2014 AUDI R8 SPYDER flat tire

A WARNING
-Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can lead to a serious or fatal acci­
dent .
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation cause increased tire wear and can
affect the handling of the vehicle.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can also lead to sudden tire fa il­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
flation, causing loss of vehicle control.
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires original ­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressure label located on driver's side 8-pil­ lar.
The recommended t ire pressures are on the
tire pressure labe l and in the tab le
¢ page 193, Cold tire inflation pressure . This
means that the pressure must be checked and
ad justed when the tire has not been driven for
more than a couple of m iles (kilometers) at
low speeds during the previous three hours.
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
as a result of internal fr iction as it flexes in
use. The tire pressure is higher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold".
It is the inflation pressure in a "cold" tire that
counts. Therefore, you should never let air out
of a warm t ire to match "Cold tire inflation
pressure" recommendations
¢ page 193. The
tires would then be under inflated and could
fa il suddenly.
The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the recommended cold t ire inflat ion pressures for
the new, or iginal equipment tires that were
on you r vehicle at the t ime it was manufac­
tured. For the location of the label
¢page 193, fig. 149.
Most tires lose a ir naturally over time. They
can also lose some a ir if you dr ive over a pot­
h ole o r hi t a curb while pa rking. It is usua lly
not possib le to see whether the radia l tires
Tire s an d wheel s 195
used today are underinflated just by looking
at them .
T he refore, be su re to check t ire p ress ures at
least once a month and a lways befo re going
on a long trip . Make s ure to take the number
of peop le and the amount of luggage into ac­
count when adjusting tire pressure for a trip -
even one that yo u wou ld not consider to be
"long". See
¢ page 196, Tires and vehicle
load limits
for more important information .
A lways use an accurate tire pressure gauge
when checking and adjusting inflation pres­
sures. Check all of the tires. If the pressure in
any tire is too high when the tire is "cold", let
a ir out of the tire slowly with the edge of the
tire gauge and keep checking the pressure un­
ti l you reach the pressure that is co rrect fo r
the load (passenge rs and luggage) and kind of
driv ing you plan to do .
If the pressure in any tire is too low, note the
difference between the p ressure in the cold
t ir e and the pressure you need and add the air
that you need to reach the correct pressure for
the vehicle load (passengers and luggage) for
the tires on your vehicle as listed on the on
your vehicle and in this man ua l and the kind
of driving you plan to do .
Never e xceed the m ax imum infl ation pre s­
sure listed on the tire side wall f or an y re a­
s on .
Remember that the vehicle manufacturer, not
the tire manufact urer, determines the cor rect
tire p ress ure for the tires on your ve hicle .
I t i s important to check the t ire press ure when
the tires are co ld .
- Read the required tire pressure from the t ire
p ressure labe l located on drive r's side B-pil­
lar.
- Tu rn the va lve stem cap counter-clockw ise
to remove it from the t ire va lve.
- Place the a ir p ressure gauge on the va lve .
- The tire pressures should only be checked and ad justed when the tires are cold . The
slightly raised pressures of warm tires must
no t be reduced. .,. •
•

196 Tire s and wheel s
-Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying.
- Reinsta ll the va lve stem cap on the valve .
When should I check the tire 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 starting a journey.
When should I adjust th e tir e pre ss ures ?
Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carry ing . After changing a wheel
o r replacing
wheels you have to adjust the tire pressures
on all wheels. In addition , you must then init i­
alize the new tire pressures in the tire p res ­
sure mon itoring system ¢
page 206.
& WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinf la­
tion can lead sudden tire failure, loss of
contro l, collision, serious personal injury
or even death.
- When the warning symbo l
(11 appears in
the instrument cluster, stop and inspect
the tires .
- Incorrect tire pressure and/or underinfla­
tion can cause increased tire wear and
can affect the handling of the veh icle and
stopp ing ability .
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can also lead to sudden tire fa il­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
flation, causing loss of vehicle control.
- The driver is responsible for the cor rect
t ire pressures for all tires on the vehicle .
T he applicable p ressu re values are locat­
ed on a stic ker on the d rive r's side 8 -pil ­
lar .
- Only when all t ires on the vehicle a re fi l­
led to the correct pressure, the tire p res­
sure monitoring system can work cor­
rect ly .
- The use of incorrect tire pressure values
can lead to accidents or other damage.
T herefore it is essential that the driver
observe the specified tire pressure va lues
for the tires and the correct press ures for the function of the ti re p
ress ure monitor­
ing system.
- Always inflate tires to the recommended
and correct t ire pressure before dr iv ing
off.
- Driving with underinflated tires bend
more, letting them get too hot resulting
in tread separation, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
- Excessive speed and/overloading can
cause heat build-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 ressure and add
ai r as req uired .
@ Note
Driving w ithout valve stem caps can cause
damage to the tire valves. To prevent this ,
always make sure that factory insta lled
valve stem caps o n all whee ls are se curely
moun ted on the valve.
@ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires w ill also increase the
fuel consumption.
Tires and vehicle load limits
T he re a re limits to the amount of load or
weight that any vehicle and any tire can carry.
A vehicle that is overloaded will not handle
well and is more d ifficu lt to stop . Overloading
can not only lead to lo ss of vehicle control,
but can also damage impor tant parts of the
vehicle and ca n lead to sudden tire fa ilure, in­
clud ing a blowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the vehicle to cras h.
Your safety and that of your passengers also depends on making sure that load limits a re
not exceeded . Vehicle load i ncludes eve rybody
and everything in and on the veh icle . These .,..

load limits are technically referred to as the
vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic
vehicle, all factory installed accessories, a full
tank of fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids plus
maximum load. The maximum load includes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is intended to carry ("seating capacity") with an
assumed weight of 150 lbs. (68 kg) for each
passenger at a designated seating position
and the total weight of any luggage in the ve­
hicle.
T he
Gross Axle Weight Rating (" GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each
of the vehicle's two axles .
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance sticker label located on the
driver 's side B-pillar . Your Audi has 2 seating
positions. Each seating position has a safety
belt ¢
page 103, Safety belts.
The fact that there is an upper limit to your
vehicle 's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the total weight of whatever is being car­
ried in the vehicle is limited. The more passen­
gers in the vehicle or passengers who are
heavier than the standard weights assumed
mean that less weight can be carried as lug­
gage.
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 193, fig. 149 .
A 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.
Tires and wheels 197
- 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 .
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 OC­
CUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX LBS"on your vehi­
cle's placard (tire inflation pressure label)
¢ page 193,
fig. 149.
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 pas­sengers from
"XXX" kilo-
grams or
"XXX" pounds .,.
•
•

and tires. A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
I nco rrect whee l alignment can cause exces­
sive tire wea r, impair ing t he safety of the vehi­
cle. If tires show excess ive wear, have the
wheel alignment checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
All-wheel d rive
Only the wheel/tire sizes specified by the
manufacturer may be used on vehicles wi th
all-wheel drive. For details see
<:!) page 149.
A WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of con­
tro l, a crash and serious persona l injury!
- Never drive a veh icle when the tread on
any t ire 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 risk of"hydrop lan ing" and loss of
co ntrol.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause
tire damage, such as grease, oil, gasoline
and brake fl uid away from t ires.
- 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 with special care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
you are 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.
Tires and wheels 199
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels hove to be broken in .
Fig. 152 Tir e spec ificat io n codes on t he s idewall o f a
tire
No. De scription
CD Passenger car tire (where applicable)
@ Nomina l width of t ire in mill imeters
® Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
© Rad ia l
® Rim diameter code
® Load index and speed rating
(f) U.S. DOT tire identification number
® Aud i O rigina l tire
® Sever snow conditions
@ Tire p ly composi tion and mater ials used
@ Maximum load rating
@ T readwear, tracti on and temperature
grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pres-
sure
The tires and rims are essentia l parts of the
vehicle 's design . The t ires and rims app roved
by A udi are spec ially matched to the charac­
teristics of the vehicle and can ma ke a major
contr ibu tion to good road holding and safe .,.
•

200 Tires and wheels
handling when in good condition and properly
inflated
¢ .&. .
We recommend that all work on tires and
wheels be perfo rmed by an authorized A udi
dealer. They are familiar with recommended
procedures and have the necessary special
tools and spare parts as well as the proper fa­
cilities for disposing of the old tires .
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary information about technica l requirements for
installing or changing tires and r ims.
Replacing tires and wheels
Tires should be rep laced at least in pairs and
not individually (for example both front tires
or both rear tires together).
Be sure to read and heed the information to
the tire pressure monitoring system
¢ page 201.
A lways buy rep lacement radial tires that have
the same specifications as the tires approved
fo r your vehicle by Audi. Replacement tires
must always have the same load rating speci­
fication as the original equipment or approved
optional tires listed in the table ¢page 193.
Aud i-approved specification tires are specially
matched to your vehicle and its load limits,
and can contribute to the important road hold­
ing, driving characteristics, and safety of the
vehicle. The table (q page 193) lists specifica­
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 193, fig. 150) 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 tire manufacturers to
place standardized information on the s ide­
wall of all tires q fig. 152. This information
identifies and describes the fundamental
characterist ics, the quality grade of the tire
and also provides a tire ident ificat ion number
fo r safety standard certificat ion and in case of
a recall.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it eas­
ier to choose the correct tires. Radial tires
have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewa ll, for examp le:
P235 / 35 R 19 91 Y
This conta ins the following information :
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars
235 Nominal 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/w idt h ratio in percent (aspect ra-
t io)
R Tire construct ion: Radial
19 Rim diameter code (in inches)
91 Load rating code
Y Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF") indicates
t h at the t ire is a"Reinforced" or an "Extra
Load " tire
M+S (or "M/5") Indicates that the ti re has
some mud and snow capability
The tires could also have the information of
direction of rotat ion q page 189.
Tire manufacturing date
The manufact uring date is also indicated on
the tire sidewall (possibly only on the inner
s ide of the wheel):
"DOT ... 2213 ... "means, for examp le, that
the tire was produced in the 22nd week of
2013.
Speed rating (letter code)
The speed rating letter code on the whee ls in­
dicates the maximum permissible road speeds
q
.&. in Winter tires on page 204 .
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)1
)
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)1)
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)1l
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)1
)
Your veh icle is norma lly factory equipped with
t ires, which posses s excellen t driving charac­
ter istics and give your Audi opt imum driving
comfort
~ Ii':,. .
U.S . DOT T ire Identific ation Numbe r (TIN)
a nd tire manufacture d ate
T his 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 lette rs indicate the p lant whe re it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufacture.
F or example, the numbers 2213 mean that
the tire was produced in the 22nd week of
2013. The other numbers are marketing co­
des that may or may not be used by the t ire
manufac turer. This information is used to con­
tact consume rs if a tire defect requires a re ­
call.
Audi Origin al tire
T ires with the identification "AO" or "RO" have
been spec ially matched with your Aud i. We
recommend using only these tires because
they meet the highest standards regard ing
safety and driving character istics when used
correctly . Your authorized Aud i dealer will
g lad ly provide you with more information .
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of plies ind icates the number of
layers of rubber -coated fabric in the t ire. In
general, the greater the numbe r of p lies, the
mo re weight a tire can support. Tire manufa c­
turers a lso must i ndicate the materials in the
tire, wh ic h include steel, nylon, polyes ter, and
others.
ll Fo r tires wit h a m ax im um s pee d ca pabil ity over 149
mph (2 4 0 k m/h) , tire ma nufa cturers some times use
t h e le tters " ZR."
Tire s an d wheel s 201
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the maximum load in
k ilograms and pounds that can be ca rr ied by
the tire .
Tire quality grading for treadwear ,
tract ion, and temp erature resistance
Tread wear, t raction and tempe ra tu re grades
¢page 203 .
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest amount of a ir
pressure that should ever be put in the tire
u nder norma l dr iv ing cond itions .
Replacing tires or rims on vehicles
equipped with tire pressure monitoring
s ystem
The wheels on yo ur vehicle are equipped with
a sensor which constantly monitors the air
pressure inside the tire, and then transm its
th is information to the tire pressure monitor­
ing system. If you are going to repl ace the
whee l rims on your veh icle, make s ure the new
rims also have these sensors . The sensors
mus t be compatib le wit h the t ire pressure
monitori ng system on you r vehicle.
If you install rims, w hich do not have the sen ­
sors, or have senso rs which are not compat i­
ble, then the t ire p ressure monitoring system
will not wor k prope rly. In t his case, t he tire
pressure monitoring system wou ld not be
able to moni tor the tire pressure or warn you
if it is necessary .
- The battery inside of the tire pressure sen ­
sor has a limited serv ice life.
- Always dr ive with the va lve stem caps se­
curely mounted . We recommend using fac­
t o ry installed valve stem caps. Ask yo ur au­
thorized A udi dealer to rep lace lost valve
stem caps .
T he installat ion of repl acemen t tires with
stee l co rd body p lies in the ti re sidewall may .,..
•
•

202 Tire s and whee ls
cause ma lfunction of the tire pressure moni­
toring system, and is not recommended (cord
materia l information in molded on the tire
sidewall).
A lways check your tire pressure monitoring
system indicator after replacing one or more
tires on your vehicle . If the tire pressure mon i­
toring system indicator flashes, or is on, your
system is not working properly.
A WARNING
-Us ing incorrect or unmatched tires and/
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
combinations can lead to loss of cont rol,
co llision and serious persona l injury.
- Always use tires, rims and wheel bo lts
that meet the specifications of orig inal
factory-installed t ires or other combina­
t ions that have been specifically ap­
proved by the vehicle manufac turer .
- T ires age even if they are not be ing used
and can fail suddenly, especially 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 yo ur vehicle if
you are 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 sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- Only the wheel/tire s izes specified by the
manufacturer may be used on veh icles
with all-wheel dr ive.
- Never drive faster than the maximum
speed for which the tires on your veh icle
are rated because ti res that are driven
fas ter than their rated speed can fail
sudden ly.
- Overloading t ires cause heat build-up,
sudden tire failure, incl uding a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of control.
- Temperature grades app ly to tires that
are prope rly inflated and not over or un­
derinflated. -
For technica l reasons it is not always
possible to use wheels from other
vehicles -in some cases not even wheels
from the same veh icle model.
- Do not use run-flat tires on your vehicle.
Using run-flat tires can lead to veh icle
damage or crashes .
(D Note
-For technical reasons, it is not generally
possible to use the wheel rims from oth­
er veh icles . 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
tire pressure monitoring system. Other­
w ise the system will register a malfunc­
tion and a fau lt 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 valves or tire pressure
monitoring system sensors.
- Never 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
Dispose of o ld tires in accordance with the
l ocal requirements .
(D Tips
Tires with the identification "ROl'' have
been specially matched wi th you r A udi. We
recommend using on ly these tires because
they meet the highest standards regarding
safety and driving characteristics when used correctly. Your authorized Audi R8
dealer w ill gladly provide you with more
i nformat ion.

Uniform tire quality grading
- T read wear
- T raction AA A BC
- Temperature ABC
Qua lity grades can be found where applicable
on the tire side wa ll between tread shoulder
and maximum sect ion width
c::> page 199,
fig . 152.
Fo r exa mpl e: Tread wear 200 , Traction AA,
Temperature A.
All passenge r car tires must confo rm to Feder ­
a l Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades .
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 speci fied
government test course .
F or example, a t ire graded 150 wou ld wear
one and one half (1 1/2) t imes as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100 .
The rela tive pe rfo rmance of tires depends
upon the a ctua l conditions of their use, how­
ever, and may depart sign ifican tly 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,
a re AA, A, Band
C. T hose grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance
c::> &. .
Temp erature
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and C, representing the tire's resistance to
the generat ion of heat and its ability to dissi­
pate heat when tested under controlled condi­
tions on a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel.
Tire s an d wheel s 203
Sustained high temperature can cause the
materia l of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperat ure can lead
to sudden tire failure
c::> &, .
The grade C corresponds 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 levels of performance on the laboratory test
whee l than the minimum required by law.
A WARNING
The t raction grade assigned to th is tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include accele rat ion,
cornering, hydroplaning or peak t raction
characterist ics.
A WARNING ~
The temperature g rade for this tire is es-
tablished for a tire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded . Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, e ither
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. These tires should
o nly be used in pairs and be installed on all
fou r wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
t ir es that a re t he same s ize and construction
type as the othe r ti res on you r vehicle.
If your vehicle is equipped w it h all -wheel
drive*, th is w ill imp rove traction during w inter
driv ing , even with the standa rd tires . Howev­
er, we strongly recommend that you always
equip all four whee ls o n your ve hicle w ith cor­
rect ly fitted winter tires o r all-season t i res,
when winter road conditions are expected .
ll-
•
•