2012 AUDI R8 SPYDER winter tires

30 Driver in formation sy ste m
each other and that have somewhat different
purposes:
Spee d warn ing 1 lDl/lOl ( Canada models )
You can use speed warning 1 to set the maxi­
m um speed w hile you are driv ing. This sett ing
will remain in effe ct until you turn off the igni­
tion, assuming that you have not changed or reset the setting .
The speed warning symbo l
(alllDl (Canada
models) in the warning 1 display appea rs
when you exceed the maxim um speed. It goes
out when the speed falls be low the stored
maximum speed.
The speed wa rning symbo l w ill also go out if
the speed
exceeds the stored maximum speed
by more than about 25 mph (40 km/h) for at
least 10 seconds. The stored maximum speed
is deleted.
Setting speed warning 1
c:>page 30.
Speed warning 2 lCl/EOl (Canada m odels )
Storing warning 2 is recommended if you al­
ways
want to be remi nded of a certa in speed,
for example when you a re traveling i n a cou n­
try that has a general maximum speed limit,
or if you do not want to exceed a specified
speed for winter tires.
The speed wa rning 2 symbol,
1a1;[i] (Canada
models) appears in the disp lay when you ex­
ceed the stored speed limit . Unlike warn ing 1,
it will not go out unti l the vehicle speed drops
be low the stored speed limit.
Sett ing speed warning 2
c:> page 30 .
({) Tips
Even tho ugh you r vehicle is equipped with
a speed w arning sys tem, you should s till
watch the speedomete r to make sure you
are not driving faster tha n the speed limit.
Speed warning 1: setting a speed limit
Warning threshold 1 is set by the button .
Fig. 25 Sect ion of instrument cluster: Set/Check but ­
ton
Storing the ma ximum speed
.,. Drive at the desired maximum speed.
.,. Press the knob button
c:> fig. 25 until the
symbo l
c:> page 29, fig. 24 appears.
Resett ing the maximum spe ed
.,. Drive the vehicle at a speed of at leas t
3 mph (5 km/h)
.,._ Press the knob for more than 2 seconds.
T he speed wa rn ing symbol
ID] (USA models)/
f•j (Canada models) wi ll appear briefly in the
display when you release the button to indi­
cate that the maxim um speed has been stored
s uccessfully . The max imum speed remains
stored until it is changed by pressing the but­
ton aga in briefly or unt il it is de leted by a
leng thy push on the button .
Speed warning 2: setting a speed limit
Switches in the wiper arm are used to operate
warning threshold 2.
----- @
Fig. 26 Contro ls

Driving with your
quattro ®
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driv­
en .
Gene ral inform ation
W ith all-wheel dr ive, power is distributed to
all four wheels . This happens automatically
depending on your driving style and the road
conditions at the t ime . See also <::;>
page 142.
Winter t ires
When driving in the winter, your vehicle with
all-wheel drive has an advantage, even with
regular tires. In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all -sea­
son t ires) for improved driveability and brak­
ing: these tires must be mounted on
a ll f our
wheel s.
Snow chain s
Where snow chains are mandatory on certain
roads, th is normally also applies to vehicles
with all-wheel drive
Qpage 198, Snow
chains.
Replacing wheel s/tire s
Only the wheel/tire sizes specified by the
manufacturer may be used on vehicles with
all-wheel drive
<=> page 193 .
A WARNING
-Always adjust your driving to road and
traffic conditions. Do not let the extra
safety affo rded by a ll-wheel d rive tempt
you into taking extra risks .
- Although a ll-wheel drive is ve ry effect ive,
always remember that braking capacity
is limited by tire traction . You should
therefore not drive at excessive speeds
on icy or slippery road surfaces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to drive too fast because the front wheels
cou ld begin to slide on top of the water
(aquaplaning). If this should occur, you
will have no warning from a sudden in­ crease in engine speed as with a front-
-
Int ellig ent technolog y 147
wheel drive vehicle. Always drive at
speeds which are su ited to the road con­
ditions. -risk of crash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution
of electrical energy and thus optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting the engine.
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system
is not driven for a long per iod of t ime, the bat­
te ry is d ischarged by idling current consumers
(e .g. immobi lizer). In certain circumstances it
can resu lt in the re being insufficient energy
available to start the engine.
Intelligent energy management in your vehi­
cle handles the distribution of e lectr ica l ene r­
gy. Starting ability is markedly improved and
the life of the battery is extended .
Bas ica lly, energy management consists of
b atte ry diag nosis, idling current m an age­
m ent
and dy namic energ y manag ement .
Batte ry diagno sis
Battery diagnosis continuously determines
the state of the batte ry. Sensors determine
battery voltage, battery current and batte ry
temperature . This determines the current
state of charge and the power of the battery.
Idling current manag ement
Idling current management reduces energy
consumption while the vehicle is standing.
Wi th the ign ition switched off, it controls the
energy supply to the various electrica l compo ­
nents. Data from battery diagnosis is consid­
ered.
Depend ing on the ba ttery's state of charge,
individual cons umers are gradually turned off
to prevent excessive discharge of the battery
and thus maintain starting capability. .,..
•
•

154 Cleaning and protection
Hand washing
When washing your vehicle by hand, first soft­
en the dirt with copious amounts of water and rinse it
off as best you can.
Then clean the vehicle using a soft
sponge, an
auto glove or a low-pressure wash brush.
Work from the top down to the bottom, start­
ing with the convertible top
¢ page 156. Use
a
shampoo only for very stubborn dirt.
Rinse the sponge or auto glove thoroughly at
frequent intervals.
Clean the wheels, door sills and similar areas last . Use a separate sponge for this.
_& WARNING
- Car washes with conveyors can damage
the vehicle tires, which could cause the tire to lose pressure suddenly while driv­
ing and put you at risk for an accident.
Do not use car washes with conveyors.
- Switch
off the ignition when you wash
your vehicle to avoid an accident.
- Protect your hands and arms from sharp
metal edges when you clean the under­
body, the inside of the wheel wells or the
wheel covers to avoid cutting yourself.
- When washing your vehicle in the winter:
Moisture and ice in the brake system can
affect the brakes.
- Never wash tires with a jet that sprays
water in a direct stream. This could cause invisible damage to the tires and weaken
them, even if the spray is from a relative­ ly long distance and for a short time.
Damaged and weakened tires can fail
and cause accidents and personal injury.
(D Note
- Never drive your vehicle through any au­ tomatic car wash that fails to provide ei­
ther sufficient clearance for your vehicle
or sufficient track width for your tires. Risk of expensive damage to the vehicle's
underbody , tires, and rims!
- As described in your Warranty
& Mainte­
nance booklet, damage or malfunction due to misuse of the vehicle or failure to
operate the vehicle in accordance with
the
instructions of this Owner's Manual
will not be covered under warranty.
- Fold the exterior mirrors flat - there is a
risk of damaging the exterior mirrors.
Power folding exterior mirrors must not
be folded in or out by hand. Use the pow­
er function!
- Do not wash the vehicle in direct sun­
light. You may damage the paint.
- Do not use sponges designed to remove
insects, rough kitchen sponges, or simi­
lar products. You risk damaging the
paint surface.
- You should remove debris (such as in­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regular basis, for example when refuel­
ing your vehicle. Never clean the head­
lights with a dry cloth or sponge . Use a
wet cloth or sponge.
It is best to use
soapy water.
- Never clean tires using a nozzle that
sprays water in a direct stream. Damage
can occur even with a relatively long
spraying distance and for a very short
time.
- To avoid damaging your vehicle, always
make sure that there is sufficient dis­
tance between the spray head and soft materials like rubber hoses, plastic parts
and sound-deadening materials. Never
aim the spray head at the same point for
a long time. This also applies to cleaning
headlights and painted bumpers. Re­
member: the closer the nozzle is to the
surface of the material, the greater the
stress on the material.
- Never clean the convertible top using a
power washer.
@) For the sake of the environment
Wash your vehicle only at specially de­
signed facilities. They can prevent any dirty
water contaminated by oil from entering
the waste water. In certain areas washing
a car outside of such facilities is not per­ mitted.

Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated. Also called
"maximum inflation pressu re."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 k ilograms) 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 overall diameter of an inflated 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 layer of rubber-coated para llel cords.
Production options weight
means the comb ined weight 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, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and specia l trim .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic t ire in which the p ly cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan­
tially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread.
Tires and wheels 185
Recommended inflation pressure
see~
page 184, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire designed to operate at higher
loads and at higher inflat ion pressures than
the corresponding standard tire. Reinforced
ti res my be ident ified as "XL" , "xl", " EXTRA
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 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 the new r im di­
ameter.
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width.
Rim width
means nom inal distance between rim fla nges.
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
ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h)
~pag e 194 . 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 pe rmissib le road speeds
~ .&. in Winter tires on page 198.
Tire pressure monitoring system
means a system that detects when one or
more of a veh icle's tires are underinflated and
illuminates a low tire pressure warning tell­
tale.
•
•

194 Tire s and wheel s
contribution to good road ho lding and sa fe
handling when in good condition and properly
inflated
¢ ,& .
We recommend that all work on tires and
wheels be perfo rmed by an authorized Audi
dea ler. They are familiar with recommended
proced ures 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 techn ica l requ irements for
installing or changing tires and r ims.
R eplacing t ire s and wheels
Tires sho uld be rep laced at least in pairs and
not individua lly (for examp le both front tires
or both rear tires together).
Be sure to read and heed the information to
the tire pressure monitoring system
¢page 195.
Always buy rep lacement radial tires that have
the same specifications as the tires approved
for your vehicle by Audi. Replacement t ires
must always have the same load rating speci­
fication as the original equipment or approved
optional tires listed in the table¢
page 187.
Audi-approved specification ti res are specially
matched to your vehicle and its load limits,
and can contribute to the important road ho ld­
ing, driving characteristics, and safety of the
vehicle. The table
(¢page 187) lists spec ifica­
tions of the tires approved for the Audi mod­
els covered by your Owner's Literature .
The tire pressure labe l located on driver's side
B-pillar (
¢ page 187, fig. 149) lists the speci­
f ications of the orig inal equipment tires in­
stalled on your veh icle at the time it was man­
ufactured.
Federal law requires t ire manufacturers to
p lace standard ized information on the s ide­
wall of all tires¢
fig. 151 . This information
i dent ifies and describes the fundamental
characterist ics, the quality grade of the tire
and a lso provides a tire ident ificat ion number f
or sa fety standard ce rtification and in case of
a reca ll.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of ti re specificat ions makes it eas­
ier to choose the correct tires. Radial ti res
have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewa ll, for examp le:
P 23 5 / 35 R 18 91 Y
This co nta ins the following information:
P Indicates the t ire is for passenger cars
2 35 Nom inal tire width in mm of the tire
from sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In general, the larger the number, the wider
the tire
35 Height/width ratio in percent (aspect ra-
t io)
R Tire construction : Radial
18 Rim diameter code (in inches)
91 Load rating code
Y Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF") indicates
that the t ire is a"Re inforced" or an "Extra
Load" t ire
M +S (or "M/S") Indicates that the tire has
some mud and snow capability
The t ires could also have the information of
direction of rotatio n ¢
page 183.
Ti re manufa ctur ing date
The manufacturing date is also indicated on
the tire sidewall (possibly on ly on the
inner
s ide of the wheel):
" D OT ... 2211. .. " means, for examp le, that
the tire was produced in the 22nd week of 2011.
Speed rating (lette r co de)
The speed rating letter code on the whee ls in­
dicates the maximum permissible road speeds
¢ .&. in Winter tires on page 198.
P up to 93 mp h (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)

196 Tire s and wheel s
The insta llation of replacement tires with
steel cord body plies in the tire sidewall may
cause ma lfunction of the tire pressure mon i­
toring system, and is not recommended (cord material information in molded on the t ire
sidewall) .
A lways check your tire pressure monitoring
system ind icator after replacing one or more
tires on your vehicle. If the tire pressure mon i­
toring system ind icator flashes, or is on, your
system is not work ing properly.
A WARNING
- Us ing incorrect or unmatched ti res and/
o r wheels or imp roper tire and whee l
c ombin ations can lead to loss of contro l,
co llision and serious persona l injury.
- Always use tires, rims and wheel bo lts
that meet the specifications of or ig inal
f ac to ry-installed t ires or other combina ­
tions that have been spec ifically ap­
proved by the vehicle manufacturer .
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fail suddenly, es pecially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
o ld can only be used in an emergency
and then with special care and at lower
speeds .
- Never mount used tires on your vehicle if
you a re not sure of their "previous histo­ ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to s udden tire failure
and loss o f vehicle control.
- Only t he wheel/tire s izes spec ified by t he
ma nufactu rer may be used o n veh icles
with all-wheel dr ive.
- N ever drive faste r th an the maxim um
speed for whi ch the tires o n your ve hicle
are ra ted because ti res that are driven
f as ter than their rated speed can fail
s u dden ly .
- Overloading t ires cause heat build- up,
s u dden tire failure, incl uding a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of control. -
Temperature grades apply to tires that
are properly inflated and not over or un­
derinflated.
- For technica l 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 model.
- Do not use run-flat tires on yo ur vehicle.
Using run-flat t ires ca n lead to veh icle
damage or crashes .
@ Note
- For technical reasons, it is not generally
poss ible to use the w heel rims from oth­
er ve hicles . Th is can hold true for wheels
of the same vehicle type .
- If you should put different wheels and
tires on your veh icle (e.g . winter wheels
and tires), you must be certain that the
wheels and tires are compatible with the ti re pressure monitor ing system. Other ­
w ise the system will regi ste r a mal func­
t ion and a fa ult message w ill be dis­
played. For more information, contact
your authorized Audi dealer.
(D Note
- When installing new tires, be care ful not
to damage the va lves or tire pressure
monitoring system sensors.
- N ever drive without the valve stem cap.
The va lves co uld get damaged.
- If the sensors must be replaced, then
the valve must also be replaced at the
same time .
@ For the sake of the environment
Dis pose o f old tires in accordance with the
l ocal requirements .
@ Tips
Tires with the iden tific ation "ROl " have
been specially matched with you r A udi. We
r ecommend using on ly these tires because
they meet the highest standards rega rding
safety and driving characteristics when used correctly . Your authorized Aud i R8

dealer will g ladly provide you with more
information.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- T emperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the ti re side wa ll between tread shoulde r
and maximum section wid th ¢ page 193,
fig. 151 .
For example : Tread wear 200, Tract ion AA ,
Temperatu re A .
All passenger car tires must conform to Feder­
al Safety Requi rements in addition to these
grad es.
Tread we ar
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a spec ified
government test course .
For example, a t ire graded 150 would wear
one and one half (1 1/2) t imes as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100 .
The relat ive perform a nee of ti res depends
upon the actua l conditions of their use, how­
ever, and may depart sign ificantly from the
norm due to var iat ions in dr iv ing habits, serv­
i ce practices and differences in road character­
i stics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, B and
C. Those grades represent the
tire's abil ity to stop on wet pavement as
measured unde r controlled cond it ions on
spec ified gove rnment test su rfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire ma rked C may h ave po or
t ra ction perfo rm ance¢ &..
Temp erature
The temperature grades are A (the h ighest),
B, and C, repr ese nting the t ire's resistance to
the gene rat io n of heat and its ab ility to dissi-
Tire s an d wheel s 197
pate heat when tested under controlled condi ­
tions on a specified indoor laboratory test
whee l.
Sustaine d high temperature can cause the
mater ia l of the tire to degenerate and red uce
tire life, and excessive tempe rat ure ca n lead
to s udden tire failure ¢ &. .
T he gr ade C correspon ds to a level of pe rform ­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet u nder the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stand­
ard No . 109 . Grades Band A represent higher
l evels of performance on the laboratory test
whee l than the minimum requ ired by law.
A WARNING
The traction grade assigned to th is tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include accele rat ion,
cor neri ng, hy droplaning or peak t ra ction
ch aracte rist ics.
A WARNING
T he temperature grade for this tire is es­
tablishe d for a tire that is properly inf lated
and not overloaded . Excess ive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, e it h er
separately or in combinat ion, can ca use
heat bui ldup 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 w inter or "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread. T hese tires should
o nl y be used in pairs and be installed o n all
fou r wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
ti res that a re the same si ze and construction
type as the othe r ti res on you r vehicle.
If your vehicle is equipped w ith all-whee l
drive*, th is w ill improve traction during winter
driv ing, even with the s tanda rd tires . Howev-
er, we stro ngly recommend that you always ..,.
•
•

198 Tire s and wheel s
equip a ll four wheels on your vehicle with cor ­
rectly fitted winter tires or all-season tires,
when winter road conditions are expected .
This a lso improves the vehicle's braking per­
formance and reduces stopping distances.
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow.
W inter t ires (snow t ires) must always be fitted
on all four whee ls .
Compat ible tire pressure mo nitor ing sensors
must be installed on all fo ur winter tires for
the tire pressure monitoring system to func­
tion proper ly
i=;, poge 195 .
Ask your autho rized Aud i dea ler o r qualified
wo rkshop fo r permitted
winter tir e size s . Use
on ly radia l w inte r tires .
W inter t ires lose the ir effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of 0.157 inch
(4 mm) .
Only drive with wi nter tires under winter con­
d itions . Summer tires hand le better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °C).
Please always remembe r that w inte r tires may
have a lower speed rating than the t ires origi­
na lly installed on your veh icle at the t ime i t
was manufactured. Please see
r=;, page 194 ,
Speed roting (letter code) for a list ing of the
speed rating letter codes and the maximum
speed at which the tires can be driven.
The speed ra ting lette r code
(i=;, poge 185) is
on the s ide wall of the tire
i=;, poge 193.
A WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than your vehicle's max ­
im um speed . Always know the maxim um
speed before driving off. Never drive faster
than the speed permitted for your specific
w inte r tires . This will cause damage to the
tires leading to an accident and serious
personal in ju ry to you and yo ur passen­
gers.
A WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your veh icle
were designed can cause t ire failure in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation,
l oss of cont ro l, crashes and ser ious per­
sonal injuries. Have wo rn o r damaged ti res
r eplaced immedia tely.
- W inte r ti res have maxim um speed rating
tha t may be lower than your vehicle 's
maximum speed.
- Never drive fas ter than the speed for
which the win ter or othe r ti res installed
on yo ur vehicle are rated.
A WARNING ~
A lways ad just your driving to the road and
traffic condit ions. Never let the good ac­
celeration o f the winter tires and a ll-wheel
drive tempt yo u into taking extra risks. Al­
ways remember:
- When braking, an all-wheel drive veh icle
handles in the same way as a front drive
veh icle.
- Drive carefully 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 ieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumpt ion.
Snow chains
-
Snow cha ins may be fitted only to the rea r
whee ls, and o nly to certa in tire sizes . Ask your
autho rized Aud i dea le r o n whi ch t ire si zes
snow c hains ca n be used.
T he snow chains must have low-p rofile links
and must not be t hicker than 0 .53 inch
(13 .5 mm), in cl ud ing the lo ck.
Remove wheel center covers before putt ing
snow c ha ins on your vehicle
r=;, @ . For safety
reasons cover caps must then be f itted over