2011 AUDI TT ROADSTER ESP

Never exceed the m aximum inflati on pres­
s u re li sted on the ti re sidew all for any rea­
son.
Remembe r that the vehicle manufacturer, not
the t ire manufacturer, determines the co rrect
tire pressure for the tires on your vehicle.
It is importan t to check the tire pressure when
t he t ires are cold .
- Read the requ ired ti re pressure from the tire
pressure label located on d river's s ide B-pi l­
l ar .
- T urn the valve stem cap counter-clockwise
to remove it from the tire valve .
- Place the air pressure gauge on the valve .
- The tire pressures should only be checked
and adjusted when the tires are cold . The
s li ght ly raised p ressures of warm tires must
not be reduced.
- Adjust the t ire pressure to the load you a re
ca rrying.
- Re install the valve stem cap on the valve .
When should I ch eck the ti re pres sur e?
The correct tire pressure is especially impor­
tant at high speeds. The pressure should
therefore be checked at least once a month
and a lways before start ing a journey .
When should I ad just th e tir e pre ss ures?
Ad just the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying . After changing a wheel
or replacing
wheels you have to adjust the tire pressures
on all wheels. In addition, you must then in it i­
alize the new tire pressures in the tire pres ­
sure mon itor ing system
q page 212 .
A WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or unde rinfla­
tion can lead sudden tire failure, loss of cont ro l, col lision, ser ious persona l inju ry
or even death.
- When the warning symbo l
[D] appears in
the instrument cl uster, stop and inspect
the tires.
- Incor rect tire pressure and/or underinfla­
tion can cause increased tire wear and
Tire s an d wheel s 201
can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability .
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can a lso lead to sudden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
flation, caus ing loss of veh icle control.
- The driver is responsible for the correct
tire pressures for all tires on the veh icle.
The applicable pressure values are locat­ ed on a sticker on the dr iver's s ide B-pil ­
lar .
- On ly when all tires on the vehicle are fil­
led to the correct pressure, the t ire p res­
sure mon itor ing system can work cor­
rectly.
- The use of incorrect tire p ressu re va lues
can lead to acc idents or other damage.
Therefore it is essential that the drive r
observe the spec ified t ire p ress ure val ues
for the t ires and the correct pressures for
the function of the tire press ure monito r­
ing system.
-A lways inflate tires to the recommended
and correct tire pressure before dr iv ing
off.
- Driving with underinf lated tires bend
mo re, letting them get too hot resulting
in tread separation, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
- Excessive speed and/over loading can
cause heat b uild-up, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
- If the tire pressure is too low or too high,
the t ires will wear prematurely and the
veh icle w ill not handle well.
- If the tire is not flat and you do not have
to change a wheel immediately, drive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta­
tion to check the t ire p ressu re and add
a ir as requ ired.
(D Note
Driving w it h out valve stem caps can cause
damage to the tire valves. To prevent this,
always make sure that factory installed
valve stem caps on all whee ls are secu rely
mounted o n the valve. .,.
•
•

204 Tires and wheels
c::>fig . 148 running across the tread. Depend­
ing on the make, there will be six to eight of
them evenly placed around the tire. Marks on
the tire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other
symbols) indicate the positions of the tread
wear ind icators . Worn tires must be replaced .
Different figures may apply in other countries
c::> ,& .
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear
and can cause sudden tire blow-out . For this
reason, tire pressure must be checked at least
once a month
c::> page 200.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy acceleration
and hard braking increase tire wear.
Rotating tires for more even wear
For a ll four tires on your vehicle to have the
same service life, we recommend that the
front and rear tires are rotated according to
the tire manufacturer's suggested tire rota­
tion intervals. Please remember the follow­
ing:
- Tire rotation interva ls may differ from the
vehicle serv ice intervals outlined in your
Warranty
& Maintenance Booklet.
- The longer one tire is used in one location
on the vehicle, the more it wears at certain
points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufacture r's suggested
t ir e rotation intervals .
- Vehicles with front-wheel drive experience
more tread wear on the front wheels com ­
pared to all-wheel drive (quatt ro ® ).
- Please rotate t ires as shown
c::> fig . 149.
-Extra care must be taken when rotating di-
rect ion-specific tires
c::> page 226.
Wheel balancing
The whee ls on new vehicles are balanced.
However, various situations during everyday
driving can cause them to become unbal­
anced, resulting in vibrations you can usually
feel through the steering wheel. Unbalanced
wheels must be rebalanced to
avoid excessive wear on steering, suspension
and t ires . A whee l must also be reba lanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can cause exces­
sive tire wear, impairing the safety of the vehi ­
cle. If tires show excessive wear, have the
whee l alignment checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles with quattro ® must a lways have tires
of the same size, construction and tread type .
For details see c::>page
154.
A WARNING
-Sudden tire fai lure 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 r isk of "hydroplaning" and loss of
control.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause
tire damage, such as grease, oil, gasoline
and brake fluid away from tires.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith special care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mount used tires on your vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." O ld used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire fai lure
and loss of vehicle control.

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.

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 @.