2011 AUDI S8 winter tires

Depending on the weight of the r ig (vehicle
and trai ler) and the severity of the incline, you
may roll backwards as you start. You can pre­
vent roll ing backwards by holding the parking
brake switch(®) pulled out and accelerating -
just as you would when starting on a hill with
a conventional hand brake.
Emergency braking
In the event that the conventional brake sys­
tem fails or locks.
... In an emergency, pull the switch(®) and
continue to pull it to slow your vehicle down
with the parking brake.
... As soon as you release t he sw itch (®) or ac-
ce lerate, the braking p rocess stops.
If you pull the sw itch(®) and hold it above a
speed of about 5 mph (8 km/h), t he emergen­
cy braking fu nction is in itiated . The vehicle is
b raked at all four wheels by activating the hy­
d ra u lic bra ke system. The b rake performance
i s simi lar to making an emergency stop
c::> &. .
In order not to activate the emergency brak­
ing by m ista ke, an audible warning tone (b uz­
z er) sou nds when the switch®> is pulled. As
soon as the switch(®) is released, or the acce l­
erator pedal is dep ressed, emergency brak ing
stops .
A WARNING
Emergency braking should only be used i n
an emergency, when the normal foot brake
has failed or the brake pedal is obstructed.
Using the parking brake to perform emer­
gency braking will slow you r vehicle down
as if you had made a fu ll brake applicat ion.
T he laws of physics can not be s uspended
even w ith ESP and its associated compo­
nents (ABS, ASR, EDL). In corners and
when road or weather conditions are bad,
a full brake application can cause the vehi­
cle to skid or the rear end to break away -
r isking an accident.
On th e ro ad 83
Speed warning system
Introduction
The speed warning system helps you to stay
under a specified maximum speed .
The speed warning system warns you if you
are exceeding the maximum speed that you
have set. You will hear a warning tone when
you r speed exceeds the stored value by ap­
proximately 3 mph (3 km/h) . An indicator
li ght . (USA
models) ;a (Canada mode ls) in
the instr ument cluster d isp lay al so tur ns on at
the same time. The indicator light . /.
turns off when the speed decreases be low the
stored maxim um speed .
Se tting a t hreshold is recommended if you
would like to be rem inded w hen you reach a
certain maximum speed. Situations where you
may want to do so incl ude driv ing in a co untry
with a genera l speed limit or if there is a
specified maximum speed for winter tires.
(D Tips
Even though your vehicle is eq uipped w ith
a speed warn ing system, you sho uld still
watch the speedometer to make sure you
are not dr iv ing faster than the speed limit.
Setting the threshold
You can set, change and delete the threshold
in the MMI.
... Select: !CAR ! function button > Car systems
contro l button > Dri ver ass ist > Speed warn­
ing .
You can set any threshold between 20 mph
(30 km/h) and 150 mph (240 km/h) . Sett ings
can each be adjusted in increments of 5 mph
(10 km/h).

194 Intelligent technology
been damaged, the brake pedal must be
pressed considerably harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance.
Servotronic ® -
advanced power
steering system
The power steering systems use the power of
the running engine to allow precise steering
with little effort .
The advanced Servotronic® power steering
system senses the road speed and e lectroni­
cally adjusts power assistance to prov ide com­
fortable and safe steering response exactly
matched to the veh icle speed.
Power steering w ill not work if the eng ine is
off . As a result, the steering whee l wi ll be hard
to turn.
The power steering fluid level is checked dur ­
ing the scheduled maintenance serv ices.
([) Note
If there is an electronic malfun ct ion, ser­
votronic
w ill still f unction like a conven ­
tional power steer ing system, providing a
constant steering support force that is no
longer proportionate to the vehicle speed.
This is most noticeab le when turning the
steer ing whee l at low speeds (for examp le
when parking), - more effo rt will be re­
qui red than usua l.
- Be aware of the different than usual
stee ring response and adjust yo ur stee r­
i ng fo rce accord ingly.
- Have the p roblem checked and set rig ht
by an Aud i deale r as soon as possib le.
(D Tips
- When the engine is runn ing, never hold
t h e steer ing whee l turned all the way to
the right or to the left for longer than 15
se conds. The power steer ing p ump w ill
ove rhe at the hydr aulic flu id if you keep
ho ld ing the steering whee l turned all the way
. This is likely to damage the power
steering system .
- If the powe r steering system sho uld fai l
entirely, o r if the engine is not runn ing
(for examp le, whi le being towed), you
w ill sti ll be able to steer the veh icle.
However,
considerably more effort will
be required to do so.
- If the power steering system sho uld
have a leak, or is not functioning proper­
ly, contact your author ized Audi dealer
immed iately.
- The power steering system requ ires a
specially fo rmu lated hydraulic fluid. The
powe r stee ring fluid reservoir is locat ed
in the engine compartment
Q page 224.
T he corre ct fl uid level i n the reservoir is
impo rta nt fo r proper fu nctioning of the
powe r stee ring .
Driving with your
quattro ®
With All Wheel Drive, all four wheels are driv­
en .
Gen eral information
With A ll W heel Drive, power is distributed to
all four wheels. This happens automatically
depending on your driving style and the road
condit ions at the time. See also
Q page 190.
With the sport different ial*, powe r distribu ­
tion to the rear wheels is variable and can be
adjusted with Audi drive select*
Q page 106 .
Winter tires
When driving in the winter, yo ur vehicle with
All Wheel D rive has an advantage, even w ith
r egular tires . In wi nter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all-sea­
son tires) for improved driveability and brak­
i ng : these tires must be mo unted o n
all four
wheel s. See also q page 253, Winter tires.
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certa in
roads, this no rma lly also app lies to veh icles
with All Wheel D rive
q page 254, Snow
chains .

208 Cleaning and protection
-Never wash your car in bright sunlight.
Drops of water act as magnifying lenses
and may damage your paint.
- When you wash your car in the winter: if
you rinse your vehicle with a hose, be
careful not to aim the stream of water
directly at locks, or at door or hatch
openings - they can freeze shut.
- Never use sponges des igned to remove
i nsects, or any kitchen scouring sponges
or similar products . They can damage
your paint finish .
- Never use a dry cloth or sponge to clean
the headlights. Only use wet cloths or
sponges to prevent scratches .
It is best
to use soapy water.
- You should remove debris (such as in­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regular basis, fo r example when refuel­
ing your vehicle. Never clean the head­
lig hts w ith a dry cloth or sponge. Use a
wet cloth or sponge . It is best to use
soapy water.
@ For the sake of the environment
I n the interest of the environment, the ve­
hicle should only be washed in special
wash bays.
Washing your vehicle with a power
washer
Cleaning the exterior of your car with a high­
pressure power washer is safe as long as you observe a few simple rules.
• Before using the power washer, make sure
you have read and understood the WARN­
INGS
c:> A in General information on
page 206 .
• Always follow the operating instructions for
the power washer .
• Make sure that the jet on the spray hose pro­
duces a "fan shaped spray".
• Do
not hold the spray nozzle too close to
soft materia ls.
When cleaning the vehicle wit h a power wash­
er
always follow the operating instructions. T
his applies particu larly to the
operating
pressure
and the spraying distance. Keep a
distance from soft materials such as rubber
hoses or insulating material as well as sensors
and camera lenses.
Do not use a jet which sprays water in a
di rect
stream
or one that has a rotating jet .
Water temperature should not exceed 140 °F
(60 °().
A WARNING
Never wash tires with a jet that sprays wa­
ter in a direct stream . This could cause in­
v is ible damage to the t ires and weaken
them, even if the spray is from
a relatively
long distance and for a short time. Dam­
aged and weakened tires can fail and cause
accidents and personal injury .
(D Note
To avoid damaging your vehicle, always
make sure that there is suffic ient d istance
between the spray head and soft materials
like rubber hoses, plast ic parts and sound­
deadening materials as well as sensors
and camera lenses. Never aim the sp ray
head at the same point for a long time.
This also applies to cleaning headlights
and painted bumpers. Remember: the
closer the nozzle is to the surface of the
mater ia l, the greater the stress on the ma­
terial.
Sensors and camera lenses
- Remove snow with a hand brush and remove
ice with a de-icing spray that does not con­
tain solvents .
- Clean the sensors (adaptive cruise control*,
pa rking system*) w ith a cleaning so lution
that does not contain so lvents and a soft
cloth.
- The camera lens or the area in front of the
camera lens is normally cleaned by the
w indshie ld w ipers (Audi lane assist*) or
headlight wipers (night vision system*) . If
the lens or the area is exceptionally dirty,
111-

240 Tires and wheels
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means t he sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity we ight, and
(d) P rod uction options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
me ans t he max imum co ld inflation pressu re
to which a tire may be in flate d. Also called
"maxim um inflation p ress ure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilog rams) times the
nu mbe r of o ccupants seated in t he vehicle up
to the tota l sea ting capaci ty of yo ur vehicle .
Occupant distribution means dist ribution of occupants in a veh icle .
Outer diameter means t he overa ll diameter of a n in flated new
tire.
Overall width
means t he linear dis tan ce between the ex ter i­
ors o f th e sidewalls of an inflated tire, in cl ud­
ing e levations due to labeling, decorations, or
p rotective bands o r ribs.
Ply
means a laye r of r ubber-co ate d parall el c ords.
Production options weight
means t he comb ined we ight of those installed
regular produc tion options weigh ing ove r 5
l bs . (2 .3 kg) in excess of t hose standard items
which they repla ce, no t previously considered
in cur b weight o r acc essory weig ht, incl uding
h eavy duty brakes, r ide leve le rs, roof ra ck,
h eavy duty ba tte ry, a nd specia l trim .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic t ire in which the p ly co rds
t ha t ex tend to the beads are laid a t sub stan ­
ti ally 9 0 degrees to the ce nt erline o f the
trea d. Recommended inflation pressure
see
<=>
page 239, C old tire infl atio n pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a tire design to operate a t higher loads
and at h igher inflation pressures than t he cor­
r espondi ng stan da rd tire. Reinforced tires
may be identifie d as "X L", "xl" , "EX TRA LOAD",
o r "RF " on t he sidewa ll.
Rim
means a metal su ppo rt for a tire or a t ire 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 th e new r im di­
ameter .
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width.
Rim width
means nom inal dista nce between rim flan ges .
Sidewall
means tha t port ion of a t ire betw ee n t he
t read a nd bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire is designed to
be driven for extended periods of time. The
r a ti ngs range from 93 mph ( 150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h)
~ page 250. Yo u may
not fi nd this information o n all ti res because
it is no t re quir ed by law.
T he speed rating letter code, wh ere applica­
ble , is molde d on the tire sidewall a nd indi­
c ates the max imum pe rmissibl e road speeds
<=> A in Winter tire s on page 2 54.
Tire pressure monitoring system*
mea ns a system that detects when o ne or
more of a veh icle 's tires are unde rinf lated an d
ill uminat es a low tir e pr es sure wa rning t ell­
t a le.

250 Tires and wheels
contribution to good road ho lding 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 spec ial
too ls 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 requ irements for
installing or changing tires and r ims.
Replacing tires and wheels
Tires shou ld be rep laced 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 256.
Always buy rep lacement 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 242.
Audi-approved specification t ires 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 242) 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 242, fig. 185) lists the speci­
fications of the orig inal equipment tires in­
stalled on your veh icle at the time it was man­
ufactured.
Federal law requires tir e manufacturers to
place standard ized information on the s ide­
wall of all tires¢
fig. 188 . This information
identifies and describes the fundamental
characterist ics, the quality grade of the tire
and also provides a tire ident ificat ion number for
safety standard ce rtification and in case of
a reca ll.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specificat ions makes it eas­
ier to choose the correct tires. Radial tires
have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewa ll, for examp le:
255/45 R 19 104 H
This conta ins the following information:
P Indicates the t ire is for passenger cars
(where app licab le)
255 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire
from sidewall edge to sidewa ll edge. In
general, the larger the number, the wider
the tire
45 Height/w idth ratio in percent (aspect ra-
t io)
R Tire construction: Radial
19 Rim diameter code (in inches)
104 Loa d rating code
H Speed rat ing letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF") indicates
that the tir e is a "Reinforced" or an "Ext ra
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 238 .
Tire manufacturing date
The manufacturing date is also indicated on
the tire sidewall (possibly on ly on the
inner
side of the wheel):
"DOT ... 2211. .. " means, for example, the tire
was produced in the 22nd week of 2011.
Speed rating (letter code)
The speed rating letter code on the whee ls in­
dicates the maximum permissible road speeds
¢ .&. in Winter tires on page 254.
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)

252 Tir es and whe els
Driving with different tires reduces vehi­
cle handling and can lead to a loss of
control.
- If the spare tire is not the same as the
tires that are mounted on the veh icle -
for example with winter tires - only use
the spare tire for a short period of time
and dr ive with extra care . Refit the nor­
ma l road wheel as soon as safely possi­
ble.
- Never drive faster than the maximum
speed for which the tires on your veh icle
are rated because ti res that a re driven
faster than their rated speed can fail
sudden ly .
- Overloading t ires cause heat build- up,
sudden tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of control.
- T emperature grades app ly to tires that
are properly inflated and not over o r un ­
derinflated .
- For technical reasons it is not a lways
possible to use wheels from other vehi­
cles -in some cases not even whee ls
from the same vehicle model.
- If you install wheel trim discs on the ve­
hicle whee ls, make sure that the air f low
to the brakes is not blocked. Reduced air­
flow to the brakes can them to overheat, increasing stopping distances and caus­
ing a collision .
- Run flat t ires may only be used on vehi­
cles that were equipped with them at the
factory . The vehicle must have a chassis
designed for run flat tires . Incorrect use
of run flat tires can lead to vehicle dam­
age or acc idents. Check with an a uthor­
ized Audi dea le r or tire specialist to see if
yo ur vehicle can be equipped with run
flat tires. If run f lat tires are used, they
must be insta lled on all four wheels. Mix­
ing t ire types is not permitted .
- Fo r technical reasons , it is not genera lly
possib le to use the whee l rims from oth­
er vehicles. This can ho ld true for wheels
of the same veh icle type. - If the spare tire is different from the
tires that yo u have mounted on your ve­
hicle (for example winter tires or wide
profile tires), then use the spare tire for a
short period of time only and drive w ith
extra care. Replace the flat tire w ith the
tire matching the others on your vehicle
as soon as possib le .
- Never drive without the valve stern cap .
The valves cou ld get damaged .
@) For the sake of the environment
Dispose of o ld tires in accordance with the
local requirements .
Uniform tire quality grading
-Tread wear
- Traction AA AB C
- Tempe ra tu re ABC
Quality grades can be found whe re applicab le
on the tire sid e wall betw een tr ead shou ld er
a nd maximum section width
c> page 249,
fig. 188 .
For ex ample: Tread wear 200 , Tract ion AA ,
Temperatur e A.
All passenger car t ires must conform to Feder­
al Safety Requirements in add ition to these
grades.
Tread wear
T he tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the t ire when tes ted
u nder contro lled cond itions on a specified
government test course .
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear
one and one ha lf (11/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
T he relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of thei r use, how­
ever, and may depa rt s ignificantly from the
norm due to va riations in driving hab its, se rv­
ice practices and differences in road character -
istics and cl imat e. ..,.

Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
a re AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance¢ .&..
Te mp era tu re
The temperature grades are A (the h ighest),
B, and
C, representing the tire 's resistance to
the generat ion of heat and its ability to dissi­
pate heat when tested under controlled condi­
tions on a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
material 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 perform­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Veh icle Safety Stand­
ard No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher
leve ls of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the m inimum required by law.
_& WARNING
T he traction grade assigned to this t ire is
based on straight-ahead b raking t raction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cornering, hydrop laning or peak traction
character istics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this t ire is es ­
tablished for a t ire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible tire fa ilure.
-
Tire s an d wheel s 253
Winter tires
Winter tires can 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 gove rnments
may require true w inter o r "snow" t ires, those
with very deeply cut t read. These tires should
o nl y be used in pairs and be installed o n all
f o ur wheels . Make sure you p urchase snow
tires that are the same size and cons truction
type as the other tires on yo ur vehicle .
If your veh icle is equipped w ith all-whee l
drive *, th is w ill improve trac tion d uring win ter
driv ing, even with the s tanda rd tires. Howev ­
er, we strongly recommend that you always
equip all four whee ls on your veh icle w ith cor­
rect ly fitted winter tires or all-season t ires,
when winter road conditions are expected.
This also improves the veh icle 's b rak ing per­
formance and reduces stoppi ng d ista nces .
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted
on all fo ur whee ls .
As k your au thori zed A udi dealer or qualified
workshop for permit ted
winter ti re size s. Use
on ly radial winter tires .
Win ter tires lose their effec tiveness whe n the
tread is worn down to a depth o f 0.1 57 inch
(4 mm) .
Only d rive w ith w inte r tir es under w inte r con­
di tions. S umme r tir es handle bette r when
t h e re is no snow o r ice on the ro ads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °C) .
If you have a flat t ire, see notes on spare
whee l¢
page 249.
Please a lways remember that winter tires may
have a lowe r speed rating than the tires o rigi­
nally i nstalled on your veh icle at the time it
was ma nufactu red. P lease see¢
page 250,
Speed rating (letter code)
for a lis ting o f th e
speed rating letter codes and the max imum
speed at which the tires can be driven .
111>-
•
•

254 Tir es and whe els
The s peed ra ting le tter code( ¢ page 24 0) is
on the side wall of the tire¢ page
249.
A WARNING
Winter tires have maximum s peed limits
that may be lower t han your vehicle's max­
imum speed . Always know the maximum
speed before driving off . Never drive faster
than the speed permitted for your specific
w inter t ires. This will cause damage to the
tires leading to an accident and serious
pe rsonal inj ury to you and your passen­
gers .
A WARNING I>=
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your vehicle
were designed can cause tire fai lure in ­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflat ion,
loss of control, crashes and serious per­
sonal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires
rep laced immed iate ly .
- Winter tires have maximum speed rat ing
that may be lower than your veh icle's
maximum speed .
- Never drive faster than the speed for
w hich the winter or other tires installed
on your vehicle are rated.
A WARNING
Always adjust your d rivi ng to the road and
tr affic conditions. Neve r let the good ac­
celeration of the wi nte r t ir es and all-whee l
dr ive temp t you in to taking extr a ris ks . A l­
ways remember :
- Whe n bra ki ng , an a ll-wheel d rive vehicle
hand les in the s ame way as a front drive
vehicle.
- Drive caref ully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot he lp under black ice conditions.
@) For the sake of the environment
Use summe r ti res when weathe r cond i­
tions perm it. They are quieter, do not we ar
as quickly and red uce fue l consumption.
Snow chains
S now cha ins may be fitted only to the front
whee ls, and o nly to cer tain ti re si zes . As k your
a uthorized Aud i dea ler on whi ch tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
If you a re go ing to use snow cha ins, then you
mus t install t hem on the front whee ls a t
l east.
T he snow chains must have low-p rofile links
and mus t not be t hicker than 0.4 inch
(10,S mm) , in cl ud ing t he loc k.
Remove whee l center cove rs and trim discs
before putt ing snow chains on your vehicle
¢ (!) . For safety reasons cove r caps must then
be fi tted over the wheel bo lts. These are ava il­
able from authorized Aud i dea lers .
A WARNING
=
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi -
cle or insta lling them incorrect ly can in­
crease the risk of loss of contro l leading to
serious pe rsonal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes . Always make sure to follow the in­
structions prov ided by the snow chain
manufacturer .
- W hen driving with snow cha ins never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations.
(D Note
- Remove snow chains before dr iving 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 whee l rim, ca n scratch or
damage it. Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are s uitably covered. Check
the pos ition of the snow chains afte r
dr iving a few yards and co rrect if necces­
sary. Follow the inst ruct io ns from the
snow chain m an uf actur er when do ing so.
- If the Ada ptive Ai r Suspe nsio n should
m alfu nction, do not mount o r use snow
11-