2014 AUDI R8 SPYDER tires

154 Driving and en vironm ent
• Never put too much motor oil in your engine
¢ page 180, Adding engine oil • Never try to push -or tow-start your veh icle.
The cata lytic converter is an efficient "clean ­
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle. The catalytic converter burns
many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas be­
fore they are released into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fue l is critically
important for the life of the cata lytic convert­
er and proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
- Do not park or operate the veh icle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fuel sp ill or other material which can
cause a fi re.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
man ifold, exhaust p ipes, catalytic con­
verte r o r heat shie lds . D uring d riving, the
substance used for undercoating cou ld
overheat and cause a fire.
([) Note
- Be aware that just one tank f illing with
le aded fuel will already seriously de­
grade the performance of the catalytic
converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil leve l
¢page 180 .
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The eng ine could mis­
fire. Unburned f uel could a lso get into
the exhaust system and this could cause
the catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not turn
off the ignition while the ve­
hicle is moving .
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle
under these conditions, as otherwise fuel
can reach the catalytic converter. This
could result in overheat ing of the con­
verter, requ iring its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­ sion Control System: -
Have your vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendat ions in yo ur Warranty
&
Maintenance book let.
- Lack of proper maintenance as we ll as
improper use of the vehicle will impair
the function of the emission contro l
system and could lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the env ironment
Even when the Emission Control System is
operating proper ly, the exhaust gas can
have a sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under
some operat ing states . This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used .
Using a different brand of fue l may help,
or fil ling the tank with lead-free super
grade gasoline.
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like your vehicle to remain inop­
erative for a longer per iod of t ime, contact an
Audi or othe r specialized dealer. They can ad­
vise you on necessary precautions e.g . corro­
sion prevention, maintenance and storage.
Pay attention to additional informat ion con­
cerning the battery. Refer to<=>
page 184.
Operation and
maintenance
Fuel economy, env ironmental impact, and
wear on your eng ine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three facto rs:
-your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitat ions
By having your veh icle regu larly se rviced by an
authorized Audi dea ler helps to ensure that it
runs properly and economica lly. The condition
of your vehicle not only affects its safety and ability to hold its va lue, it also affects
fu el
cons umpt ion.
The amount of oi l used is re lated to engine
l oad and speed.

Hand washing
When washing your veh icle by hand, fi rst soft ­
en the dirt with copious amounts of water and rinse it
off as b est you can.
Then clean the veh icle using a soft
s ponge , an
auto gl ove or a low -press ure wa sh bru sh .
Work from the top down -sta rting with the
roof . Use a
s h ampoo only for very stubborn
dirt.
Rinse the sponge or auto glove thorough ly at
fr equent intervals.
C lea n the wheels, doo r sill s and simi lar a reas
last . Use a separate sponge fo r th is.
_&. WARNING
- Car washes with conveyors can damage
the vehicle tires , which could cause the
ti re to lose pressure sudden ly while driv­
ing and put you at risk for an accident.
Do not use car washes with conveyors.
- Switch
off the ignit ion when you wash
yo ur vehicle to avo id an accident.
- Protect yo ur hands and arms from sharp
metal edges when you clean the under­
body, the ins ide of the whee l wells or the
wheel covers to avoid cutting yourself .
- When washing your vehicle in the winter:
Moist ure and ice in the brake system can
affect the brakes.
- Never wash tires with a jet that sprays
water in a direct stream . T hi s 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 wea kened tires can fail
and cause a ccidents and pe rsonal inj ury.
0 Note
- Never dr ive your veh icle through any au ­
tomatic car wash that fails to p rov ide e i­
the r suff icient clearance for your veh icle
or sufficient tra ck wid th fo r your tires .
Ris k of expensive damage to the veh icle's
u nderbody, tires, and rims!
- As descr ibed in you r Warra nty
& M ainte­
nance booklet , damage or malf unct ion
Cleaning and protec tion 157
due to m isuse o f the vehicle or fai lure to
operate the vehicle in acco rdance with
the inst ruct ions of th is Owner's Manua l
wi ll not be covered under warranty.
- Fold the exte rior mirrors flat -there is a
r isk of damag ing the exterior m irrors .
Power folding exterior mirrors must not
be folded in or out by hand . Use the pow­
er function!
- Do not wash the vehicle in d irect sun­
light . You may damage the paint.
- Do not use sponges designed to remove
insects, rough k itchen sponges , or s imi­
lar products . You risk damag ing the
pai nt s urface.
- Do not wash the vehicle using cleani ng
products that contain alcohol when the
e ng ine is ho t. This increases the risk of
damage to plast ic components, such as
c rack ing .
- You should remove deb ris (such as in­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regu lar bas is, for example when re fuel ­
ing your vehicle. Never clean the head­
lights with a dry cloth or sponge. Use a
wet cloth o r sponge . It is best to use
soapy water.
- Never clean t ires using a nozz le that
sprays water in a direct stream. Damage
can occur even with a relatively long
spraying distance and for a very short
t ime.
- To avoid damaging your veh icle, always
make sure that there is sufficient dis­
tance between the spray head and soft
materials like rubbe r hoses, plast ic parts
and sound-deadening materials. Never
aim the spray head a t the same point for
a long time. This also app lies to cleani ng
head lights and pa inted b umpers . Re ­
member : the closer the nozz le is to the
surface of the material, the greater the
stress on the materia l.
@ For the sake of the environment
Wash yo ur vehicle on ly at spec ia lly de­
signed facilities . They can prevent any dirty
water contaminated by oil from entering
Iii>-
•
•

Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle .
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle . Tires are,
however, one of the most important parts of a
vehicle, particularly considering the compara­
tively small patch of rubber on each tire that
assures that a ll- important contact between
you, your vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, mak ing
sure that your vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry mo re weight than they can safely han­
d le, avoiding damage from road hazards and
r eg ularly inspect ing t ires for damage i nclud­
ing cuts, slashes irregu la r wear and ove rall
condition are the most important things that
you can do to he lp avoid sudden tire failure in­
cluding tread separat ion and blowouts.
A voidin g damage
If you have to d rive over a curb or similar ob­
stacle, drive very slow ly and as close as possi ­
b le at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chemicals includ ing grease, o il ,
gasoline and brake fluid off the t ires .
I nspect the t ires regularly for damage (cuts,
cracks or b listers, etc.). Remove any fo reign
bod ies embedde d in the treads.
Storing tires Mark tires when you remove them to indicate
the direction of rotation . T his ensures you to
be ab le to mount them correctly when you re­
i nstall them .
When removed, the wheels or t ires should be
sto red in a cool, d ry and preferably dark place .
Store tires in a vertical pos ition if they are not
mounted on rims, in a horizontal pos it ion if
they are mounted on rims .
Tires an d wheel s 189
New tires
New ti res have to be broken in¢& .
The tread depth of new t ires may vary, accord­
ing to the type a nd make of t ire and the tread
patte rn.
H idden damage
Damage to tires and r ims is ofte n not readily
visible . If you notice unusual v ib rat ion or the
vehicle pulls to one s ide, th is may ind icate
that one of the t ires has been damaged . T he
ti res m ust be chec ked immed iate ly by an au­
thorized Audi dea le r or q ua lified wor kshop .
Unidirectional tires
A un idirectional tire can be identified by ar­
rows on the sidewa ll, that po int in the direc­
tion the t ire is designed to rotate. You mus t
f ol low the specified di rection o f rotation . T his
is necessary so that these tires can develop
their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road noise, wear and hydrop laning resistance.
For more information
¢ page 214.
A WARNING
New tires or t ires that are o ld, worn or
damaged cannot provide maximum con­
trol and braking ability .
-
-New tires tend to be slippery and must
be broken in. To reduce the r isk of losing
control, a co llision and ser ious personal
in ju ries, d rive with special ca re for the
fi rst 350 m iles ( 560 km).
- Driving with worn or damaged tires can
lead to loss of control, sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
fl ation, cras hes and se riou s personal in­
juries . Have worn or damaged t ires re­
placed immediate ly.
- Ti res age even if they are not being used
and can fai l sudden ly, especially at hig h
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith special care and at low
speed.
•
•

190 Tire s and wheel s
-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
yo u 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 t ire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when driving, al­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and check the wheels and tires for dam­
age.
(D Note
Please note that summer and winter tires
are designed for the cond itions that are
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the comb ined we ight (in excess of
those standard items which may be rep laced)
of au toma tic tra nsmission, power steer ing,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that these
items are availab le as factory -installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not) .
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the he ight to the w idth of
the tire in percent . Numbers of 55 or lower in­
dicate a low sidewall for improved steering re­
sponse and better overall handling on dry pavement .
Bead
means the part of the ti re that is made of
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead s eparation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the
tire . typ
ica l in those seasons . Audi recommends
using winter tires during the winter
months . Low temperatures signif icant ly
decrease the e lasticity of summer tires,
which affects tract ion and brak ing ability.
If summer tires are used in very co ld tem­
peratures, cracks ca n form on the tread
bars, res ulting in permanent tire damage
that can cause loud driving no ise and un­
balan ced t ires. Audi is not responsible for
th is type of damage .
Cold tire inflation pre ssure
means the t ire p ressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer fo r a tire of a des ignated
s ize that has not bee n driven for more than a
coup le of miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire pressure
is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
means the we ight of a motor ve hicle w ith
standard equipment including the max imum
capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi ­
tioning and additional weight of optiona l
equipment.
E x tra load tire
means a t ire designed to ope rate a t higher
loads and at highe r inflation p ressu res than
the corresponding standard tire. Extra load
tires my be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA
LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Gross A xle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
means the load -carry ing capacity of a s ingle
axle system , measured at the tire-ground in­
terfaces.
Gr oss Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR ")
means the maximum total loaded we ight of
t h e vehi cle. .,.

Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs.
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry for a g iven inflation pressure. You
may not find this information on all tires be­
cause it is no t req uired by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a t ire at the max i­
mum permissible inflation pressure for that
tire.
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 pressure."
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 diamete r of an inflated new
tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri­
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ ­
in g elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated parallel cords.
Tires and wheels 191
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those installed
regular production options we ighing 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, ride levelers, heavy duty
battery, and special trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in wh ich the ply cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan­
tia lly 90 degrees to the center line of the
tread .
Recommended inflation pressure
see ¢ page 190, 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
tires my be identified as "XL", "xl", "E XTRA
LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a tire 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 will have to
purchase new tires to match the new rim di­
ameter.
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width .
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges .
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
tread and bead. •
•

192 Tires and wheels
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at wh ic h a tir e is des igned to
be d riven for extended per io d s of t ime. The
ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h)
¢ page 200 . You may
not find this in format ion on all tires because
it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, w here a pplica­
b le, is molded on the tire s idewa ll and indi­
cates the maxim um permissible road speeds
¢ &. in Winter tires on page 204.
Tire pressure monitoring system
means a sys tem that detects whe n one or
mo re of a vehicle's t ires a re under inflated and
il lum inates a low t ire p ress ure warn ing te ll­
tale.
Tread
means t hat port ion of a tire tha t comes into
con tact w it h t he road.
Tread separation
means pull ing away of the t read from the t ire
car cass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means t he p rojections withi n the pr inc ipal
g rooves desig ned to give a v isua l ind ication of
the deg rees of wear of the tre ad . See
¢pag e 198, Tread W ear Indicator (TWI) for
mo re inf ormat io n on measu ring tire we ar.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a ti re i nfo rmation system developed by the
United States Nat io nal Highway Traffic Safety
Admi nistration (N HTSA) that is designed to
h e lp buye rs m ake re lative compa risons among
tires. The UT QG i s n ot a safety r ating an d no t a
g ua ran tee t hat a tir e will las t fo r a presc ribed
n umber of m iles or per form i n a certa in way .
It sim ply g ives tire buyers a dditio na l info rma­
tion to combine w ith other considerations, s
u ch as pr ice, brand loyalty a nd dealer recom ­
me ndations. Under U TQG, tires are gra ded by
t h e tire man ufact urers in three areas : tread­
wear, traction and temperature resistance .
The UTQG informat io n on the tires, m olded in ­
to the sidewalls .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN )
This is the tire's "se ria l numbe r" It begins
with the letters "DOT" and ind icates that the
t ir e meets all federa l standards. The next two
numbers or letters ind icate the plant where it
was ma nufactu red, and the last four numbe rs
r eprese nt the week and year of ma nufact ure.
Fo r exampl e,
DOT ... 2213 ...
means that the tire was produced in t he 22nd
wee k of 2013. The ot her numbers are market­
ing codes that may or may not be used by the
t ire manufacturer . This information is used to
contact consumers i f a tire defect requires a
r ecall .
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and luggage load p lus
150 lbs. (68 k ilograms) times the vehicle's to­
ta l seating capacity as listed on the label lo­
cated on the driver's side B-pilla r.
Vehicle maximum lo ad on the tire
means that load on an individua l tire that is
determined by distrib uting to eac h axle its
share of the maxim um loaded vehicle weight
and divid ing by two .
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individua l t ir e that is
determined by distrib uting to eac h ax le its
share of the curb weight, accessory weight,
and normal occ upant weig ht (d istr ibuted in
accorda nce wit h tab le below¢
page 193)
and divid ing by two .

Tires and wheels 193
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seating
capacities
Designated seating capacity, Vehicle normal load, Normally loaded vehicle,
occupant distribution
number of occupants number of occupants
2 2 2 in front
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
Fig. 149 Tir e pressure label: located on driver 's s ide B·
pillar
Tire pressure generally refers to the amount
of air in a tire that it needs it to do its job and
safely carry the combined load of the entire
vehicle and its contents . Tire pressure is
measured in kilopasca ls (kPa), the interna­
tional measuring unit and in pounds pe r
square inch (PSI). Tire pressure is based in
part on the vehicle's design and load limit -
the greatest amount of weight that the vehi­
cle can carry safe ly and the t ire size . The prop­
er tire pressure is frequent ly referred to as the
"recommended cold tire inflation pressure."
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
because of internal friction when it flexes in
use . The tire pressu re is higher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold ."
It is the
in flat ion p ressure i n a "cold" tire that counts.
Therefo re, you shou ld neve r let air out of a
warm tire to ma tch "cold tire inflat ion pres­
sure" recommendations. The tires would then
be underinflated and could fail suddenly.
Maintaining proper tir e pressure is one of the
most impor tant things you can do to help
avoid sudden tire failure. Underinflated tires
are a ma jor cause of s udden tire failure . Keep·
ing tires at the right pressure is also impor­
tant for safe and responsive vehicle handling,
-tD
-
---------------------.. ,;
•(==.: I :::; I :,,. I)@ gi n. ............ .,_____, .... -.ito._.. ____ .... _ ...
&..p0idit,101111-~- -.,...,....- -..... ~ .... ..
-··-­.....
-
-Dlst<:OURS
- KPA.. a PSI
- KPA..
a PSI
- KPA..
a PSI
Fig. 150 Tire pressu re labe l
traction, braking and load carrying. Tire pres­
sures are particularly important when the
vehicle is being driven at higher speeds, and
then especially when heavily loaded even
within the permissible load-carrying capaci­
ties approved for your vehicle.
The recommended tire pressures for your Audi
depend on the kind of tires on your ve hicle
and the number of passengers and/o r amount
of luggage you will be transporti ng.
The tire pressure label is located on the driv­
er's side B-pillar . The tire pressure labe l lists
the recommended cold tire inflat io n pre ssures
for the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and tires that were on your veh icle at
t he time it was manufactured.
If you wish to improve comfort when operat­
ing the vehicle at normal load (up to 2 occu­
pants), you can adjust tire pressures to those
specified for normal vehicle load. Before op­
erating the vehicle at maximum load, you
must increase the tire pressures to those
specified for maximum vehicle load
¢ &.
Bear in mind that the tire pressure monitoring
system can only monitor the tire pressures
II>

194 Tire s and wheel s
that are stored . The system does not recog ­
nize the load cond ition of your vehicle.
See the il lustration ~
fig. 149 for the location
of the label on dr iver's side 8-pillar (color of
the actua l labe l and exact location on the ve­
hicle wi LL vary slightly).
Note that the followi ng tab le is accurate at
the time o f go ing to press and is subject to
change. In the event of discrepancies, the tire pressure label on driver's s
ide 8 -pillar always
takes precedence .
T he table below l ists t he recommended cold
t ire inflat ion pressu res for the Aud i mode l
covered by your Owner's Literat ure at the vehi ­
cle's capacity weight and the tir e sizes i nstal­
l ed on the respective models as orig inal
equipment, or as a facto ry option.
I Model / \I Tire designation
Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear I
Engine
normal load full load normal load full load
condition condition condition condition
PSI II kPA PSI II kPA PSI ]I kPA
PSI II kPA
RS: 235/35 R19 91 Y XL 45
310 45 310
4 .2 liter
295 /30 R19 lOOY X L 280
8-c ylin-
305/30 R1 9 102V
XL
der 41
280 41
280
RS: 235/35 R19 91 Y XL 45
5.2 liter 295 /30 R19 l00Y XL 41 280 41
280
10-cyl-
305 /30 R19 102V XL
inder 41 280 41 280
--XL= reinforc ed or extra load tire. It may also a ppear as xl , EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire side·
wall.
Because tec hnical changes may be made to
ve hicle equ ipment dur ing the model yea r, a l­
ways compare the tire size designation on the
tire pressure labe l on your vehicle w ith the
tires on your vehicle . Make s ure that the t ire
size information on the ve hicle label is the
same as the size of the tires on the vehicle.
This is especially important if the vehicle be­
longs to someone else or you bough t the veh i­
cle with different rims/tires or you bought the
ve hicle as a previously owned vehicle .
Remember, your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on mak ing sure that
load limits are not exceeded . Vehicle load in ­
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
vehicle. These load lim its are technically refer­
r ed to as the vehicle 's Gross Vehicle We ight
Rating ("GVWR"). The G ross Ax le Weight Rat­
ing ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can
be applied at each of the vehicle's two axles .
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
G ross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the safety compl
iance sticker label located on the
driver's side 8-pillar. The tire p ressure labe l on
yo ur Audi lists the max im um combined
weight of all o f the occ upants and luggage or
othe r ca rgo that the vehicle can carry. Fo r the
location of the tire pressure label
~ fig . 149.
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
h icle contro l, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more we ight than your veh icle
was designed to carry will prevent the
veh icle from handling properly a nd i n­
crease the risk of a loss of vehicle con ­
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
veh icle w ith in a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload ­
ed can fail suddenly ca using loss of con­
trol and a crash.