .
Compat ible tire press ure monitor ing sensors * must be installe d on
all four w in te r tir es fo r the tire pr essure mo nitoring sys te m * to func­
tion pro per ly ~
page 320.
Ask your a uthor iz e d Audi dealer or qualified wor ksho p fo r per mitt ed
winter tire sizes . Use only rad ia l w inte r tires .
W inter tires lose their effectiveness w he n the trea d is wor n down to
a dep th of0 .1 57 inch (4 mm) .
Only drive w ith w inte r tires under w inte r con ditions. S ummer ti res
h and le be tter w he n t here is n o sno w or ic e on t he ro ads and the
temperature is above 45
°F (7 °().
If you have a flat tire, see notes on s pa re w hee l~ page 318 .
Please always re m em ber tha t win ter tires may have a lower speed
rating t han the t ires originally insta lled on yo ur veh icle at t he t ime it
w as manuf act ur ed . P lease see ~
page 320, "Spee d ratin g (le tter
code)" for a listing of the speed rating lette r codes and the maxim um
s peed a t whi ch the tires can b e driven.
T he spe ed rat ing letter code(~
page 309) is on the s ide wall of the
ti re ~
page 318.
& WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limit s that may be lower than
your veh icle'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 _,,
Vehicle care Technical data

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nued)
personal injuries. Have worn or dam aged tires replaced immedi­
ately .
• Winter tires have ma ximum speed rat ing 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 traffic condit ions.
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 road s,
even winter tires cannot help under black ice conditions.
<£> For the sake of the environment
Use s ummer tires when weather condit ions permit. They a re quieter,
do not we ar as qu ickly and redu ce fuel consum ptio n. •
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitte d only to the fro nt w heels, and only to
certain tire sizes. Ask your authorized Audi dealer on which tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
If you a re goi ng to use snow c ha ins, then you must insta ll them on the
front wheels at least.
T he snow c hain s m ust have low -profile links and m ust not be thicker
than 0.53 inc h (13 .5 mm), including the lock. Remove wheel center covers a
nd trim d iscs before putting snow
c hains on you r veh icle =>
(D. For sa fe ty reaso ns cove r caps m ust the n
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are available from a uth orized
Audi dealers.
& WARNING
Using the wrong snow chain s for your vehicle or installing them
incorrectly can increase the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
• Snow chains are available in different sizes. Always make sure
to follow the instru ction s provided by the snow chain manufac ­
tur er.
• When driving with snow chains never drive fa ster than the
speed permitted for your specific snow chains .
• Always observe local regulations.
0 Note
• Remove snow chains before drivi ng on ro ads not covere d wit h
snow to avoid damag ing t ires and wear ing the snow chains down
unnecess aril y.
• Snow chains, which come into direct contact with the wheel rim,
c an scratch o r damage i t. T herefo re, make sure tha t t he s now chains
are suitably covered . Check the pos ition of the snow cha ins afte r
dr iv ing a few yar ds and correct if ne ccess ary. Fo llow the ins truct ion s
from t he snow chai n manufacturer when doing so.
• If the Ad aptive Air Suspe nsio n sho uld ma lf u nct ion, do n ot moun t
or use snow cha ins because the ve hicle wi ll be extremely low. If you
do drive w it h sn ow ch ain s on while the ve hicle i s at t his level , the
snow cha ins m ight severe ly damage the whee lhouse and other pa rts
of the vehi cle.
~

Tires and wheels -_______________________________ f!:f'II
[I) Tips
Where snow cha ins a re mandatory on certain roads, this no rmally
also applies to vehicles with All W heel Dr ive .•
Wheel bolts
Wheel b olts must al ways be tig hten ed to the correct
torque.
Th e design of whee l bo lts is matc hed to the facto ry installed rims. If
different r ims are fitted, the correct wheel bolts wi th t he r igh t lengt h
and correctly s haped bolt heads must be used . Thi s ensures that
w heels are fi tted secure ly and tha t the br ake system f unc tion s
correctly.
I n cert ain circumst ances, yo u may not us e wheel bolts from a
different veh icle -even if it is the same model=>
page 363.
& WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel bolts can become
loose causing lo ss of control, a collision and serious 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 d riving 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 loo sen and come out when the
vehicle is moving. If the tightening torque is too high, th e wheel
Safety first
& WARNING (co ntinued )
bolts and threads can be damaged and the wheel can become
loose .
0 Note
The speci fied tor que f or th e wheel bolts is 90 ft lb (1 2 0 Nm) wi th a
tolerance of ± 7,4 ft lb( ± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bolts diagonally.
After ch anging a wheel, the to rque mu st be checked a s so on as
poss ible with a torque w rench -prefe rab ly by an authorized Aud i
dealer or qualified workshop. •
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is fa cto ry -equ ip ped wi th low aspec t ratio tires. These tire s
have been thorough ly tested and been selected specifically for your
mode l for the ir supe rb perfo rmance, roa d fee l an d han dling un der a
var iety of driv ing cond it ions. Ask your author ized Audi dea ler for
more deta ils.
Th e low a spect rat io of these tires is indica ted by a nu meral of
55 or
less
in the tire's size designation. The numeral represents the ratio of
t he t ire's s idewall heigh t in relat io n t o its t re ad wi dth expressed in
percentage. Conventiona l tires have a height/width ratio of 60 or
more .
The performance of low -aspect -ratio tires is particularly sen sitive to
improper inflation pressure. It is therefore important that low
aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure and that the
inflation pressure is regularly checked and mainta ined. Tire pres­
s ure s should be checked at lea st once a month and always before a
long trip =>
page 313, "Checking tire pressure".
What you can do to avoid tire and rim damage
Low aspect ratio ti res can be damaged more easi ly by impact w ith
potholes, curbs, gull ies or ridges on the road, p articular ly if the tire is
underinflated. .,_
Vehicle care Technical data

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
In order to minimize the occurrence of impact damage to the tires of
your vehicle, we recommend that you observe the following precau­
tions:
• Always maintain recommended inflation 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
tires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to your tires.
• After any impact, immediately inspect your tires or have them
inspected by the nearest authorized Audi dealer. Replace a damaged
tire as soon as possible .
• Inspect your 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 underinflation, which could eventually cause tire failure. If
you believe 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 deliver responsive
handling, they may ride less comfortably and make more noise than
other choices.
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
All tires are designed for certain purposes. The low aspect ratio, ultra high performance tires originally installed on your vehicle are
intended for maximum dry and wet road performance and handling.
They are not suitable for cold, snowy or icy weather conditions. If you
drive under those circumstances, you should equip your vehicle with
all-season or winter tires, which offer better traction under those
conditions . We suggest you use the recommended snow or all-season
tires specified for your vehicle, or their equivalent.
Refer to~
page 323 for more detailed information regarding winter
tires. •
Tire pressure monitoring system
Applies to veh icles : wit h Tire p ress ure m onitor ing sy ste m
General notes .. '
Each tire, including the spare (if provided) , should be checked
monthly when cold and inflated to the inflation pressure recom­
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire
inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has tires of a different size
than the size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure
label, you should determine the proper tire inflation pressure for
those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pres ­
sure telltale when one or more of your tires is significantly under­
inflated . Accordingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illuminates,
you should stop and check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure. Driving on a significantly under-inflated
tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure . Under­
inflation also reduces fuel 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 driver's responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not reached the level to trigger
illumination of the TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS malfunction indi­
cator to indicate when the system is not operating properly. The
TPMS malfunction indicator is combined with the low tire pressure
telltale. When the system detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximately one minute and then remain continuously illuminated. This sequence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunction exists .
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated, the system may not
be able to detect or signal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of reasons, including the instal-..,_