2014 AUDI R8 SPYDER Owners Manual

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-
•
•

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 .,.
•
•

206 Tires and wheels
and handling under a variety of driving condi­
tions. Ask your authorized Audi dea ler for
more details.
The low aspect ratio of these tires is indicated
by a numeral of
55 or less in the tire's size
designation. The numeral represents the ratio
of the tire's sidewall height in relation to its
tread width expressed in percentage . Conven­
tional tires have a height/width ratio o f 60 or
more .
The performance of low-aspect-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 195, Checking tire pressure.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
L ow aspect ratio t ires can be damaged more
ea5i ly by impact with potho le5, curb5, gullie5
or ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is
underinflated .
In order to minimize the occur rence of impact
damage to the tires of your vehicle, we recom ­
mend that you observe the following precau­
tions :
- Always maintain recommended inflation
pressures. Chec k your tire pressure every
2.000 miles (3.000
km) and add air if neces ­
sary .
- Drive carefu lly on roads with potholes, deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from driving
t h ro ugh or over such obstacles can damage
yo ur tir es. Impact with a curb may also
cause damage to your tires.
- After any impact, immediately inspect your
tir es or have them inspected by the nearest
authorized Aud i dealer. Replace a damaged
t ir e as soon as possible.
- Inspect your t ires 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 believe that a
tire may have been damaged, replace the
tire as soon as possible.
- These tires may wear more quickly than oth­
ers.
- Please also remember that, while these tires
deliver responsive handling, they may ride
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 h igh performance
t ir es or iginally installed on your vehicle are in­
tended for maximum dry and wet road per­
fo rmance and handling . They are not suitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather conditions. If
you drive under those circumstances, you
sho uld equ ip your vehicle with all-season or
winter tires, which offer better traction unde r
those conditions. We suggest you use the rec ­
ommended snow or all-season t ires specified
for your vehicle, or their equivalent .
Refer to~
page 203 for more de tailed infor­
mation regarding winter tires.
Tire pressure
monitoring system
General notes
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
sho uld be checked monthly when co ld and in­
flated to the inflation pressure recommended
by the veh icle manufact urer on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size than the
s ize indicated on the vehicle placard or tire in ­
flat io n pressure label, you should dete rmine
the proper t ire inflation pressure for those
t i r es.).
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 or more of you r
t ir es is significantly under-inflated. According -
ly, when the low tire pressure telltale ..,.