2011 AUDI R8 SPYDER rims

162 Cleaning and protection
Hand washing
When washing your vehicle by hand, first soft­
en the dirt with copious amounts of water and
rinse it
off as best you can.
Then clean the vehicle using a soft
sponge, an
auto glove or a low-pressure wash brush.
Work from the top down to the bottom, start­
ing with the convertible top
¢ page 163. Use
a
shampoo only for v ery stubborn dirt.
Rinse the sponge or auto glove thoroughly at
frequent intervals.
Clean the wheels, door sills and similar areas last. Use a separate sponge for this.
_& WARNING
-Car washes with conveyors can damage
the vehicle tires, which could cause the tire to lose pressure suddenly while driv­
ing and put you at risk for an accident.
Do not use car washes with conveyors.
- Switch
off the ignition when you wash
your vehicle to avoid an accident.
- Protect your hands and arms from sharp
metal edges when you clean the under­
body, the inside of the wheel wells or the
wheel covers to avoid cutting yourself.
- When washing your vehicle in the winter :
Moisture and ice in the brake system can
affect the brakes.
- Never wash tires with a jet that sprays
water in a direct stream . This could cause
invisible damage to the tires and weaken
them, even if the spray is from a relative ­
ly long distance and for a short time .
Damaged and weakened tires can fail
and cause accidents and personal injury.
(D Note
- Never drive your vehicle through any au ­
tomatic car wash that fails to provide ei­
ther sufficient clearance for your vehicle
or sufficient track width for your tires. Risk of expensive damage to the vehicle's
underbody , tires, and rims!
- As described in your Warranty
& Mainte­
nance booklet, damage or malfunction due to misuse of the vehicle or failure to
operate the vehicle in accordance with
the
instructions of this Owner's Manual
will not be covered under warranty.
- Fold the exterior mirrors flat - there is a
risk of damaging the exterior mirrors .
Power folding exterior mirrors must not
be folded in or out by hand. Use the pow­
er function!
- Do not wash the vehicle in direct sun­
light. You may damage the paint.
- Do not use sponges designed to remove
insects, rough kitchen sponges, or simi­
lar products. You risk damaging the
paint surface.
- You should remove debris (such as in­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regular basis, for example when refuel­
ing your vehicle. Never clean the head­
lights with a dry cloth or sponge . Use a
wet cloth or sponge .
It is best to use
soapy water.
- Never clean tires using a nozzle that
sprays water in a direct stream. Damage
can occur even with a relatively long
spraying distance and for a very short
time.
- To avoid damaging your vehicle, always
make sure that there is sufficient dis­
tance between the spray head and soft materials like rubber hoses, plastic parts
and sound-deadening materials. Never
aim the spray head at the same point for
a long time. This also applies to cleaning
headlights and painted bumpers. Re­
member: the closer the nozzle is to the
surface of the material, the greater the
stress on the material.
- Never clean the convertible top using a
power washer.
@) For the sake of the environment
Wash your vehicle only at specially de­
signed facilities. They can prevent any dirty
water contaminated by oil from entering
the waste water. In certain areas washing
a car outside of such facilities is not per­
mitted.

Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle .
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle . T ires are,
however, one of the most important parts of a
vehicle, particularly considering the compara ­
tively small patch of rubber on each tire that
assures that a ll- important contact between
you, you r vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, mak ing
sure that your vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry mo re weight than they can safely han­
d le, avoiding damage from road hazards and
r eg ularly inspect ing t ires for damage i nclud­
ing cuts, slashes irregu la r wear and ove rall
condition are the most important things that
you can do to he lp avoid s udden tire failure in­
cluding tread separat ion and blowouts.
A voidin g damage
If yo u have to d rive over a curb or similar ob­
stacle, drive very slow ly and as close as possi ­
b le at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chemicals incl ud ing grease, o il ,
gasoline and brake fluid off the t ires .
I nspect the t ires regularly for damage (cuts,
cracks or b listers, etc.). Remove any fo reign
bod ies embedde d in the treads.
Storing tires Mark tires when you remove them to indicate
the direction of rotation . T his ensures you to
be ab le to mount them correctly when you re­
i nstall them .
When removed, the whee ls or t ires should be
sto red in a cool, d ry and preferably dark place .
Store tires in a vertical pos ition if they are not
mounted on r ims, in a horizontal pos it ion if
they are mounted on rims .
Tires an d wheel s 189
New tires
New ti res h ave to be broken in~& .
The tread depth of new t ires may vary, accord­
ing to the type a nd make of t ire and the tread
patte rn.
H idden damage
Damage to tires and r ims is ofte n not readily
visible . If you notice unusual v ib rat ion or the
vehicle pulls to one s ide, th is may ind icate
that one of the t ires has been damaged . T he
ti res m ust be chec ked immed iate ly by an au­
thorized Audi dea le r or q ua lified wor kshop .
Unidirectional tires
A un idirectional tire can be identified by ar­
rows on the sidewa ll, that po int in the direc­
tion the t ire is designed to rotate. You must
f ol low the specified di rection o f rotation . T his
is necessary so that these tires can develop
their optimum characteristics regarding grip,
road noise, wear and hydrop laning resistance.
For more information
~ page 216.
A WARNING
New tires or t ires that are o ld, worn or
damaged cannot provide maximum con­
trol and braking ability .
-
-New tires tend to be slippery and must
be broken in. To reduce the r isk of losing
control, a co llision and ser ious personal
in ju ries, d rive with special ca re for the
fi rst 350 m iles ( 560 km).
- Driving with worn or damaged tires can
lead to loss of control, sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
fl ation, cras hes and se riou s personal in­
juries . Have wo rn or damaged t ires re­
placed immediate ly.
- Ti res age even if they are not being used
and can fail sudden ly, especially at hig h
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith special care and at low
speed.
•
•

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.

A WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of con­
trol, a crash and serious personal injury!
- Never drive a vehicle when the tread on
any tire is worn down to the wear indica­
tors.
- Worn tires are a safety hazard, they do
not grip well on wet roads and increase
your risk of "hydroplaning" and loss of
control.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause
tire damage, such as grease, oil, gasoline
and brake fluid away from t ires.
- Tires age even if they are not be ing used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds . Tir es that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then with special care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mount used tires on your vehicle if
you are not sure of their" previous 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.
Tires and wheels 199
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in .
Fig. 153 Tir e specificat ion codes on t he s idewall o f a
tire
No. Description
CD Passenger car tire (where applicable)
@ Nominal w idth of tire in millimeters
® Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
© Radial
® Rim diameter code
® Load index and speed rating
(f) U.S. DOT tire identification number
® Audi Origina l tire
® Severe snow conditions
@ T ire ply composition and materials
used
@ Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and temperature
grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pres-
sure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the
vehicle's design . The tires and rims approved
by Audi are spec ially matched to the charac­
teristics of the vehicle and can make a major .,.
•

200 Tires and wheels
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
procedures and have the necessary special
tools and spare parts as well as the proper fa­
cilities for disposing of the old tires.
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary
information about technical 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 monitoring system
¢page 201.
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 speci­
fication as the original equipment or approved optional tires listed in the table
¢page 193.
Audi-approved specification tires are specially
matched to your vehicle and its load limits,
and can contribute to the important road hold­
ing, driving characteristics, and safety of the
vehicle. The table(¢
page 193) lists specifica­
tions of the tires approved for the Audi mod­
els covered by your Owner's Literature .
The tire pressure label located on driver's side
B-pillar (
¢ page 193, fig. 151) lists the speci­
f ications of the original equipment tires in­
stalled on your vehicle at the time it was man­
ufactured.
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to
place standardized information on the side­
wall of all tires¢
fig. 153. This information
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 eas­
ier to choose the correct tires. Radial tires
have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewall, for example:
P235 / 35 R 18 91 Y
This contains the following information:
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars
235 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire
from sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In general, the larger the number, the wider
the tire
35 Height/width ratio in percent (aspect ra-
tio)
R Tire construction: Radial
18 Rim diameter code (in inches)
91 Load rating code
Y Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF") indicates
that the tire is a"Reinforced" or an "Extra
Load" tire
M+S (or "M/S") Indicates that the tire has
some mud and snow capability
The tires could also have the information of
direction of rotation¢
page 189.
Tire manufacturing date
The manufacturing date is also indicated on
the tire sidewall (possibly only on the
inner
side of the wheel):
"DOT ... 2210 ... " means, for example, that
the tire was produced in the 22nd week of 2010.
Speed rating (letter code)
The speed rating letter code on the wheels in­
dicates the maximum permissible road speeds
¢ .&. in Winter tires on page 204.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
S up to 110 mph (180 km/h)

T up to 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 .
•
•

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

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>,
•
•