2011 AUDI TT ROADSTER Owners Manual

general, the greater the number of plies, the more weight a tire can support . Tire manufac­
turers also must indicate the materials in the
tire, wh ich include steel, nylon, polyester, and
others .
Ma ximum Load R ating
This number indicates the maximum load in
kilograms and pounds that can be carried by
the tire.
Tire qualit y gr ad ing for treadw ear,
tract ion , an d temp erature resis ta nce
Tread wear , traction and temperature grades
c::> pag e208.
M aximum Permis sibl e Inflation Pr essur e
This n umbe r is the greatest amount of air
pressure that should ever be put in the tire
under normal driving conditions .
& WARNING
- Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/
or whee ls or improper tire and whee l
combinations can lead to loss of contro l,
collision and serious personal injury.
- Always use tires, rims and wheel bo lts
that meet the specifications of orig inal
factory-installed tires or other combina­
t ions that have been spec ifically ap­
proved by the vehicle manufacturer .
- Tires age even if they are not be ing used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds . T ires 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 ti res on you r vehicle if
yo u are not s ure 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.
- All four wheels must be fitted with radia l
t ires of the same type, size (roll ing cir­
cumference) and the same tread pattern .
Driv ing with different tires reduces veh i-
Tire s an d wheel s 207
cle handling and can lead to a loss of
contro l.
- If the spare tire is not the same as the
tires that are mounted on the vehicle -
for examp le w ith winter t ires -only use
the spare t i re for a short period of time
and drive with extra care . Refit the nor ­
mal road wheel as soon as safely poss i­
ble .
- Never drive faster than the max imum
speed for which the tires on your vehicle
are rated because tires that are dr iven
faster than their rated speed can fa il
suddenly.
- Ove rloading tires cause heat build-up,
sudden tire fa ilure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of contro l.
- Temperature grades apply to tires tha t
are properly infla ted and not over or un­
derinf lated .
- For technical reasons it is not always
possible to use whee ls from other vehi­
cles -in some cases not even wheels
from the same ve hicle mode l.
-If you install wheel trim discs on the ve ­
hicle wheels, make sure that the air flow
to the brakes is not b locked. Reduced air­
f low to the brakes can them to overheat,
increas ing stopping d istances and caus­
ing a co llision .
- Run flat tires may only be used on vehi­
cles that were equ ipped w ith them at the
factory. The veh icle must have a chassis
des igned for run flat ti res and a factory­
installed t ire p ressure monito ring sys­
tem that indicates a loss of ti re p ressu re.
I nco rrec t use of run fl at tires can lead to
veh icle damage o r accidents. Check with
an authorized Audi dealer or tire special­ ist to see if your vehicle can be equipped
with run flat tires. If run flat tires are used, they must be installed on all four
wheels. Mixing tire types is not permit-
ted .
Ill>
•
•

208 Tires and wheels
-For technical reasons, it is not generally
possible to use the whee l rims from oth­
er vehicles. This can hold true for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
- If the spare tire is different from the
tires that you have mounted on your ve­ hicle (for example winter tires or wide
profile tires), then use the spare t ire for a
short period of time only and drive with
extra care. Replace the flat tire with the
tire match ing the others on your vehicle
as soon as possible.
- Never drive without the valve stem cap.
The valves could get damaged.
@ For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accordance with the
local requ irements.
Uniform tire quality grading
- T read wear
- Traction AA A B (
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire side wall between tread shoulder
and maximum sect ion width ¢
page 205,
fig . 150 .
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA,
Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Feder­
al Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades.
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course.
F or example, a tire graded 150 would wear
one and one half (11/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relat ive performance of tires depends
upon the actua l conditions of their use, how -ever, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, serv­
ice practices and differences in road character­
istics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest
to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under contro lled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance ¢
,&.
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and C, representing the tire's resistance to
the generation of heat and its ability to dissi­ pate heat when tested under controlled condi­
t ions on a specified indoor labo ratory test
wheel.
Sustained h igh 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 Vehicle Safety Stand ­
ard No. 109. Grades Band A represent h igher
levels of performance on the laboratory test
whee l than the minimum required by law.
A WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight -ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning or peak traction
characterist ics .
A WARNING i- -
The temperature grade for this tire is es-
tablished for a tire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded . Excess ive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combinat ion, can cause
heat buildup and possible tire failure.

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 governments may require true winter or "snow " tires, those
with ve ry deeply cut tread. These t ires shou ld
only be used in pa irs and be insta lled on all
fou r wheels. Ma ke sure yo u pu rchase snow
tires that are the same size and construction
type as the other tires on your vehicle .
If your vehicle is equipped with all -wheel
d rive*, this wi ll improve tract ion during w inter
driving, even with the standard tires . Howev­
er, we strong ly recommend t hat you always
eq uip a ll four whe els on your v ehicle with cor ­
rectly fitted winter t ires o r all -season tires,
when winter ro ad conditions are expec ted.
T his also improves the vehicle's braking per­
formance and reduces stopping distances .
Summe r tires provide less grip on ice and
snow.
W inter tires (snow tir es) must a lways be fitted
on all four whee ls .
Ask yo ur autho rized Aud i dea ler o r qualified
wo rkshop fo r permi tted
w inter tire siz es . Use
only radia l wi nter tires.
W inte r tir es lose the ir effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of 0.15 7 inch
(4 mm) .
Only drive with winter tires under winter con­
d it ions . Summer tires hand le better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F ( 7 °C).
I f you have a flat tire, see notes on spa re
wheel <=?
page 205.
Please always remember that w inter tires may
h ave a lower speed rating than the t ires origi­
na lly installed on your veh icle at the t ime it
was manufactured. Plea se see <=?
page 206,
Speed rating (letter code)
for a List ing of the
speed rat ing letter codes and the maxim um
speed at whic h the tir es can be driven.
Tire s an d wheel s 209
The speed rating letter code (¢ page 196) is
o n the side wall of the tir e<=?
page 205.
A WARNING
Winter t ires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than your vehicle 's max­
imum speed. Always know the max imum
speed before driv ing off . Never drive faster
than the speed permitted for you r specific
winter tires . This wi ll cause damage to the
tires leadi ng to an accident and ser ious
personal injury to you and your passen­
gers .
A WARNING ,._.__
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your vehicle
were designed can cause tire fail ure in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation, loss of contro l, crashes and ser ious per­
sonal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately .
- Wi nter tires have maximum speed rating
that may be lower than your vehicle's
maximum speed .
- Never drive faster than the speed for
which the w inter or othe r tires installed
on you r vehicle a re rated .
A WARNING
Always ad just yo ur dr iv ing to the road and
traffic condit ions . Never let the good ac­
celeration of the winter t ires and al l-wheel
drive tempt yo u into ta king extra risks. Al­
ways remember:
- When braking, an all-wheel drive veh icle
handles in the same way as a front drive
vehicle .
- Drive ca re fully 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 iete r, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumpt ion .
•
•
-

210 Tir es and whe els
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the front
wheels, and only to certain tire sizes. Ask your
authorized Audi dealer on which tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
If you are going to use snow chains , then you
must install them on the front wheels at
least.
The snow chains must have low-profile links
and must not be thicker than 0.53 inch
(13.S mm), including the lock .
Remove wheel center covers and tr im discs
before putting snow cha ins on your vehicle
¢ Q) . For safety reasons cover caps must the n
be fitted over the whee l bolts. These are avai l­
ab le from authorized Audi dea lers.
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for yo ur vehi ­
cle or installing them incorrectly can in­
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
ser ious personal inj ury.
- Snow chains are ava ilable in different
sizes. Always make sure to follow the in­
struct ions provided by the snow chain
manufacturer .
- When driving w ith snow chains never
dr ive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow cha ins.
- Always observe local regulat ions.
([) Note
-Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wear ing the snow
chains down unnecessar ily.
- 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
sa ry. Follow the i nstructions from the
snow cha in manufacture r when doing so.
(D Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory on cer­
tain roads, th is normally a lso applies to ve­
hicles with All Whee l Dr ive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque.
T he design of wheel bo lts is matched to the
factory installed rims. If different rims are fit­
ted, the correct whee l bolts with the right
l ength and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. Th is ensures that wheels are fitted
securely and that the brake system functions correctly.
In certa in circumstances, you may not use
whee l bolts from a different vehicle -even if it
is the same model
¢page 243.
A WARNING
-Imp roperly t ightened or ma inta ined wheel
bo lts can become loose causing loss of
control, a coll is ion and serious pe rsonal in­
jury.
- Always keep t he wheel bo lts and the
threads in the wheel hubs clean so the
wheel bo lts can turn easily and be prop­
erly tightened.
- Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and
the threads in the whee l hubs . They can
become loose while driving if g reased or
oiled, even if tightened to the specified
torque.
- Onl y use whee l bolts that belong to the
rim being installed.
- Never use different wheels bo lts on yo ur
vehicle .
- Always maintain the correct tightening
torque for the whee l bolts to reduce the
risk of a whee l loss. If the tightening tor­
que of the whee l bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the vehi­
cle is mov ing. If the tightening torque is
too high, the wheel bolts a nd threads
II>-

can be damaged and the wheel can be­
come loose.
@ Note
The specified torque fo r the wheel bo lts is
90 ft lb (120 Nm) with a tolerance of± 7,4
ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bo lts diago­
nally. After chang ing a wheel, the torque
must be checked as soon as possib le wit h a
torque wrench -preferab ly by an author­
ized Aud i dealer or qualified workshop .
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect
ratio t ires. These t ires have been thorough ly
tes ted and been selected spec ifica lly for your
model for the ir superb pe rformance, road feel
and handling under a variety of driving condi­
tions . Ask your a uthorized Audi dea le r for
more deta ils.
The low aspect ratio of these tires is indicated
by a numeral of
55 or le ss in the tire's size
designation. The numeral represents the ratio
of the tire's sidewall height in relat ion to its
tread width expressed in percentage . Conven­
tional tires have a height/width ratio of 60 or more .
The perfo rmance of low -aspect -rat io ti res i s
part icularl y sensit ive to improp er i nflation
pr essu re. It i s th erefore importan t that low
aspect r atio tire s are infla ted to th e specifi ed
pr ess ure and that the inflation pressure is
regu lar ly che cked and maintained. Tir e pr es·
s ur es sh ould b e chec ked at l ea st once a
month and alw ay s before a lon g trip
<=> page 200, Checking tire pressure.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damag e
Low aspec t ratio t ires can be damaged more
easi ly by impact with potho les, cu rbs, gu llies
or ridges on the road, part icu larly if the tire is
underinflated .
I n o rder to m inimize the occu rrence o f impact
damage to the t ires of your vehicle, we recom -
Tires an d wheel s 211
mend that you observe the following preca u­
tions:
- Always ma inta in re commended inflation
pressures . Check your tire pressu re eve ry
2,000 miles (3,000 km) and add air if neces ­
sary.
- Drive caref ully on roads with potholes, deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from driving
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to your tires .
- After any impact, immediate ly inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest
au thor ized Audi dealer. Replace a damaged
tire as soon as possible .
- Inspect your tires every 2,000 m iles (3,000
km) for damage and wear. Damage is no t al­
ways easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of
air and under inflat ion, which could eventu­
ally cause tire failure .
If you believe that a
tire may have been damaged, rep lace the
tire as soon as possib le .
- These tires may wear more quickly tha n oth­
ers.
- Please also remember that, while these tires
de live r responsive handling, they may ride
less comfo rtably and make more noise than
other choices .
Reduced performanc e in winter /cold
season conditions
A ll ti res are designed for certa in p urposes.
T he low aspect ratio, ult ra h igh performance
tires originally installed on your vehicle are in­
tended for maxim um dry and wet road per­
formance and handling. They are not suitable
for cold , snowy or icy weather condi tions. If
you drive under those circumstances, you
should equ ip your vehicle w ith all-season or
winter tires, which offer bette r traction under
those conditions. We suggest you use the rec­
ommended snow o r all-season t ires specified
f o r yo ur vehicle , or thei r equivalent .
Refer to
<=> page 209 fo r more detailed infor­
mation regard ing winter tires .
•
•

212 Tires and wheels
Tire pressure
monitoring system
General notes
Appl ies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and in­
f lated to the inflation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your
vehicle has t ires of a different size than the
size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire in­
flation pressure label, you should determine
the proper tire inflation pressure for those
tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
tires is significantly under-inflated. According­
ly, when the low tire pressure telltale illumi­
nates, you should stop and check your tires as
soon as possible, and inflate them to the proper pressure. Driving on a significantly un­
der-inflated tire causes the tire to overheat
and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation al­
so reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's handling and
stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute
for proper tire maintenance, and it is the driv­
er's responsib ility to ma inta in correct tire
pressure , even if under-inflation has not
reached the level to trigger 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 operating properly. The
TPMS malfunction indicato r is combined with
the low tire pressure telltale. When the sys­
tem detects a malfunction, the telltale will
f lash for approximately one minute and then
remain continuously illuminated. This se­
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the ma lfunction exists. When the
malfunction indicator is illuminat­
ed, the system may not be ab le to detect or
s ignal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of rea­
sons, including the installation of replace­
ment or alternate tires or wheels on the vehi­
cle that prevent the TPMS from functioning
properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ens ure that the re­
placement or alternate ti res and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
Tire pressure indicator appears
Applies to veh icles : w ith tire pressure monitoring system
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig. 151 Display : underinflatio n warning
Fig. 152 Display: System malfunction
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni­
toring system compares the tire tread circum­
ference and vibration characteristics of the in­ dividual tires. If the pressure decreases in one
or more t ires, this is indicated in the instru­
ment cluster with a warning symbol
g and a
message
r=:> fig. 151. Th e driver message in the
display goes out after 5 seconds. The driver
message can be displayed again by pressing
11--

the !CHECK I button @c:> page 10, fig. 3. If on­
l y one tire is affected, the display will indicate
its pos ition.
The tire p ress ure moni to ring m ust be reset in
the menu display each time the pressures are
adjusted (e .g. when switc hing between parti­
a l and full load pressure) or after chang ing or
replac ing a tire on your vehicle
c:> page 214.
You can find the recommended tire pressures
for your vehicle on the label on the driver's
door p illar
c:> page 198.
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac­
ter istics can change and cause a tire pressure
warn ing if:
- the tire pressure in one or more t ires is too
low,
- the tire has structural damage,
- the tire pressure was changed, whee ls rotat -
ed or replaced but the TPMS was not reset
c:> page 214 .
Warning symbol s
[@] Loss of pressure in at least one tire c:> ,&..
Check the ti re or tires and rep lace or repair if
necessary . The indicator light
RI] in the instru­
ment cluster also illuminates
r=:>page 13.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS in the menu display.
11@1@1 < T ire Pressure Monitoring Sys tem) Tire
p re ss ure! Sy stem malfunction. JfllAl@ ap­
pears after switching the ignition on or while
driving
r=:> fig. 152 and the indicator light RI] in
the instrument cluster blinks for approxi­
mately one minute and then stays on, there is
a system malfunction . See your author ized
Aud i dealer as soon as possible.
.&, WARNING
- If the t ire pressure indicator appea rs in
the instrument cl uster d isplay, one or
more o f you r tires is s ignificantly under­
inflated. Reduce your speed immediately
and avoid any hard steering or bra king
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and
check the t ires and the ir pressures. In­
flate the tire pressure to the proper pres-
.
Tire s an d wheel s 213
sure as indicated on the vehicle's tire
pressure labe l
r=:>page 198. Driving on a
significantly under-inflated tire causes
the t ire to overheat and can lead to tire
fa ilure . Unde r-inflation also is l ikely to
impair the vehicle's handling and stop­
ping ability.
- The d rive r is respons ib le for maintaining
the co rrect tire pressures. You must
check the tire pressures regularly.
- Unde r ce rtain conditions (such as a spo r­
ty driving style, winter conditions or u n­
p aved roads), the pressu re monitor indi­
ca tor may be delayed.
- Ask you r authorized Aud i dea le r i f run­
f lat tires may be used on your vehicle.
Your vehicle registration becomes invalid
if you use these t ires when not perm it­
ted. Damage to your vehicle or accidents
could a lso result.
- If you switch between standard and run­
flat tires, an autho rized Audi dealer o r
qualified workshop must reprogram the
contro l modu le.
(D Tips
- The tire pressure monitor ing system
stops work ing when there is an ESP/ABS
ma lfunction.
- Us ing snow c hains may res ult in a system
ma lfunction.
- Tires wit h the identification "AO" or "RO"
have been specially matched with yo ur
Audi. We recommend using on ly these
tires because they meet the highest
standards regarding safety and dr iv ing
character istics when used correctly. Your
authorized Audi dealer wi ll gladly pro­
vide you with more information .
•
•

214 Tires and wheels
Reset tire pressure monitoring system (Stepl)
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels are ro­
ta ted or changed, the TPMS must be reset in
t he menu display.
------ @
Fig. 1 53 Wiper lever: Contro ls for t he menu disp lay
Displa Type.
~Set
!TCfieck f
Menu off
Fig . 1 54 D isp lay: Start menu
I Reset I button @ and rocke r switch @
c::> fig. 153 functions:
To open the menu
• Pre ss the I Reset I b utt on@ unt il th e menu
display
c::> fig . 154 appears
Selections and settings
• Press the rocke r swi tch @ to reach a menu
display. The switch is operated the same as
the d is p lay ( up/down).
Entering and confirming
• Press the I Reset I button @.
Returning to the Start menu
• Press the I Reset I button longer than 2 sec­
onds to retu rn from any men u leve l to the
Start menu.
(D Tips
Before resetting the TP MS, t he cur rent
press ures of
all four tires must correspond
to the specif ied val ues. Adjust the tire
p ress ure and reset the pressure in the t ire
p ress ure m onitoring system acco rding to
the load you are car ry ing
<=:>page 198.
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
( Step2)
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
Fig. 15 5 Display: Tire press ure
Fi g. 156 Display: Tire p ress ure
I Reset I button @and rocker switch @
c::> page 214, fig . 153 functions:
Storing tire pressure s
• Tur n on the ig nition .
• Select the men u:
> Adjusting* > Tire pres-
su re > Store .
Entering and confirming
• Sele ct the men u: Sto re now
• Press the
I Reset I butto n @ .
• Select the menu: Confim
• Press the
I Reset I button @.