2011 AUDI R8 SPYDER inflation pressure

For example, in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10- lb (4.5 kg) object are about 20 times the
norma l weight of the item. This means that
the we ight of the item would suddenly be
about 200 lbs . (90 kg) . You can imagine the
in juries that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flyi ng
freely throug h the pass enge r compartment
could cause in a collision li ke t his.
_& WARNING
Imprope rly stored luggage or other items
can fly through the vehicle ca using se rious
personal in jury in the event of har d brak ­
ing or an acc ident . To help reduce the r is k
of serious personal injury :
- Always put objects, for examp le, luggage
o r othe r heavy items in the luggage com­
partment.
_& WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your ve­
hicle handles. To help reduce the r isk of a
loss of control leading to ser ious personal
injury:
- Always keep in m ind whe n transporting
heavy objects, t hat a change in t he cen ­
ter of g ravity can also cause c hanges in
vehicl e handling.
- Never exceed the G ross Ax le Weight Ra t­
ing or t he Gross Veh icle Weight Rating
spe cified on t he safety compliance stic k­
er on t he left door jamb. Exceeding pe r­
missib le we igh t standa rds can cause the
vehicle to s lide and handle differently.
- Please observe info rm atio n on s afe driv­
ing
C? page 99.
_& WARNING , ~ ~
Always make su re that the doors, all win ­
dows and the front lid are securely closed
an d locked to red uce the risk of in jury
when the veh icle is not being used .
- After closing the front lid, a lways make
s u re that it is properly closed and locked .
- Never leave you r vehicle unatten ded es­
pecially with the front lid left open . A
Dr iving S afel y 105
child cou ld craw l into the luggage com­
pa rtment and close the front lid becom­
ing trapped and unable to get out. Be ing
trapped in a veh icle can lead to se rious
pe rsonal injury .
- Never let ch ildren play i n or around the
veh icle .
- Never let passengers ride in t he luggage
compartment . Vehicle occupants must
always be prope rly restra ined in one of
the vehicle 's seating pos it ions .
(D Tips
The t ire pressure must correspond to the
l oad. The t ire press ure is show n on the tire
p ressure label. The tire pressure label is lo­
cated on the d river 's s ide B-pillar. The t ire
pressure label lists the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures for the vehicle at
it s m aximum c apac ity we igh t a nd the tires
that we re on your vehicle at the t ime it
was manufacture d. For recommended tire
pressures fo r normal load cond it ions,
please see chapter c::> page 193.
Reporting Safety
Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If you believe that your vehi cle
ha s a defect which could cau se
a crash or could caus e injury or
death, you should immediately inform the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addition to notify­
ing Audi of Amer ica , Inc .
If NHTSA receives similar com­ plaints, it may open an investi­
gation , and if it finds that a
safet y defect s exists in a group .,.
•
•

190 Tire s and wheel s
-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
yo u are 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.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means t he comb ined we ight (in excess of
those standard items which may be rep laced)
of R t ron ic, powe r stee ring, powe r brakes,
power w indows , power sea ts, r ad io , a nd hea t­
e r, to the extent that these i tems are available
as facto ry -in stalled equipment (whether in ­
stalled or not).
Aspect ratio
means t he ratio o f the heigh t to the w idth of
the tire in percen t. Numbers of 55 or lower in­
d icate a low sidewall fo r improved s teer ing re ­
sponse and better overall handling on dry
pavement.
Bead
means t he pa rt of the t ire that is made o f
steel wires, wrapped o r reinforce d by p ly cor ds
and that is shaped to fi t the r im.
Bead separation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means the s trands forming the plies in the
tire .
Cold tire inflation pre ssure
means t he tire pressure recommended by the
ve hicle manufacture r for a tire of a designated
si ze that has not been dr iven for more than a
couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire pressure i s measu red or adjusted. -
If you notice un usua l vibration or if the
veh icle pulls to one side when driv ing, a l­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check the wheels and tires for dam­
age.
Curb weight
means the we ight of a motor ve hicle w ith
standard equipment includ ing the max imum
capa city of fuel, o il, and coolant, a ir cond i­
ti on ing and addi tional weig ht o f option al
equipmen t.
Extra load tire
means a tire designed to operate at higher
loads and at highe r inflat ion p ress ures tha n
the cor responding standard tire . Extr a load
t ir es my be i dent ified as "XL", "xl", "E X T RA
LO AD", or "RF" on t he sidewall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ( "GAWR ")
means the load-carry ing capacity of a s ingle
axle system , measured at the tire-ground in­
te rfaces .
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ( "GVWR ")
means the maximum total loaded we ight of
the vehicle.
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs .
Load rat ing (code )
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry fo r a given inflation press ure. Yo u
may not fi nd this information on all tires be­
ca use it is not required by law.
Maximum load rating
me ans the lo ad r ati ng for a tire a t the m axi­
mum perm issib le inf lation pressure for that
ti re .

Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated. Also called
"maximum inflation pressu re."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 k ilograms) times the
nu mber of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the total seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle .
Outer diameter
means the overa ll diameter of an inflated new
tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri­
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ­
ing e levations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated para llel cords.
Production options weight
means the comb ined weight of those installed
regular production options weighing over 5
lbs . (2 .3 kg) in excess of those standard items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, r ide leve lers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and specia l trim .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic t ire in which the p ly cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan­
tially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread.
Tires and wheels 191
Recommended inflation pressure
see ~ page 190, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire designed to operate at higher
loads and at higher inflat ion pressures than
the corresponding standard tire. Re inforced
ti res my be ident ified as "XL" , "xl", "E XTRA
LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Rim diameter
means nom inal d iameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you w ill have to
purchase new tires to match the new r im di­
ameter.
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width.
Rim width
means nom inal distance between rim fla nges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire is designed to
be driven for extended periods of time. The
ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h)
~ page 200 . You may
not find this information on all tires because
it is not requ ired by law.
T he speed rating letter code, where applica­
ble, is molded on the tire sidewall and indi­
cates the maximum pe rm issib le road speeds
~ .&. in Winter tires on page 204.
Tire pressure monitoring system
means a system that detects when one or
more of a veh icle's tires are underinflated and
illuminates a low tire pressure warning tell­
tale.
•
•

Tires and wheels 193
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
Fig. 150 Tire pressure label: located on driver's side B·
pillar
Tire pressure generally refers to the amount
of air in a tire that it needs it to do its job and
safely carry the combined load of the entire
vehicle and its contents. Tire pressure is measured in kilopascals (kPa), the interna­
tional measuring unit and in pounds per
square inch (PSI). Tire pressure is based in
part on the vehicle's design and load limit­
the greatest amount of weight that the vehi­
cle can carry safely and the tire size. The prop­
er tire pressure is frequently referred to as the
"recommended cold tire inflation pressure."
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
because of internal friction when it flexes in
use. The tire pressure is higher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold." It is the
inflation pressure in a "cold" tire that counts.
Therefore, you should never let air out of a
warm tire to match "cold tire inflation pres­
sure" recommendations. The tires would then be underinflated and could fail suddenly.
Maintaining proper tire pressure is one of the
most important things you can do to help
avoid sudden tire failure. Underinflated tires
are a major cause of sudden tire failure. Keep­
ing tires at the right pressure is also impor­
tant for safe and responsive vehicle handling,
traction, braking and load carrying .
Tire pres­
sures are particularly important when the
vehicle is being driven at higher speeds, and
then especially when heavily loaded even
within the permissible load-carrying capaci­
ties approved for your vehicle.
"' ..,
-~ --------------- ~ a ;l!; TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION
• (SfATING CAPAOTY JOTAI. I }ROHT I :CUITTR I :R£AR I)
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COI.O TIRE PRESSURE
- KPa.- PSI
- KPa,- PSI
_ KPa,. PSI
Fig. 151 Tire pressure label
SEE OWNER'S
MANUA L FOR
ADDITTONAL
INFOl n
u
The recommended tire pressures for your Audi
depend on the kind of tires on your vehicle
and the number of passe ngers and/or amount
of luggage you will be transporting.
The tire pressure label located on driver's side
B-pillar on your Audi 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 manu­
factured.
If you wish to improve comfort when operat­
ing the vehicle at normal load (up to 2 occu­
pants), you can adjust tire pressures to those
specified for normal vehicle load. Before oper­
ating the vehicle at maximum load, you must
increase the tire pressures to those specified
for maximum vehicle load
9 .&.
Bear in mind that the tire pressure monitoring
system can only monitor the tire pressures
that are stored. The system does not recog­
nize the load condition of your vehicle.
See the illustration,:;,
fig. 150 for the location
of the label on driver's side B-pillar (color of
the actual label and exact location on the ve­
hicle will vary slightly).
Note that the following table is accurate at
the time of going to press and is subject to
change. In the event of discrepancies, the tire
pressure label on driver's side B-pillar always
ta kes precedence. ..,.

194 Tire s and wheel s
The table be low lists the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures for the Audi model
covered by your Owner's Literature at the vehi- cle's capacity weight and the tire sizes instal­
led on the respective models as original
equipment, or as a factory option.
Engine
(dis­
place­
ment in Tire designation
Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
normal load full load normal load full load condition condition condition condition
liter )
a -cylin­
der
4 .2
inder
5.2 235
/3 5 R1 9 9 1 V
XL
295 /30 R19 100V X L
305 /30 R1 9 10 2V X L
235 /35 R19 91 V X L
295 /30 R1 9 100V XL
305 /30 R19 102V X L
XL= reinf orc ed
PSI
45
Because tec hnical changes may be made to
vehicle equ ipment dur ing the model yea r, a l­
ways compare the tire size designation on the
tire pressure labe l on you r vehi cle w it h the
tires on your vehicle. Make s ure that the ti re
size information on the veh icle label is the
same as the size of the tires on the vehicle.
This is especially important if the vehicle be­
longs to someone else or you bought the vehi­
cle with different rims/tires or you bought the
vehicle as a previously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on mak ing sure that
load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
veh icle . These load lim its are technically refer­
red to as the vehicle's G ross Vehicle We ight
Rati ng ("GVWR"). The G ross Ax le Weight Rat­
i ng ("GAWR") is the max imum load that can
be app lied at each o f the veh icle's two axles.
The G ross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance stic ker labe l located either
on the driver's side B-pillar. The tire pressure
labe l on your Audi lists the maximum com­
b ined weight of all of the occupants and lug­
gage or other cargo that the veh icle can carry.
For the location of the tire pressure label
¢ fig. 15 0 .
kPA PSI kPA PSI
310 45 310
41
41
kPA PSI
280 41
280 41
kPA
280
280
280
280
.&_ WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
h icle cont ro l, a crash o r other accident, se ­
r ious pe rsonal injury, and even death.
- Ca rrying more we igh t than your veh icle
was designed to carry wi ll prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of a loss of vehicle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
veh icle w ith in a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been over load­
ed can fail s uddenly ca us ing loss of con­
trol and a crash.
.&_ WARNING
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can lead to a serious or fatal acci­
dent.
- Inco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
f lation cause increased tire wear and can
affect the handling of the vehicle.
- Inco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
f lation can a lso lead to s udden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
flation, ca using loss of veh icle cont ro l.

Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires original­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressure label located on driver's side 8-pil­ lar.
The recommended t ire pressures are on the
tire pressure label and in the table
r=> page 193, Cold tire inflation pressure . T his
means that the pressure must be checked and
a d ju sted when the tire has not been driven for
mo re than a couple of mi les (kilometers) at
l ow speeds during the p revious three hours.
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
as a result of internal fr iction as it flexes in
use. The tire pressure is higher when the tire
h as warmed up than when it is "cold".
It is the inflation pressure in a "cold" tire that
counts. Therefore, you shou ld never let air out
of a warm tire to match "Cold tire inflation pressure" recommendations
c> page 193 . The
tires would then be under infla ted and could
fa il suddenly.
The tire pressure label on yo ur Audi lists t he
recommended cold t ire inflat ion pressures for
the new, or igina l equipment tires that were
on you r vehicle at the t ime it was manufac­
tured. For the location of the label
r=> page 193, fig. 150.
Most tires lose a ir natu rally over time. They
can also lose some a ir if you dr ive ove r a pot­
hole o r hit a curb wh ile pa rking.
It is usua lly
not poss ib le to see whether the radial t ires
used today a re underin flated j ust by looking
at them.
Therefore, be sure to check tire pressures at
least o nce a month and always before going
on a long trip. Make sure to take the number
of people and the amount of luggage into ac­
count when adjusting tire pressure for a trip -
even one that you would not consider to be
"long". See r:=>page 196, Tires and vehicle
load limits for more important information.
Always use an accurate tire pressure gauge
when check ing and adjusting inflation pres­
sures . Check all of the t ires. If the pressure in
Tire s an d wheel s 195
any tire is too high when the tire is "cold", let
air out of the tire slowly with the edge of the
tire ga uge and keep checking the pressure un­
ti l yo u reach the pressure that is correct for
the load (passengers and luggage) and kind of
driv ing you plan to do .
If the pressure in any ti re is too low, note the
difference between the pressure in the cold
tire and the pressure you need and add the air
that you need to reach the correct pressure for
t h e ve hicle load (passenge rs and luggage) for
t h e tires on your vehicle as l isted on the o n
you r vehicle and in this ma nual a nd the k ind
of d riving you plan to do .
Never exceed the max imum inflation pres­
sure li sted on the tire sidewall for any rea­
s on.
Remember that the vehicle manufacturer, not
t h e tire manufactu rer, determines t he cor rect
ti re p ressu re fo r the tires on your ve hicl e.
It is important to check the t ire pressure when
the tires are co ld .
- Read the required tire pressure from the t ire
pressure labe l located on driver's side B-pil­
lar.
- T urn the va lve stem cap counter-clockw ise
to remove it from the tire va lve.
- Place t he air pressure gauge on the va lve.
- The tire pressures should o nly be checked
and ad justed when the tires are co ld . The
slightly raised pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced.
- Adj ust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying.
- Reinstall the valve stem cap on the va lve.
When should I check the tire pr essu re?
T he co rrect tire pressu re is especially impor­
t a nt a t high speeds. The pressure should
therefore be checked at least once a month
and always before starting a jo urney .
When should I adjust the tire pressures ?
Adjust the tire pressure to the load you a re
ca rrying. After chang ing a wheel
or rep lacing .,..
•
•

The Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each
of the vehicle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance sticker labe l located on the
driver's side B-pi llar . Your Audi has 2 seat ing
positions in the front for total seat ing capac i­
t y of 2. Each seating posi tion has a safety belt
c::> page 109, Safety belts.
The fact that there is an upper limit to your
ve hicle's Gross Veh icle Weight Rating means
that the total weight of whatever is being car­
ried in the veh icle is limited . The more passen­
gers in the veh icle or passengers who a re
heavier than the standard weights assumed
mean that less weight can be carried as lug­
gage.
The t ire pressure label on your Audi also lists
the maximum combined we ight of all of the
occupants and luggage o r othe r cargo that
the vehicle can carry. For the location of the
la be l
c::>page 193, fig. 150.
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se­
r ious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more weight than your vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of the loss of veh icle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a veh icle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance .
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly, includ ing a b lowout
and sudden deflation, causing loss of
control and a crash.
Determining correct load limit
Use the example below to cal­
culate the total weight of the
Tires and wheels 197
passengers and luggage or oth­
er things that you plan to trans­
port so that you can make sure
that your vehicle will not be
overloaded.
Steps for Determining
Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OC­
CUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX
KG OR XXX LBS"on your vehi­
cle's placard (tire inflation
pressure label)
¢ page 193,
fig. 150.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and pas­
sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and pas­
sengers from
"XXX" kilo­
grams or
"XXX" pounds
shown on the sticker
¢ page 193, fig. 150.
4. The resulting figure equals
the available amount of car­
go and luggage load capaci-
ty. For example, if the
"XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs.
and there will be five 150
lbs. passengers in your vehi­
c le, the amount of available .,..
•
•

T up to 118 mph (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)
1 )
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)1l
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)
1
)
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)1
)
Your veh icle is no rma lly factory equipped with
tires , which possess excellent driving charac ­
teristics and give your Audi opt imum driving
comfort ¢&. .
U.S. DO T Tire Identification Numbe r (TIN )
a nd ti re manufa cture d ate
This is the tire's "serial number". It begins
with the letters "DOT" and indicates that the
ti re meets all federal standards. The next two
numbe rs or letter s indicate the plant where it
w as manufac tured, and the las t four numbers
represent the week and year of manufacture .
For example, the numbers 2210 mean that
the t ire was produced in the 22nd week of
20 10. The othe r numbe rs a re mar keting co­
des tha t may or may not be used by the t ire
manufacturer . This information is used to con ­
tact consumers if a tire defect requires a re­
call.
Audi original tire
Tires wi th the ident ificat io n "AO" or "RO" have
been spec ia lly matched with your Aud i. We
recommend using only these tires because
they meet the highest standards regarding
safety and driving character istics when used
correctly . Your authori zed Audi dealer will
glad ly provide you wi th more information .
Tire ply compo sit ion and materials u sed
The number of p lies ind icates the n umbe r of
l ayers of rubber-coat ed fabric in the t ire. In
general, the greater the number of p lies, the
more weig ht a tire can support. Tire manufac­
turers also must indicate the ma terials in the
ll Fo r tires wit h a m ax im um s pee d cap abil ity over 149
mph (2 4 0 k m/h) , tire man ufacturers some times u se
th e le tters "Z R."
Tire s an d wheel s 201
tire, which incl ude stee l, nylon, po lyester, and
others .
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the maximum load in
kil ograms and pounds that can be ca rr ied by
the tire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear ,
traction, and temperature resistance
T read wear, t raction and tempera tu re grades
¢ page 203.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pr essure
This number is the greatest amount of a ir
pressure that should ever be put in the tire
u nder norma l dr iv ing cond itions .
Replacing tires or rim s on veh icles
equipped with tire p ressure monitoring
system
T he wheels on yo ur vehicle are equippe d with
a sensor which constantly monitors the ai r
pressure inside the tire, a nd then transmits
th is information to th e tire press ure monitor ·
ing system. If you are going to replace the
whee l rims on your veh icle, make s ure the new
rims also have these sensors . The sensors
must be compatible with the t ire pressure
monito ring system on your vehicle .
If you install rims, wh ic h do not have the sen­
sors, or have senso rs which are not compati­
ble , then the t ire p ressure monitoring system
will not wor k prope rly. In t his cas e, the tire
pressure monitoring system wou ld not be
able to moni tor the tire pressure or warn you
i f i t is necessary .
- The battery inside of the tire pressure sen­
sor has a limited se rvice life .
- Always dr ive with the valve stem caps se­
curely mounted . We recommend using fac­
t o ry installed valve stem caps. As k your au­
t hor ized A udi dealer to rep lace lost valve
stem caps .
•
•