2011 AUDI TT ROADSTER winter tires

154 Intelligent technology
If there is an electronic malfunction, ser­
votronic
w ill st ill function like a conven­
tional power steer ing system, prov iding a
constant steer ing support force that is no
longer proportionate to the ve hicle speed .
This is most noticeable when turning the
steer ing whee l at low speeds (for examp le
when par kin g), -more effo rt will be re­
qui red th an usual.
- Be aware of the different than usual
stee ring response and adjust you r steer­
i ng force a ccord ingly.
- Have the p roblem chec ked and set right
by an authori zed Audi dealer as soo n as
poss ib le.
- If a stee ring malfunct io n occu rs, this is
s ignaled with the
42J or .• indic ator
li ghts and a wa rning tone, see.
(D Tips
- If the power steering system shou ld fa il,
or if the eng ine is no t runn ing (fo r exam ­
ple, while being towed), yo u wi ll st ill be
able to stee r the veh icle. However, more
effort will be req uired to do so .
- If the power steer ing system is not func ­
tioning p roperly , contact your a uthorized
A udi dealer immediate ly .
Driving with your
quattro ®
With All Wheel Drive, all four wheels are driv­
en.
General inform ation
W ith All Whee l Dr ive, power is d istributed to
all four wheels. This happens automatically
depending on your dr iv ing sty le and the road
conditions at the t im e. See also ¢
page 149,
E lectronic differential lock (EDL) .
Winter tires
When driving in the winter, your vehicle w it h
All Wheel Drive has an advantage, even with regular t ires. In winter road co nditions it may
be adv isable to mount winter tires (o r all-sea- son tires) for
improved driveability and brak ­
ing : these tires must be mounted o n
all four
wheel s.
See also ¢ page 209, Winter tires .
Snow chains
Where tire chains a re m andatory o n certa in
roads, this no rma lly also app lies to ve hicles
wi th All Wheel Drive
¢ page 210, Snow
chains.
Replacing wheels /tires
Vehicles wi th A ll Wheel D rive mus t always
have t ires of the same s ize. A lso avoid tires
with different tread depths . For deta ils see
page ¢
page 205, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels .
Off-Road driving?
Your Aud i does not have enough g ro und clea r­
an ce to be used as an off- road vehicle. It is
therefore bes t to avoid rough tracks and un ­
even terrain as much as possib le . Also refer to
¢ page 158.
A WARNING ~
Always ad just your dr iv ing to road and traf-
f ic conditions. Do not let the extra safety
afforded by All Wheel Dr ive tempt you into
taking ext ra ris ks.
- Although the All Wheel Drive is very ef­
fective , always remember that braking
capacity is lim ited by tire t raction . You
should therefore not d rive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippe ry road s urfa ces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to
drive too fast because the front whee ls
could begin to slide o n top of the wate r
(aquapla ning). If th is should occur, yo u
will have no warning from a s udden in ­
crease in eng ine speed as wit h a front­
wheel drive veh icle. Always drive at
speeds which are su ited to the road con­
d itions. -risk of crash.

196 Tires and wheels
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity we ight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressu re
to which a tire may be inflated. Also called
"maximum inflation p ressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the
number of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the total seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution means distribution of occupants in a vehicle .
Outer diameter means the overa ll diameter of an inf lated new
tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri­
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ­
ing e levations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a laye r of rubber-coated parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the comb ined we ight of those installed
regular production options weighing over 5
lbs . (2 .3 kg) in excess of those standard items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, r ide leve lers, heavy duty
battery, and special trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tir e in which the p ly cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan­
tially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread . Recommended inflation pressure
see
~
page 195, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire designed to operate at higher
loads and at higher inflation p ressures than
the corresponding standard tire. Reinforced
ti res my be ident ified as "XL" "xl" "E XTRA
, ,
LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a t ire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are seated.
Rim diameter
means nominal d iameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you w ill have to
purchase new tires to match the new r im di­
ameter .
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges .
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire is designed to
be driven for extended periods of time. The
r atings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h)
~ page 206 . You may
not find this information on all tires because
it is not requ ired by law.
T he speed rating letter code, where applica­
ble, is molded on the tire sidewall and indi­
cates the maximum perm iss ibl e road speeds
~ A in Winter tires on page 209 .
Tire pressure monitoring system
means a system that detects when one or
more of a veh icle's tires are underinflated and
i lluminates a low tire pressure warning tell-
tale. ..,_

206 Tires and wheels
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:
P245 / 45 R 17 95 H
This contains the follow ing informat ion:
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars
245 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire
from s idewall edge to sidewall edge. In
general, the larger the number, the wider
the tire
45 Height/width ratio in percent (aspect ra-
tio)
R Tire construction: Rad ial
17 Rim diameter code (in inches)
95 L oad rating code
H Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF") indicates
that th e tire is a"Reinfo rced" or an "Ex tra
Loa d" tire
M+S (or "M/5") Indicates that the tire has
some mud and snow capability
The tires could also have the information of
direction of rotation ¢
page 194.
Tire manufacturing date
The manufacturing date is also indicated on
the tire s idewall (possibly only on the
inner
side of the wheel) :
"DOT .. . 2209 ... "means, for example, that
the tire was produced in the 22nd week of
2009.
Speed rating (letter code)
The speed rating letter code on the wheels in­
dicates the maximum permissib le road speeds
¢ &. in Winter tires on page 209.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
ll For tir es w it h a m ax im um spee d ca pabil ity ove r 149
mph (2 40 km/ h), ti re manufact urers sometimes use
the lett ers " ZR."
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)1l
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)ll
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)
1>
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)1>
Your vehicle is normally factory equipped w it h
tires, which possess exce llent dr iving charac­
teristics and give your Aud i optimum driving
com fort. An electronic speed limiter
¢ page 28 will normally prevent your vehicle
from going faster than the tire speed rating
¢,&. .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
and tire manufacture date
This is the tire's "seria l number". It begins
with the letters "DOT" and ind icates that the
tire meets all federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters ind icate the plant where it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers
represent the week and year of manufacture.
For example, the numbers 2209 mean that
the tire was produced in the 22nd week of
2009. The other numbers are marketing co­
des that may or may not be used by the tire
manufacturer. This information is used to con­
tact consumers if a tire defect requires a re­
ca ll.
Audi Original tire
Tires with the identification "AO" or "RO" have
been specially matched with your Audi. We
recommend using only these tires because
they meet the highest standards regarding
safety and driving characterist ics when used
correctly. Your authorized Audi dealer will
gladly prov ide you w ith more information.
Tire ply compos ition and materials used
The number of plies indicates the number of
layers of rubber-coated fabric in the tire. In
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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>
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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 .
•
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-

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 .
•
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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 .
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