2011 AUDI R8 SPYDER warning

202 Tir es and whee ls
The installation of replacement tires with
steel cord body plies in the tire sidewall may
cause ma lfunction of the tire pressure moni­
toring system, and is not recommended (cord material information in molded on the tire
sidewall) .
Always check your tire pressure monitoring
system indicator after replacing one or more
tires on your vehicle. If the tire pressure moni­
toring system indicator flashes, or is on, your
system is not work ing properly.
A WARNING
- Us ing incorrect or unmatched tires and/
or wheels or improper t ire and whee l
combinations can lead to loss of contro l,
co llision and serious persona l injury.
- Always use tires, rims and wheel bo lts
that meet the specifications of orig inal
factory-installed t ires or other combina ­
tions that have been specifically ap­
proved by the vehicle manufacturer .
- Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail su ddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
o ld 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 a re not sure of their "previous histo­ ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- Only the wheel/tire s izes spec ified by the
manufactu rer may be used on veh icles
with all-wheel dr ive.
- Never drive faste r than the maxim um
speed for which the tires on your veh icle
are ra ted because tires that are driven
f aster than their rated speed can fail
sudden ly .
- Overloading ti res cause heat build-up,
sudden tire failure, incl uding a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of control. -
Temperature grades apply to tires that
are properly inflated and not over or un­
derinflated.
- For technical reasons it is not always
possible to use wheels from other vehi­
cles -in some cases not even wheels
from the same veh icle model.
- Do not use run-flat tires on your vehicle.
Using run-flat t ires can lead to veh icle
damage or crashes .
@ Note
- For technical reasons, it is not generally
possible to use the wheel rims from oth­
er veh icles . Th is can hold true for wheels
of the same vehicle type .
- If you should put different wheels and
tires on your veh icle (e.g . winter wheels
and tires), you must be certain that the
wheels and tires are compatible with the tire pressure monitoring system. Other ­
w ise the system will register a malfunc­
tion and a fau lt message w ill be dis­
played. For more information, contact
your authorized Audi dealer.
(D Note
- When installing new tires, be care ful not
to damage the va lves or tire pressure
monitoring system sensors.
- Never drive without the valve stem cap.
The va lves cou ld 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 o ld tires in accordance with the
l ocal requirements .
@ Tips
Tires with the iden tificatio n "RO l" have
been specially matched with your A udi. We
r ecommend using on ly these tires because
they meet the highest standards regarding
safety and driving characteristics when used correctly . Your authorized Audi R8

dealer will g ladly provide you with more
information.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- T emperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the ti re side wa ll between tread shoulde r
and maximum section wid th ¢ page 199,
fig. 153 .
For example : Tread wear 200, Tract ion AA ,
Tempe ratu re A .
All passenger car tires must conform to Feder­
al Safety Requi rements in addition to these
grad es.
Tread we ar
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a spec ified
government test course.
For example, a t ire graded 150 would wear
one and one half (1 1/2) t imes as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100 .
The relat ive perform a nee of ti res depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, how­
ever, and may depart sign ificantly from the
norm due to var iat ions in dr iv ing habits, serv­
i ce practices and differences in road cha racter­
i stics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the
tire's abil ity to stop on wet pavement as
measured unde r controlled cond it ions on
spec ified gove rnment test su rfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire ma rked C may h ave poor
tr action perfo rm ance¢ &..
Temp erature
The temperature grades are A (the h ighest),
B, and C, repr ese nting the t ire's resistance to
the gene rat io n of heat and i ts ab ility to dissi-
Tire s an d wheel s 203
pate heat when tested under controlled condi ­
tions on a specified indoor laboratory test
whee l.
Sustaine d high temperature can cause the
mater ia l of the tire to degenerate and red uce
tire life, and excessive tempe rat ure ca n lead
to s udden tire failure ¢ &. .
T he gr ade C correspon ds to a level of pe rform ­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet u nder the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stand­
ard No . 109 . Grades Band A represent higher
l evels of performance on the laboratory test
whee l than the minimum requ ired by law.
A WARNING
The traction grade assigned to th is tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include accele rat ion,
cor neri ng, hy droplaning or peak t ra ction
ch aracte rist ics.
A WARNING
T he temperature grade for this tire is es­
tablished for a tire that is properly inf lated
and not overloaded . Excess ive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, e it h er
separately or in combinat ion, can ca use
heat bui ldup and possible tire failure.
Winter tires
Winter tires con 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 w inter or "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread. T hese tires should
o nl y be used in pairs and be installed o n all
fou r wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
ti res that a re the same si ze and construction
type as the othe r ti res on you r vehicle.
If your vehicle is equipped w ith all-whee l
drive*, th is w ill improve traction during winter
driv ing, even with the s tanda rd tires . Howev-
er, we stro ngly recommend that you always ..,.
•
•

204 Tir es and whe els
eq uip all four wheels on your vehicle with cor ­
rectly fitted winter tires or all-season tires,
when winter road conditions are expected. This a lso improves the vehicle's braking per­
formance and reduces stopping distances.
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow.
W inter t ires (snow t ires) must always be fitted
on all four wheels.
Compat ible tire pressure mon itor ing sensors
must be installed on all fou r winter tires for
the tire pressure monitoring system to func­
tion proper ly ~
page 201 .
Ask your authorized Aud i dea ler or qualified
wo rkshop for permitted
winter tir e sizes. Use
only radia l winter tires .
W inter t ires lose the ir effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of 0.157 inch
(4 mm) .
Only drive with winter tires under winter con­
d itions . Summer tires handle better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °C).
Please always remember that w inte r tires may
have a lower speed rating than the t ires origi­
na lly installed on your veh icle at the t ime i t
was manufactured. Please see
r:!> page 200 ,
Speed roting (letter code) for a list ing of the
speed rating letter codes and the maximum
speed at which the tires can be driven.
The speed ra ting letter code
(~ page 191) is
on the s ide wall of the tire
r::!> poge 199.
A WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than your vehicle's max­
im um speed . Always know the maxim um
speed before driving off. Never drive faster
than the speed permitted for your specific
w inte r tires . This will cause damage to the
tires leading to an accident and serious
personal in ju ry to you and your passen­
gers.
A WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your veh icle
were designed can cause t ire failure in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation,
l oss of cont ro l, crashes and ser ious per­
sonal injuries. Have wo rn o r damaged ti res
r eplaced immediately.
- W inte r ti res have maxim um speed rating
that may be lower than your vehicle 's
maximum speed.
- Never drive fas ter than the speed for
which the win ter or othe r ti res installed
on yo ur vehicle are rated.
A WARNING ~
A lways ad just your driving to the road and
traffic condit ions. Never let the good ac­
celeration of the winter tires and all-wheel
drive tempt you into taking extra risks. Al­
ways remember:
- When braking, an all-wheel drive veh icle
handles in the same way as a front drive
veh icle.
- Drive carefully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even w inter t ires
cannot help under black ice conditions .
~ For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather condi­
tions permit. They are qu ieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumpt ion.
Snow chains
-
S now cha ins may be fitted only to the rea r
whee ls, and o nly to certa in tire sizes . Ask your
autho rized Aud i dea le r o n whi ch tire sizes
snow c hains ca n be used.
T he snow chains must have low-profile links
and must not be t hicker than 0 .53 inch
(13 .5 mm), in cl ud ing the lock.
Remove wheel center covers before putt ing
snow c ha ins on your vehicle~@ . For safety
reasons cover caps must then be f itted over

the wheel bolts. These are available from au­
thorized Audi dealers.
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi­
cle or installing them incorrectly can in­
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes. Always make sure to follow the in­
structions provided by the snow chain
manufacturer .
- When driving with snow chains, never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations.
- Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con­
tact with the wheel rim, can scratch or
damage it. Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered . Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces­
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow chain manufacturer when doing so.
(D Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory oncer­
tain roads, this normally also applies to ve­
hicles with all-wheel drive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque.
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the
factory installed rims. If different rims are fit­
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the right
length and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted
securely and that the brake system functions
correctly .
Tires and wheels 205
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a different vehicle -even if it
is the same model
r:!> page 211.
A WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel
bolts can become loose causing loss of
control, a collision and serious personal in­
jury.
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hubs clean so the
wheel bolts can turn easily and be prop­ erly 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 tor­
que of the wheel bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the vehi­
cle is moving.
If the tightening torque is
too high, the wheel bolts and threads
can be damaged and the wheel can be­
come loose.
(D Note
The specified torque for the wheel bolts is
90 ft lb (120 Nm) with a tolerance of ± 7 .4
ft lb( ± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bolts diago­
nally. After changing a wheel, the torque
must be checked as soon as possible with a
torque wrench -preferably by an author­
ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect
ratio tires. These tires have been thoroughly
tested and been selected specifically for your model for their superb performance, road feel
and handling under a variety of driving
IJ>,
•
•

soon as possible, and inflate them to the
proper pressure. Driving on a significant ly un­
der-inflated tire causes the tire to overheat
and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation a l­
so reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread l ife,
and may affect the veh icle 's handling and
stopping ab ility.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute
for proper t ire maintenance, and it is the dr iv­
er's responsib ility to ma inta in correct t ire
p ress ure , even if under- inflation has not
reached the leve l to t rigger illumination of the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale .
Your veh icle has also been equ ipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicato r to indicate when
the system is not ope rating properly. The
TPMS malfunc tion indica to r i s combined wi th
the low t ire p ressu re tell ta le. When the sys ­
tem detec ts a malf unct ion, the te lltale will
flash for approximately one minute and then remain continuo usly ill uminated . This se­
q uence will cont inue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the ma lfunction ex ists.
When the malfunction indicator is ill uminat ­
ed, the system may not be able to detect or
signa l low t ire pressure as intended . TPMS
malfunct ions may occ ur for a variety of rea­
sons, including the ins talla tion of replace­
ment or alternate tires o r whee ls on the veh i­
cle that prevent the TPMS from funct io ni ng
p roperly . Always check the TPMS malfunct ion
t ellta le afte r replacing one o r more t ires or
wheels o n your veh icle to ensure tha t the re­
p lacemen t or a lternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly .
Introduction
The tire pressure monitoring system monitors
air pressure in all four road wheels while the
vehicle is moving .
As soon as the tire pressu re mo nitor ing sys­
tem senses a s ignificant loss o f air pressure in
one or severa l ti res, text messages and yellow
symbo ls appear in the instr ument cluster dis ­
p lay to alert the driver. The
[al warning light
Tire s an d wheel s 207
in the instrument cluster comes on when the
ti re is significant ly underinflated
Q page 34.
The wa rni ng lig ht [al also illu minates i n the
case of a system mal fun ct io n.
Be aware that t ire pressure is a lso dependent
o n the tempe ratu re of the t ire. For eve ry 18 ° F
(10 °C) incre ase in tir e te mper ature, tire pres­
s u re inc reases by about 1.5 psi (0 .1 bar). The
ti re warms up while the vehicle is moving and
ti re p ress ure rises . So you sho uld ad just tire
pressure only when they a re
cold, when the
temperature of the tires is roughly the same
as the ambient a ir temperature.
In order to keep the tire press ure monitoring
system p roperly ca librated, t ire press ure on
all four tires sho uld be checked at regu lar in­
terva ls.
The tire pressure is shown on the label located
on the dr iver's side B-pillar (v is ib le when the
door is open) .
A WARNING
When the tire pressure mo nitoring system
war ning light is lit , one o r more of your
tires is s ignificantly under-infla ted . You
shou ld stop and check your tires as soon as
pos sib le, and in flate t hem to the proper
p ress ure a s in dic ate d on the ve hicle's ti re
p ress ure lab el
¢page 19 3. D riving on a
significantly under -inflated ti re causes t he
tire to over heat and can lead to tire failure .
Under-inflat ion also is like ly to impair the
vehicle's handling and stopping ab ility.
@ For the sake of the environment
D riving wit h un der -inflated tires red uces
fuel efficiency an d tire t read life.
(D Tips
- E ach tire should be chec ked monthly
w hen the tem perature of the tires is
about the same as amb ient a ir tempera­
t u re and set to the recommended infla­
tion pressure as specified on the tire
pressure label
¢ pag e 193.
•
•

210 Consum er Inf orm ati on
steadi ly reduced the scope of maintenance
and repairs which can be carried out by vehicle
owners.
Als o, sa fe ty a nd en vir onm ent al con­
cerns p lace very strict limits on the nature of
repairs and adjustments to engine and trans­
miss ion parts which an owner can perform .
Maintenance, adjustments and repa irs usua lly
require special tools, testing devices and oth­
er equipment available to specially trained
workshop personnel in order to assure proper pe rformance, reliab ility and safety of the vehi­
cle and its many systems .
Improper maintenance, adjustments and re­ pa irs can impair the operation and reliab ility
of your vehicle and even void your vehicle war­
ranty. Therefore , proof of servic ing in accord­
ance w ith the ma intenance schedule may be a
condition for upholding a poss ible warranty
claim made within the warranty period.
Above all, operational safety can be adversely
affected, c reating unnecessary risks for you
and your passengers .
If in doubt about any se rv icing, have it done
by your author ized Audi dealer or any other
p roperly equipped and qualified workshop .
We strong ly urge you to give yo ur a utho rized
Aud i dealer the opportunity to perfo rm all
schedu led maintenance and necessary repairs.
Your dea ler has the facilities, original parts
and trained spec ialists to keep your vehicle
running properly .
Performing limit ed ma int enance your self
The following pages describe a limited num­
ber of proced ures which can be performed on
your ve hicle with ordinary too ls, shou ld the
need arise and trained personnel be unavaila­
ble. Before performing any of these proce­
dures, always thoroughly read all of the app li­
cable text and carefully follow the instruc ­
tions given . Always rigorously observe the
WARNINGS p rovided.
Before you ch eck a nything in th e eng ine
co mpartm ent , alwa ys re ad and h eed all
WA RNINGS
c::> .&. and c::> ..&. in Working in the
engine compartment on page 175.
A WARNING
- Serious personal injury may occur as a re­
sult of improperly performed mainte­
nance, adjustments or repa irs .
- Always be extremely careful when work­
ing on the vehicle . Always follow com­
monly accepted safety pract ices and gen­
eral common sense. Never r is k personal
injury.
- Do not attempt any of the maintenance ,
checks or repairs descr ibed on the fol­
lowing pages if you are not fu lly fam iliar
with these or other procedures with re ­
spect to the vehicle, or are uncertain how
to proceed .
- Do not do any work without the proper
too ls and equipment. Have the necessa ry
work done by your authorized A udi deal­
er or another proper ly equipped and
qualified workshop.
- Always remove the ignition key before
anyone gets under the veh icle.
- Always support your veh icle with safety
stands if it is necessary to work under­ neath the vehicle . The jack* is not ade­
quate for this purpose and cou ld collapse
causing ser ious personal inju ry.
- If you must work underneath the vehicle
with the wheels on the ground, a lways
make sure the vehicle is on level ground,
that the wheels a re a lways secure ly
b locked and that t he engine cannot be
started.
- Always make sure the transmission se­
lec to r l ever is in "N" (Neut ral) (R t ron ic)
or Neutral (manual transmission) and
the hand bra ke is f irmly app lied.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Changing the engine sett ings will ad­
verse ly affect emission leve ls. Th is is det­
r imental to the environment and increas­
es fuel consumpt ion .
- Always observe environmenta l regu la­
tions when disposing of old eng ine oil,
used brake flu id, dirty engine coo lant,
spent batte ries o r worn out tires.

-Undeployed airbag modules and preten ­
sioners might be classified as Perchlo­
rate Material -spec ia l hand ling may ap­
ply, see www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardous­
waste/perch lorate. When the veh icle or
parts of the restraint system includ ing
airbag modules safety belts with p reten­
s ione rs are scrapped, all applicable laws
and regulations must be observed. Your
a utho rized Aud i dea le r i s f amiliar w ith
these req uirements and we recommend
that you have your dea le r perform this
service for you.
Additional accessories, modifications and
parts replacement
Additional accessories and parts
replacement
Always consult on authorized Audi dealer be­
fore purchasing accessories .
Your vehicle incorporates the latest safety de­
sign features ensuring a high standard of ac­
tive and passive safety .
This safety could be compromised by non -ap ­
proved changes to the veh icle. For this reason,
if parts have to be replaced, please observe
the following points when installing addition­
al accessories:
Approved Audi accessor ies and genuine Audi
parts are ava ilable from authorized Audi deal­
ers.
These dealers also have the necessary faci li­
ties, too ls and trained specialists to insta ll the
parts and accessor ies properly .
A WARNING
Using the wrong spare parts or using non­
approved accessories can cause damage to
the vehicle and se rious personal injury .
- Use only accessor ies expressly approved
by Audi and genuine Aud i spa re parts
Con sumer In formation 21 1
-These parts and accessories have been
specially designed to be used on yo ur ve­
hicle.
- Never install accessor ies such as tele­
phone crad les or beverage ho lders on air­
bag covers or within the airbag deploy­
men t zones . Do ing so wi ll increase the
ris k of injury if a irbags are triggered in an
accident!
- Before you check anything in the engine compa rtment, always read and heed a ll
WARNINGS
r:::;> poge 175.
(D Note
-If items other than genu ine Audi spare
parts, add-on equipment and accessory
items are used o r if repair wo rk is not
performed ac cord ing to specified met h­
ods, this ca n resu lt in severe damage to
yo ur vehicle's engine and bo dy (s uch as
co rrosion) and adve rsely affect yo ur vehi ­
cle 's warranty.
- The innovat ive a luminium concep t of
your Audi means that a ll servicing, re ­
pairs or other work on the vehicle body
must be carr ied out exclusive ly by an Au­
di workshop.
- If emergency repa irs must be performe d
elsewhere , have the veh icle examined by
an authorized Audi dealership as soon as
possible .
- The manufacturer cannot be held liable
for damage wh ich occurs due to failure
to comply with these stipu lations.
Technical Modifications
Our guidelines must be complied with when
technical modifications ore mode .
Always consult an author ized Audi dealer be·
fore start ing work on a ny modifications.
T his will help ensure t hat veh icle function,
performance and safety are not impaired
c> _&. .
Attempt ing to work on e lec tronic componen ts
and t he software used with them can ca use
Iii>
•
•

212 Consumer Information
malfunctions. Because of the way electronic
components are interconnected with each
other, such malfunctions can also have an ad­
verse affect on other systems that are not di­
rectly involved. This means that you risk both
a substantial reduction in the operational
safety of your vehicle and an increased wear of
vehicle parts~.&, .
Authorized Audi dealers will perform this
work in a professiona l and competent manner
or, in special cases, refer you to a professional
company that specializes in such modifica­
tions.
_& WARNING
Improper repairs and modifications can
change the way vehicle systems work and
cause damage to the vehicle and serious
personal injury .
(D Note
If emergency repairs must be performed
elsewhere, have the vehicle examined by
an authorized Audi dealership as soon as
possible.
Declaration of
Compliance, Telecom­
munication or
Electronic Systems
-
Radio Frequency Devices and Radiocommuni­
cation Equipment User Manual Notice.
The manufacturer is not responsible for any
radio or TV interference caused by unauthor­
ized modifications to this equipment.
Devices
The following devices each comp ly with FCC
Part 15.19, FCC Part 15.21 and RSS-Gen Issue
1:
-Cell phone package
- El ectronic immob ilizer
- Homelink® universal remote control
- Remote control key
- Tire pressure monitoring system
FCC Part 15.19
T his device complies with part 15 of the FCC
Rules. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions :
(1) This device may not cause harmful inter­
ference, and
(2) this device must accept any inte rfer ence
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
FCC Part 15.21
CAUTION:
Changes or modifications not expressly ap­
proved by the party responsible for compli­
ance could void the user's authority to operate
the equipment.
RSS-Gen Issue 1
Operation is subject to the following two con­
ditions:
(1) this device may not cause interference,
and
(2) this device must accept any interference,
including interference that may cause unde­
sired operation of the device .