2013 AUDI S8 tire pressure

258 Tires and wheels
mean that less weight can be carried as
luggage.
The tire pressure label on your Audi also lists
the maximum combined weight of all of the
occupants and luggage or other cargo that
the vehicle can carry. For the location of the
label ¢
page 253, fig. 204.
.&_ WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more weight than your vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of the loss of vehicle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly, including a blowout
and sudden deflation, causing loss of
control and a crash.
- Always make sure that the total load be­
ing transported -including the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehi­
cle heavier than the vehicle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
Determining correct load limit
Use the example below to cal­
culate the total weight of the
passengers and luggage or oth­
er things that you plan to trans­
port so that you can make sure
that your vehicle will not be overloaded.
Steps for Determining
Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF QC­
CU PANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX LBS" on your ve­
hicle's placard (tire inflation
pressure label)¢
page 253,
fig. 204.
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas­sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and pas­
sengers from "XXX" kilo­
grams or "XXX" pounds
shown on the sticker
¢ page 253, fig. 204.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of car­go and luggage load capaci­
ty. For example, if the "XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs.
and there will be five 150 lbs. passengers in your vehi­
cle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load ca­
pacity is 650 lbs. (1400-7 50
(5
X 150) = 650 lbs.)
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo ..,

being load ed on th e ve hicle .
Th at w eight ma y no t safely
e xce ed the av ailabl e car go
a nd lug gag e lo ad ca pacity
c alcul ated in St ep 4 .
6. If y our vehicle will be t owing
a tr aile r, lo ad from your trail­
er will b e tr an sfe rred to yo ur
ve hicle. Con sult thi s m anu al
t o de te rmine ho w th is re­
d uce s th e av ailable car go
a nd lug gage loa d ca pacit y of
y o ur ve hi cle .
_,.. Check the tire sidewall
( c:> pag e 260 ~ fig. 208 ) to de­
t e rmin e the d esign ated lo ad
rating f or a sp ecifi c ti re.
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of
different things including proper installation
and balancing, correct tire pressure and driv­
ing style.
F ig . 2 06 Tire tread : tread wear ind icators (TWil
Tires and wheels 259
{ '"------
F ig. 207 Rotat ing tires for more eve n wea r
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The orig inal tires on your vehicle have
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear indicators"
9 fig. 206 r u nning across the tread. Depend­
ing on the ma ke, there will be six to e ight of
them evenly pla ced aro und the tire. Marks on
the tire sidewall (for e xamp le "T W I" or other
symbols) indicate the positions of the tread
wear indicators . Worn tires must be replaced .
D ifferent figures may apply in othe r countries
9 & .
Tire pres sure
Incor rect t ire press ure ca uses premature wear
and can cause sudde n tire blow-out . For this
reason, tire pressure must be checked at least
once a month
9 page 255.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy a ccele rat io n
and har d brak ing inc rease tire wear.
Rotating tires for more even w ear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the
s a me service life, we recommend that the
front and rear t ires are rota ted accord ing to
the tire m anufact urer's suggested tire ro ta ­
tion intervals . Please remember the follow ­
ing:
- Tire rotation in tervals may d iffer from the
veh icle service inte rva ls o utlined in your
Warranty & Main tenance booklet.
- The longer o ne tire i s used in one lo cation
on the vehi cle, the more it wears at cer tain
points ; therefore, we recommend t hat you
follow the tire manufact urer's suggested
tire rotation intervals .

@ Treadwear, traction and temperature grades
@ ·· Maximum permissible inflation pres­
. . sure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the
vehicle's design. The tires and r ims approved
by Aud i are specially matched to the charac­
ter istics of the vehicle and can make a major
contribution to good road ho ld ing and safe
handling when in good condition and properly
inflated ¢
&.
We recommend that all work on tires and
wheels be performed by an authorized Audi
dea ler. They a re familiar with recommended
procedu res and have the necessary spec ial
too ls and spare par ts as we ll as the prope r fa ­
cilities for disposing of the old tires.
Author ized Audi dealers have the necessary
informat ion about techn ica l requ irements for
installing or changing tires and r ims.
R eplacing t ires and whe els
Tires should be replaced at least in pairs and
not individua lly (for example both front tires
or both rear tires togethe r) .
Be sure to read and heed the information to
the t ire pressure monitoring system*
¢page 267 .
Always buy replacement 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 or iginal equipment or app roved
optional ti res listed in the table ¢
page 253.
Audi-approved specification tires are specially
matched to you r vehicle and its load lim its,
and can cont ribute to the important road ho ld­
i ng, d riving character istics, and safety of the
vehicle . The table(¢
page 253) lists spec ifica ­
tions of the tires approved for the A udi mod­
e ls covered by your Owner's Literature.
The ti re p ress ure label located on dr iver's side
B-pillar
(¢page 253, fig. 205) lists the speci­
fications of the original equipment tires in-
Tire s an d wheel s 261
stalled on your vehicle at the time it was man­
u factured.
Federa l law requ ires tire man ufactu rers to
place standardized info rmation on the side­
wall of all tires¢
fig. 208. This information
identifies and descr ibes the fundamenta l
characteristics, the q uality grade of the t ire
and also provides a t ire identification number
for safety standard certification and in case of
a reca ll.
Tir e s pecific ation s
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it eas­
ier to choose the correct tires . Radial tires
have the tire specifications marked on the
s idewall, for example:
2 55 /45 R 19 104 H
T his conta ins the following information:
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars
(where app licab le)
2 55 Nom inal tire w idth in mm of the t ire
from sidewall edge to sidewall edge . In
general, the larger the number, the wider
the tire
45 Height/w idth ratio in perce nt (aspect ra-
t io)
R Tire construct ion : Radial
19 Rim diameter code (in inches)
104 Load rating code
H Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF") Indicates
that the tire is a "Reinforced" or an "Extra Load" tire
M+S (or "M/S") Indicates that the tire has
some mud and snow capability
T he tires could also have the informa tion of
direction of rotat ion ¢
page 249.
Tire manufacturing date
The manufactu ring date is also indicated on
the tire sidewall (possibly on ly on the
inner
s ide of the whee l):
"DOT ... 2212 ... " means, for example, the t ire
was produced in the 22nd week of 2012 . ..,.
•
•

262 Tire s and wheels
Speed rating (letter code)
The speed rating letter code on the wheels in­
dicates the maximum pe rmissib le road speeds
¢ & in Winter tires on page 265 .
p up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
s up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
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)1l
w up to 168 mph (270 km/h)1l
y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)1l
Your vehicle is normally factory equipped with
tires, which possess excellent driving charac­
teristics and give your Audi optimum driving
comfort. An electronic speed limiter
<=> page 29 will normally prevent your vehicle
from go ing faster than the tire speed rating
<=> & .
U.S . DOT Tire Identification Numbe r (TIN)
and tire manufacture date
This is the t ire's "serial number". It begins
with the letters "DOT" and indicates that the
tire meets all federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant whe re it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers
represent the week and year of manufacture.
F or example, the numbers 2212 mean the tire
was produced in the 22nd week of 20 12. The
other numbers are marketing codes that may
or may not be used by the t ire manufacturer.
This information is used to contact consumers
if a tire defect requires a recall.
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
ll For tires wit h a max imum speed capab ility over 149
mph (240 km/h), tire man ufactur ers sometimes use
the letters "ZR."
safety and driving characterist ics when used
correct ly . Your authorized Audi dealer will
gladly provide you w ith more information.
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of plies indicates the number of
layers of rubber-coated fabric in the tire. In
genera l, the greater the number of plies, the
more weight a tire can support. Tire manufac ­
turers also must indicate the materials in the
tire, which include steel, nylon, polyester, and
others.
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the maximum load in
kilograms and pounds that can be carried by
the tire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear,
traction , and temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and temperat ure grades
<=> page 2 63.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
Th is number is the greatest amount of air
pressure that should ever be put in the tire
under normal driving conditions.
A WARNING
-Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
comb inat ions can lead to loss of control,
coll is ion and serious personal injury.
- Always use tires, rims and wheel bolts
that meet the specif ications of original
factory- installed tires or other combina­
tions that have been specifically ap­
proved by the vehicle manufacturer.
- T ires 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 with specia l care and at lower
speeds.

tread width expressed in percentage. Conven­
tional tires have a height/width ratio of 60 or
more .
The performan ce of low-aspe ct-ratio tires is
particularly sensitive to improper inflation
pressure . It is therefore important that low
aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified
pressure and that the inflation pressure is
regularly checked and maintained . Tire pres­
sures should be checked at least once a
month and always before a long trip
¢ page 2 55, Checking tire pressure .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
L ow aspect ratio tir es can be damaged more
eas ily by impact with potho les, curbs, gu llies
or r idges on the road, part icu larly if the tire is
under inflated.
In order to minimize the occurrence of impact
damage to the tir es of your veh icle, we recom­
mend that you observe the following precau­
tions :
- Always maintai n recommended inflation
pressures . Check your tire pressure every
2,000 miles (3,000 km) and add air if neces­
sary.
- Drive carefully on roads with potholes, deep
gullies or r idges. The impact from driving
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may a lso
ca use damage to your tires .
- After any impact, immediately inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest
autho rized Audi dealer. Replace a damaged
t ir e as soon as possible.
- Inspect yo ur tires every 2,000 miles (3,000
km) for damage and wear. Damage is not al­
ways easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of
air and underinflation, wh ich could eventu­
ally cause tire failure . If you be lieve that a
t ir e may have been damaged, replace the
t ir e as soon as poss ible .
- These tires may wear more quick ly than oth ­
ers .
- Please a lso remember that, while these tires
deliver respons ive handling, they may ride
Tires and wheels 267
less comfortably and make more noise than
other choices.
Reduced performance in winter/cold
season conditions
All tires are designed for certain purposes.
The low aspect ratio, ultra high performance
tires originally installed on your vehicle are in­
tended for maximum dry and wet road per­
formance and handling. They are not suitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather conditions .
If
you drive under those circumstances, you
shou ld equip your vehicle w ith all-season or
winter tires, which offer better t raction unde r
those conditions. We suggest you use the rec­
ommended snow or all- season tires specified
for your vehicle, or their equivalent.
Refer to~
page 264 for more detailed infor ­
mation regarding winter tires.
Tire pressure
monitoring system
ill General notes
Applies to veh icles: w ith t ire pressure monitoring syste m
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and in­
flated to the inflation pressure recommended
by the vehicle man ufacturer on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure labe l. (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size than the
s iz e in dicated on the vehicle placard or tire in­
flat ion pressure label, you should determine
the proper tir e inflation pressure for those
tires) .
As an added safety feature, your veh icle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) that illum inates a low tire
pressure telltale when one o r more of your
tires is s ignificantly under-inflated. According­
l y, when the low tire pressure telltale illumi­
nates, you shou ld stop and check you r 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 fa ilure. Under-inflation al-
so reduces fuel effic iency and tire tread life, ..,.
•
•

268 Tires and wheels
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 responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not
reached the level to trigger illumination of the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale .
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate when
the system is not operating properly. The
TPMS malfunction indicator is combined with
the low tire pressure telltale. When the sys­
tem detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximately one minute and then
remain continuously illuminated. This se­
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunction ex ists.
When the malfunct ion indicator is illuminat­
ed, the system may not be able to detect or
signal low tire pressure as intended . TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of rea­
sons, including the installation of replace­
ment or a lternate tires or whee ls 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 ensure that the re­ placement or alternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
Tire pressure indicator appears
App lies to vehicles: with 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. 209 Display: underinflation warning
Fig. 210 Disp lay: System malfunction
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni ­
toring system compares the tire tread cir cum­
ference and vibration character istics of the in ­
dividua l tires. If the pressure decreases in one
o r more t ires, this is ind icated in the instru­
ment cluster with a warning symbol
[«E and a
message ~
fig. 209.
The tire pressure monitoring system must be
reset via MMI each t ime the press ures are ad­
justed (e.g. when switching between partial
and full load pressure) or after changing or re­
placing a tire on your vehicle
c::> page 269. The
TPMS indicator only monitors the tire pres­
sure that you have previously stored. You can
find the recommended tire pressures for your
vehicle on the label on driver's side 8-pillar
c::> page 2 53.
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac­
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too
low,
- the tire has structural damage ,
- the tire pressure was changed, wheels rotat-
ed or replaced but the TPMS was not reset
c::> page269.
Warning symbols
[tE Loss of pressure in at least one tire c::> ,1,. .
Check the tire or tires and replace or repair if
necessary. The indicator light
[tE in the instru­
ment cluster also illuminates
c::> page 11.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS via MMI.
119;~, < T ire Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
pressure! System malfunction .
IJJ,-

If llil~, appears after switching the ignition
on or whi le driving
¢ fig. 210 and the indica­
tor light
ltJ in the instrument cluster blinks
for approximate ly one minute and then stays
on, there is a system malfunction .
Attempt to store the correct tire pressure
¢
page 269. If the indicator light does not
turn off or if it turns on short ly thereafter, im­
mediately drive your vehicle to an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized repair facility to have the malfunction corrected .
A WARNING
-If the t ire pressure indicator appears in
the instrument cluster d isplay, one or
more of you r tires is s ignificantly under­
inflated. Reduce your speed immediately
and avoid any hard steering or braking
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and
check the t ires and the ir pressures. In­
flate the tire pressure to the proper pres­
sure as indicated on the vehicle's tire pressure label ¢
page 253. Driving on a
significantly under -inflated tire causes
the tire to overheat and can lead to tire
failure. Under-inflation also is likely to
impair the vehicle 's handling and stop­
ping ability.
- T he driver is responsible for ma inta ining
the corre ct tire pressures. You m ust
check the t ire pressures regularly .
- Under certain cond itions (such as a spor­
ty driving style, w inter condit ions or un­
paved roads) , the pressure monitor indi­
cator may be de layed .
- Ask your author ized Audi dealer if run ­
flat tires may be used on your vehicle.
Your vehicle regist rat ion becomes invalid
if you use these tires when not permit­
ted. Damage to your veh icle or acc idents
cou ld also resu lt.
(D Tips
- The tire pressure monitoring system
stops working when there is an ESC/ABS
malfunction.
Tire s an d wheel s 269
- Us ing snow chains may res ult in a system
ma lfunction.
- T he tire pressure mon itor ing system on
your Audi was deve loped using tires with
the "AO" or "RO" identification on the
t ire s idewall
c:> page 260. We recom­
mend us ing these tires.
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
App lies to vehicles: wit h tire press ure mo nitor ing system
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels are ro­
tated or changed, the TPMS must be reset via
MMI.
.,. Switch on the ignition.
.,. Select in the MMI: ICAR lfunction button>
Ca r sy stems control button > Servicing &
checks > Tire pressure monitor ing > Store
t ire pr essur es> Yes, store now .
(D Tips
Do not store the tire pressure if there are
snow cha ins on the tire .
•
•

272 What do I do n ow ?
Space-saving spare tire (compact spare
tire)*
Applies to vehicles: with space-sav ing spare tire
The spare tire/wheel is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover. It
is intended for short-term use only.
Fig . 215 Spare t ire
Tak ing out th e spar e tir e
• Lift the cargo floor by the plastic handle
¢fig. 215 .
• Hook the handle into the luggage compart­
ment weather strip.
• Turn the large screw¢
fig. 215 counter­
clockwise.
• Take out the spare tire .
• Always store the vehicle too l kit, the jack*
and the repla ced ti re in the l uggage com­
partment ~
page 140.
• Unhook the cargo floor before clos ing the
rear lid.
Using the spare tire (compact spare tir e)
The compact spare tire is on ly intended for
emergenc ies until you can reach a repair shop.
Replace it as quickly as poss ible with a stand­
ard wheel and tire.
There are some restrictions on the use of the compact spare tire. The compact spare t ire
has been des igned specifically for your type of
vehicle.
It must not be swapped with a com­
pact spare tire from another type of vehicle .
Snow chains
Fo r technical reasons, the use of snow chains
on the compa ct spare tire is
not p ermi tte d .
If you do have to dr ive with snow cha ins and a
front tire fails, mount the spare whee l w ith tire instead of a
rear tire . Install the snow
chains on the rear tire and use it to replace
the defect ive front tire.
A WARNING
=
- Never use the spare tire if it is damaged
or if it is worn down to the tread wear in­
d icators.
- If the spare tire is more than 6 years old,
use it only in an emergency and with ex­
treme caution and careful driv ing.
- The spare tire is intended only for tem­
porary and short-term use . It should be
replaced as soon as poss ible with the
normal whee l and tire .
-After mounting the compact spare tire, the t ire pressure must be checked as
soon as possible. The tire pressure of the
compact spare t ire must be 4.2 bar; oth­
e rwise, you risk having an acc iden t.
- Do not drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/
h). Yo u ris k having an accident .
- Avoid full-thrott le acceleration, heavy
b rak ing, and fast corne ring. You risk hav­
i n g an accident.
- Neve r drive using more than one spa re
wheel and ti re. You r isk having an acci­
dent.
- Normal summer or win ter t ires must not
be mounted on the compact spare wheel
rim.
- For technical reasons, the use of tire
chains on the spare tire is not permit ted .
If it is necessary to drive with t ire chains,
the spare wheel must be mounted on the
front ax le in the event of a flat in a rear
tire. The new ly available front wheel
must then be installed in place of the
rear whee l with the flat tire . Installing
the t ire chain before mounting the whee l
and tire is recommended .
- Loose items in the passenger compart­ ment can cause se rious personal injury
during hard braking or in an accident. Never store the inflatable spare tire or
jack and tools in the passenger compart­
ment.