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.
•
•
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.
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 .,.
•
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.
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 .,.
•
•
-Che ck the tire p re ss ure on the spare imme
diatel y afte r mounting.
- Hav e the wheel b olt tightening torque
checked with a torque wrench a s soon a s
possib le by you r auth orized Audi dealer or
a qu alified ser vice sta tio n.
- With steel and allo y w heel rim s, the wheel
bolts are correctl y tight ened at a to rq ue of
90 ft lb (1 20 Nm ).
- If yo u notice while changin g a ti re th at the
wheel bolts are co rrod ed and diff icult to
turn , then they should be repl aced before
y ou check the t ighten ing to rqu e.
- Replace the flat t ire with a new one and
ha ve it installed on your vehicle as soon as
possib le . R emount th e wh eel co ver .
Until then, driv e with extra care and at re
d uced speeds.
A WARNING
- If you are going to equip your vehicle
with t ires or rims wh ich differ from those
w hich were factory installed, then be
sure to read the informat ion
~page 199,
New tires and replacing tires and
wheels.
- Always store the tools securely in lug
gage compa rtment. Otherw ise, in an ac
c ident o r sudden mane uver they could fly
f orward, causing inju ry to passengers in
the vehicle .
(D Note
Do not use commerc ia lly available t ire
sealants. Othe rwise, the elec trical compo
nents of the tire pressure monitoring sys
tem* will no longer work properly and the
sensor for the tire pressure monitoring
system wi ll have to be replaced by a qua li
fied workshop.
What do I do now? 217
Jump-starting
General
If necessary, the engine can be started by
connecting it to the battery of another vehi
cle.
If the engine should fail to start because of a
discharged or weak battery, the battery can be
connected to the battery of
another vehicle,
us ing a
pair of jump er cabl es to start the en
gine.
Both batteries must be rated at 12 volts . The
capacity (Ah) of the booster battery must not
be substantia lly less than the capac ity of the
discharged battery .
Jumper cables
Use only jumper cables of suff ic ient ly large
cro ss se ction to safely car ry the starter cur
rent . Refer to the manufacturer's specifica
tions .
Use only jumper cab les which have
insulated
term inal clamps and are properly marked for
dist inction:
plu s(+) cable : in most cases colored r ed
m inu s(-) cable :
in most cases colored black
A WARNING ~
Batteries contain e lectric ity, acid, and gas .
Any of these can cause very serious or fata l
injury. Follow the instructions below for
safe handling of your vehicle's battery.
-Always shield your eyes and avo id lean-
ing over the battery whenever poss ible.
- A discharged battery can a lready freeze
at temperatures just below 32 °F (0 °(). Before connect ing a jumper cable , the
frozen battery must be thawed com
pletely, othe rwise it could explode .
- Do not allow battery acid to contact eyes
or skin . Flush any contacted area with
wate r immediately .
- Improper use of a booster battery to
start a vehicle may cause an explosion. •
•