2014 AUDI R8 SPYDER warning

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-
•
•

204 Tire s and wheel s
This also improves the vehicle's braking
performance and reduces stopping distances .
Summer tires provide less g rip on ice and
snow.
W inter t ires (snow t ires) must always be fitted
on all four wheels.
Compat ible tire pressure mon itoring sensors
must be installed on all four winter tires for
the tire pressure monitor ing system to func­
tion properly ~
page 201 .
Ask your authorized Aud i dea le r or qualified
workshop for permitted
wint er tire sizes. Use
on ly radia l wi nte 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 winter tires under winter con­
d itions. Summer tires handle better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °C).
Please always remember that w inter t ires may
have a lower speed rating than the t ires origi­
na lly installed on your vehicle at the t ime it
was manufactured. Please see~
page 200,
Speed rating (letter code)
for a List ing of the
speed rat ing letter codes and the maximum
speed at wh ic h t he t ires ca n be dr iven .
The speed rating letter code
( ~ page 192) is
on the s ide wall of the tire~
page 199 .
A WARNING
Winter tires have maximum s peed limits
th at may be lowe r than you r vehi cle's m ax­
im um speed. Always know the maxim um
speed befo re d riving off . Never d rive 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 jury to you and yo ur passen­
gers.
A WARNING
Dr iv ing faster than the maximum speed
for which the w inter t ires on your vehicle
-
were designed can cause t ire fail ure in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation,
l oss of contro l, crashes and ser ious per­
sona l injuries. Have worn o r damaged tires
r eplaced immediately .
- W inter tires have maximum speed rating
that may be lower than yo ur vehicle 's
maximum speed.
- Never d rive faster than the speed for
which the w in ter or othe r tires installed
on yo ur vehicle a re rated .
A WARNING
-Always ad just your dr iv ing to the road and
traffic condit ions . Never let the good ac­
ce ler ation o f the w in ter t ires and a ll-wheel
d rive tempt yo u into t aking extra risks. Al­
ways remember:
- W hen braking, an all-wheel drive veh icle
handles in the same way as a front drive
vehicle .
- D rive c arefully and redu ce your spee d 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 permi t. T hey are qu iete r, do no t wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumpt ion .
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the rear
whee ls, and on ly to certain tire sizes . Ask your
authori zed Aud i dea ler on which tire si zes
snow chains ca n be used .
The snow chains must have low -profi le links
and must not be th icker than 0.53 inch
(13 .5 mm), includ ing the lock.
Remove whee l center covers before putt ing
snow c hains on your vehicle
~ CD . For safety
reasons cover caps must then be f itted over
the wheel bolts. These are available from au­
thorized Audi dea le rs.

A WARNING ,~
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi­
cle or installing them incorrectly can in ­
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different sizes. Always make sure to follow the in­structions provided by the snow chain
manufacturer .
- When driving with snow chains, never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations .
(D Note
-Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con­
tact with the wheel rim, can scratch or
damage it . Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered. Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces­
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow chain manufacturer when doing so.
@ Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory oncer­
tain roads, this normally also applies to
vehicles with all-wheel drive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque.
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the
factory installed rims. If different rims are fit­
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the right length and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted
securely and that the brake system functions
correctly .
Tires and wheels 205
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a different vehicle -even if it
is the same model
r:!> page 229.
A WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel
bolts can become loose causing loss of
control, a collision and serious personal in­
jury.
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hubs clean so the
wheel bolts can turn easily and be prop­ erly tightened.
- Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and
the threads in the wheel hubs . They can
become loose while driving if greased or
oiled, even if tightened to the specified
torque.
- Only use wheel bolts that belong to the
rim being installed.
- Never use different wheels bolts on your
vehicle.
-Always maintain the correct tightening
torque for the wheel bolts to reduce the
risk of a wheel loss. If the tightening tor­
que of the wheel bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the vehi­
cle is moving. If the tightening torque is
too high, the wheel bolts and threads can be damaged and the wheel can be­
come loose.
(D Note
The specified torque for the wheel bolts is
90 ft lb (120 Nm) with a tolerance of ± 7 .4
ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bolts diago­
nally. After changing a wheel, the torque
must be checked as soon as possible with a
torque wrench -preferably by an author­
ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect
ratio tires. These tires have been thoroughly
tested and been selected specifically for your model for their superb performance, road feel .,.
•
•

illuminates, you should stop and check your
tires as soon as possible, and inflate them to
the proper pressure. Driving on a significantly under- inflated tire causes the tire to overheat
and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation a l­
so reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the ve hicle's handling and
stopping ab ility .
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute
for proper t ire maintenance, and it is the dr iv ­
e r' s responsib ility to ma inta in correct t ire
p ressure, even if under- inflation has not
reac hed the level to t rigge r illumination of the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale .
Your veh icle has also been equ ipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate when
the system is not operating properly. The
TPMS malfunction indi cato r i s combined wi th
the low ti re pressure tell ta le . When the sys­
tem detec ts a malf unction, the te lltale will
flash for approximately one minute and t hen
remain cont inuo usly illuminated. This se­
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunction ex ists.
When the malfunctio n indicator is ill uminat­
ed, the system may not be able to detect or
signal low t ire pressure as intended . TPMS
malfunct ions may occur for a variety of rea­
sons, includi ng the installat io n of rep lace­
ment or alternate tires o r wheels on the veh i­
cle that prevent the TPMS from funct ion ing
p roperly . Always chec k the TPMS malfunct ion
t ellt ale after replacing one o r more t ires or
wheels on your veh icle to ensure that the re­
p lacement or a lternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly .
Introduction
T he tire pressure monitoring system monitors
oir pressure in all four road wheels while the
vehicle is moving .
As soon as the tire pressure monitoring sys­
tem senses a significant loss of air pressure in
one or several ti res, text messages and yellow
symbo ls appear in the instr ument cluster d is­
p lay to alert the driver. T he
RE warning light
Tire s an d wheel s 207
in the instrument cluster comes on when the
tire is significant ly underinflated .
T he wa rni ng lig ht
RE also ill umi nates in the
case of a system malfun ct ion.
Be awa re that t ire pr essure is a lso dependent
o n the tempe ratu re of the t ire. For eve ry 18 ° F
(10 °C) incre ase in tire temper ature, tire pres­
s ur e increases by about 1.5 psi (0 .1 bar). The
ti re warms up while the vehicle is moving and
tire press ure rises . So you sho uld ad just tire
pressure only when they a re
cold, when the
temperature of the tires is ro ughly the same
as the ambient a ir temperature.
In order to keep the tire p ress ure monitoring
system p roperly ca librated, t ire pressu re on
a ll four tires sho uld be checked at regu lar in­
terva ls.
The tire pressure is shown on the label located
on the dr iver's side B-pillar (v is ible when the
door is open).
A WARNING
When t he tire pressure mo nitoring system
war ning light is lit, one o r more of your
tires is s ignificantly under-infla ted . You
should stop and check you r tires as soon as
possib le, and in flate t hem to the proper
p re ssur e a s in di cate d on the ve hicle's tir e
press ure label
¢page 19 3. D riving on a
significantly under -inflated ti re causes the
tire to over heat and can lead to tire failure.
Under-inflat ion also is like ly to impair the
vehicle's handling and stopping ab ility.
@ For the sake of the environment
D riving wit h un der -inflated tires red uces
fuel efficiency an d tire t read life.
(D Tips
- Ea ch tire should be chec ked monthly
w hen the temperature of the tires is
about the same as ambient a ir tempera­
t u re and set to the recommended infla­
tion press ure as specified on the tire
pressure label
¢ page 193.
•
•

208 Tire s and whee ls
- The tire pressure monitoring system
helps the driver to keep an eye on tire
pressures. But the driver st ill has the re­
sponsibility for maintaining the correct
tire pressure.
- Tire pressure must only be adjusted
when the temperature of the tires is
about the same as ambient air tempera­
ture.
- When tires are replaced, the sensors and
valves should not be exchanged . The
valve core, nut, valve sealing and seal
washer (rep lacement kit) needs to be re­
placed. If necessary, the valve and the
whee l electronics have to be rep laced.
- The tire pressure monitoring system on
your Audi was calibrated us ing tires w ith
"RO" identification. We recommend us­
ing these tires.
- If you should put different whee ls and
ti res on yo ur vehicle (e.g. w inter wheels
and tires), yo u m ust be certain that the
whee ls and tires are compatible with the
tire pressure monitoring system . Other­
wise the system w ill reg ister a ma lf u nc­
tion and a fault message will be d is­
played . For more information, contact
your authorized Audi dealer .
- For Declaration of Compliance to United
States FCC and Industry Canada regula­
tions ~
page 230 .
Programming a new set of tires
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
When driving with a new set of ti res, you can
program them to the t ire pressure monitoring
system using the menu disp lay.
"'Turn the ign ition on .
"' Select the menu :
Set > Tir e pr essu re >
Wheel cha ng e.
"'Confirm that you wo uld like to begin the
programming process. The message
Wh eel
s en sors a re being in it ia lised. Thi s ma y ta ke
a fe w minut es ...
appears in the instrument
clus te r disp lay. You can switch between programmed tire sets
at any time without r einitializing the system .
(D Tips
-If the programm ing process was no t
completed s uccessfully, the message
Wheel senso rs could not be init ialised
appears in the disp lay and the 119;~, in­
dicator light turns on. If this happens,
repeat the procedure.
- Do not store the tire pressure if there are snow chains on the tire.
' TPMS Tire pressure monitoring system
malfunction
A malfunction can have various causes .
If the (Bl warning light in the instrument clus­
ter flashes for app roximate ly one minute and
then remains cont inuously illumin ated and
additionally the
lliiff1 symbol appears in the
display, the tire pressure monitor ing system is
not availab le . The text
Ti re pre ssure! S ystem
malfun ction
appears in the d isplay. This can
have various ca uses .
- A wheel sensor or other component may
have fai led.
- Dur ing init ialization the system has detect ­
ed more than 4 wheels on the vehicle, for
examp le w hile d riving next to anothe r ca r
w ith a t ire press ure monitoring system.
- Aud i rep lacement parts were not used .
- If snow cha ins are be ing used, system func -
tion can be compromised due to the sh ield­
ing prope rties of the chains.
- The tire pressure mon itoring system may
not be ava ilab le because of a radio malfunc­
tion.
- Transm itters w ith the same frequency, such
as radio headphones in the vehicle o r radio
equipment, can cause a temporary disrup­
t ion of the system through excessive elec ­
tromagnetic fie lds .
- Eliminate the interference if yo u can and
then proceed as fo llows: T urn off the eng ine
for 20 minutes . Then drive another 10 mi ­
nutes .
If the warning light comes on again, ll-

210 What do I do now?
What do I do now?
Trunk escape handle
Appl ies to vehicles: wit h tru nk escape hand le
In case of an emergency, the front lid can be
opened from the inside using the trunk es­
cape handle .
.,. To
open the front lid pu ll the handle.
The trunk escape handle inside the luggage
compartment is made of fluorescent material
to g low in the dark.
A WARNING
The trunk escape handle is to be used only
in an emergency.
Vehicle tool kit
The tools are stored underneath the floor
panel in the luggage comportment.
Fig. 153 Luggage compartment: ve hicle tool k it
.,. Swing the luggage compartment floor up-
wards .
.,. Remove the vehicle tool kit.
The onboard tool kit includes:
- Hook for removing hub cap
- Lug wrench
- Alignment pin for changing wheels
- Screwdriver with reversible blade
- T owing eye
- Jack* (not a vehicle component; contact your
authorized Aud i dealer if needed)
Some of the on board items listed above are provided on certain models only or are option­
a l extras. Before
returning the jack* to its place, retract
t h e jack arm fully.
A WARNING
-
Improper use of the vehicle jack can cause
serious personal injuries.
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
tighten wheel bolts, since the bolts can­
not attain the necessary tightening tor­
que if you use the hex head, potentially
causing an accident.
- The factory-supplied jack is intended on­
ly for your vehicle model. Under no cir­
cumstances should it be used to
lift
heavy veh icles or other loads; you risk in­
juring yourself.
- Never start the engine when the vehicle
is raised, which could cause an acc ident.
- Support the vehicle securely with appro­
priate stands if work is to be performed
underneath the vehicle; otherwise, there
is a potential risk for injury.
- Never use the jack supplied with your
Aud i on another vehicle, part icularly on a
heav ier one. The jack is only suitable for
use on the vehicle it came with.
Tire repair
General and safety pointers
Applies to veh icles: w it h Tire Mob ility System
Tire repair is intended only for temporary,
short-term use.
Fig . 154 Tire damage for wh ich the Tir e Mob ility Sys ­
te m is no t suited
Your vehicle is equipped with a tire repair kit,
the
Tire Mobility System (TMS). .,,.

In the event of a tire fai lure, the TM S is in the
l uggage compartment under the floor . It con­
sists of the tire sea lant and an electric a ir
pump.
Using
TM S, tire damage ca used by foreign
bodies up to about
0.1 6 inch (4 mm ) in diam­
eter can be sealed reliab ly.
The foreign object can stay in the t ire.
The tir e sea lant must not be us ed :
- for cuts or punctu res in the tire which are
larger than 0.16 inch (4 mm)
r;;';> fig . 154 @
- for damage to the rim@
- if you have been driving w ith very low tire
pressures or tires with no air @
Using the
T M S is described in the section
¢ page 212, Preliminary steps.
TM S can be used at temperatures down to
-4 °F ( -20 °().
8_ WARNING
Take the following precautions after re­
pairing the tire:
-
- Do not drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/
h)!
- Avoid full-throttle acce leration, heavy
braking and fast cornering.
- The vehicle's road behavior can be affect­ ed.
- Tires sealed with
TMS are intended only
for
tempora ry, short-te rm use .
- After using the t ire sea lant the ti re p res­
sure monitoring system may no longer
work properly. Drive carefully to the next professional repair fac ility.
- TMS must NO T be used,
- for cuts or punctures in the tire which
are larger than 0.16 inch (4 mm)
- for damage to the rim
- if you have been dr iv ing with very low
tire pressures or tires with no air
- Seek profess ional assistance if it is not
poss ible to repair the tire with the tire
sealant.
What do I do now? 211
8_ WARNING
The tire sealant must not come into con­
tact with skin, eyes or clothing.
- If you get any tire sealant in your eyes or
come into contact with it, rinse the af­
fected area thoroughly with clean water .
Find a phys ician immed iately!
- Change any clothing contaminated wit h
tire sealant immediately.
- Do not inhale the vapor!
- If you have swallowed tire sealant, rinse your mouth thoroughly right away and drink plenty of water .
- Do not indu ce vomit ing! Find a physi­
c ian immediately!
- I f you have allergic react ions, find a
phys ician immediately.
- Keep the tire sealant away from children.
(D Note
Do not use commercially available tire
sealants . The electr ical components of the
tire pressure monitoring system will no
l onge r work properly.
@ For the sake of the env ironment
Used sealant bottles can be dropped off at
a recycling facility .
(D Tips
-If sealant has run out, allow it to dry .
Then you can peel it off.
- Have the t ire sealant replaced every 4
years at a dealership .
• -
•