2014 AUDI S4 winter tires

88 On the road
vehicle speed exceeds the set speed by about
3 mph (3 km/h). At the same time, a warning
symbol appears in the d isp lay . The symbol's
appeara nce m ight be d ifferent in some mod­
els.
The speed warning system has one or two*
warn ing thresholds that f unct ion independ ­
ently of each other and that have somewhat
d ifferent purposes:
Speed warn ing 1
You can use speed warning 1 to set the maxi­
m um speed w hile you are driv ing. T his setting
will remain in effect until you turn
off the igni­
tion, assuming that you have not changed or
reset the setting.
The . (USA models)/ . (Canada models)
speed warning symbol in the warning 1 dis­
p lay appears when you exceed the maximum
speed. It goes out when the speed fa lls below
the stored max imum speed .
The speed warning symbo l wi ll also go out if
the speed
exceeds the stored max imum speed
by more than about 25 mph (40 km/h) for at
least 10 seconds. The stored maximum speed
is deleted .
Sett ing speed warning 1
c::> page 88.
Speed warning 2*
Sto ring warning 2 is recommended if you al­
ways
want to be reminded of a certain speed,
for example when yo u are traveling in a coun­
try that has a general maximum speed limit,
or if you do not want to exceed a specified
speed for winter tires.
The . (USA models) /. (Canada models)
speed warning 2 symbo l appears in the dis­
play when you exceed the stored speed limit.
Unlike warning 1, it will not go out until the
vehicle speed drops be low the stored speed
lim it.
Sett ing speed warning 2
c::> page 88.
(D Tips
Even tho ugh your vehicle is equipped with
a speed warning system, you should st ill watch the speedome
ter to ma ke s ure you
are not dr iving faster than the speed limit .
Speed warning 1: setting a speed limit
Warning threshold 1 is set by the ISETI but­
ton.
F ig . 99 SET bu tton in the instr ume nt cluste r
Storing the max imum speed
.,. Dr ive at the desired maximum speed.
.,. Press the
ISE TI button in the instrument
panel disp lay
c::> fig . 99 for 1 second .
Resetting the maximum speed
.,. Drive the vehicle at a speed of at least
3 mph (5 km/h)
.,. Press the
ISE TI button for more than 2 sec-
onds.
T he . (USA models)/ . (Canada models)
speed warning symbo l w ill appear briefly in
the display when you release the
I SE TI button
to indicate that the maximum speed has been
stored successfully.
The maximum speed remains stored until it is changed by pressing the
! SET ! button again
briefly or until it is deleted by a lengthy push
on the button.
Speed warning 2: setting a speed limit
Applies to vehicles: wit h trip computer
The radio or MMI* control unit is used to set,
change or delete warning threshold 2.
.,. Select: !CARI function button > In strument
cluster > Speed warning .
Or .,.

192 Intelligent technology
(D Tips
-If the . or 'Tj indicator light only stays
on for a short time, you may continue
driving.
- The dynamic steering* stability systems
are not available in the event of a system
malfunction.
- For additional information on dynamic
steering*, refer to
c:> page 113.
Driving with your
quattro
App lies to vehicles: with a ll-wheel drive
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driv­
en .
General information
With all-wheel drive, power is distributed to
all four wheels . This happens automatically
depending on your driving style and the road
conditions at the time . See also
c:> page 186.
A center differential distributes the driving
power variably to the front and rear axle .
It
works together with selective wheel torque
control , which activates when driving through
curves
c:> page 187. With the sport differen­
tial*, power distribution to the rear wheels is
variable and can be adjusted with drive select
c:>page 113.
The all-wheel drive concept is designed for
high engine power . Your vehicle is exception­
ally powerful and has excellent driving charac­
teristics both under normal driving conditions
and on snow and ice. Always read and follow
safety precautions
c:> & .
Winter tires
When driving in the winter , your vehicle with
all-wheel drive has an advantage, even with regular tires. In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all-sea­
son tires) for improved driveability and brak­
ing: these tires must be mounted on
all four
wheels .
See also c:> page 246, Winter tires .
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this normally also applies to vehicles
with all-wheel drive
c:> page 247, Snow
chains.
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles with all-wheel drive must always have tires of the same size. Also avoid tires
with different tread depths. For details see
page
c:> page 242, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels.
Off-Road driving?
Your Audi does not have enough ground clear­
ance to be used as an off-road vehicle.
It is
therefore best to avoid rough tracks and un­ even terrain as much as possible. Also refer to
c:> page 195.
A WARNING
-
Always adjust your driving to road and traf-
fic conditions. Do not let the extra safety
afforded by all-wheel drive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
- Although the all-wheel drive is very ef­
fective, always remember that braking
capacity is limited by tire traction . You
should therefore not drive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippery road surfaces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to
drive too fast because the front wheels
could begin to slide on top of the water
(aquaplaning). If this should occur, you
will have no warning from a sudden in­ crease in engine speed as with a front­
wheel drive vehicle. Always drive at
speeds which are suited to the road con­
ditions -risk of crash.

-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 tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when d riving, 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 typ ic al in those seasons. Aud i recom­
mends using w inter t ires du ring the win-
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the comb ined weight (in excess of
those standard items which may be replaced)
of automatic tra nsmission, power steering,
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 height to the width of
the tire in percent . Numbers of 55 or lower in­
d icate a low sidewall for improved steering re­
sponse and better overall handling on dry
pavement .
Bead
means the pa rt 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.
Tire s an d wheel s 231
ter months . Low temperatu res signifi­
cantly decrease the elastic ity of summer
t ires, which affects traction and braking
ability. If summer tires are used in very
co ld temperatures, cracks can form on
the tread bars, res ulting in permanent
ti re damage that can cause loud drivi ng
noise and unbalanced tires. Aud i is not
responsib le for this type of damage.
- Burn ished, polished or chromed rims
must not be used in winter weather. Th e
surfa ce of the rims does not have suffi­
c ien t cor rosion pro te cti on for this and
c o ul d be pe rmanen tly damaged by road
salt or similar substances. This damage
is not covered by warranty.
Cold tir e inflation pressure
me ans the t ire press ure re commended by the
vehicle manufacturer fo r a tire o f a des igna ted
size that has not bee n driven for more than a
couple of miles (k ilomete rs) at low speeds in
the three hour pe riod before the tire press ure
is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
means the weight o f a motor vehicle with
standard equipment including the maximum
capacity of fuel, o il, and coolant, air cond i­
tion ing and additional weight of optiona l
equipment.
E xtra load tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standard tire. Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or
"RF" on the sidewall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
means the load-carrying capacity of a single
axle system, measured at the tire-ground in-
ter~ces .
~
•
•

Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at wh ich a tire is des igned to
be driven for extended periods of t ime . The
ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h)
¢page 243. You may
not find this information on all tires because
it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applica­ b le, is molded on the tire sidewall and indi­
cates the maximum permissible road speeds
¢ &. in Winter tires on page 246.
Tire pressure monitoring system*
means a system that detects when one or
more of a vehicle's tires are underinflated and
illuminates a low tire pressure warn ing te ll­
tale .
Tread
means that port ion of a tire that comes into
contact with the road.
Tread separation
means pulling away of the tread from the tire
carcass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the pr incipal
grooves designed to give a visual ind ication of
the degrees of wear of the tread. See
¢
page 240, Tread Wear Indicator (TWI) for
mo re inf ormat ion on measuring tire wear.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire information system developed by the
United States National Highway Traffic Safety
Admin istration (N HTSA) that is designed to
help buyers make relative comparisons among
tires . Th e U TQG is not a safety rating and not a
g ua ran tee that a tir e will last for a prescribed
number of mi les (kilometers) or perform in a
certain way. It simply gives tire buyers addi ­
tional information to combine with other con-
Tires and wheels 233
siderations, such as price, brand loyalty and
dealer recommendations. Under UTQG, tires
are graded by the t ire manufacturers in three
areas : treadwear, traction, and temperature
resistance. The UTQG informat ion on the tires,
molded into the sidewalls .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
This is the tire's "serial number". It begins
with the letters "DOT" and indicates that the
tire meets all federa l standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers
represent the week and year of manufacture.
For example,
DOT ... 2213 ...
means that the tire was produced in the 22nd
week of 2013. The other numbers are market­
ing codes that may or may not be used by the
tire manufacturer. This information is used to
contact consumers if a tire defect requires a
recall.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus
150 lbs . (68 k ilograms) times the vehicle's to­
tal seating capacity as listed on the label lo­
cated on the driver's side B -pillar .
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is
determined by distributing to each axle its
share of the maximum loaded vehicle weight
and dividing by two.
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is
determined by distributing to each ax le its
share of the curb weight, accessory weight,
and normal occupant weight (distr ibuted in
accordance with table below¢
page 234)
and dividing by two.
•
•

for safety standard certification and in case of
a recall.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it eas­
i er to choose the correct tires. Radial tires
have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewall, for example :
P255 / 35 R19 96V XL
This contains the follow ing information:
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars
(where applicable)
255 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire
from sidewa ll edge to sidewall edge. In
general, the larger the number, the wider
the tire
35 Height/width ratio in percent (aspect ra-
tio)
R Tire construction: Radial
19 Rim diameter code (in inches)
96 Load rating code
Y Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" Indicates
that the tire is a"Reinforced" or an "Extra L oad" tire
M+S (or "M/S") Indicates that the tire has
some mud and snow capability
The t ires could also have the information of
d ir ection of rotation~
page 230.
Tire manufacturing date
The manufacturing date is also indicated on
the tire sidewall (poss ibly only on the
inner
side 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 wheels in­
dicates the maximum permissib le road speeds
~ &. in Winter tires on page 246.
ll For tires w it h a max imum spee d capa bility over
1 4 9 mp h (2 40 k m/h) , tire man ufact urers sometimes
u se t he le tte rs "ZR ."
Tires and wheels 243
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)1l
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)1l
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)1l
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)1l
Your vehicle is normally factory equ ipped w ith
tires, which possess excellent dr iving charac­
teristics and give your Aud i optimum driving
comfort . An electron ic speed lim iter
~ page 31 will normally prevent your vehicle
from going faster than the tire speed rating
~&. -
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
and tire manufacture date
T his is the tire's "se rial number". It begins
with the letters "DOT" and indicates that the
tire meets all federa l standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers
represent the week and year of manufacture.
For 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 tire
manufacturer . T his information is used to con­
tact consumers if a tire defect requ ires a re­
call.
Audi Original tire
Tires with the identification "AO" or "RO" have
been specially matched with your Audi . We
recommend using only these tires because
they meet the highest standards regarding
safety and driving characterist ics w hen used
correct ly . Your authorized Audi dealer will
gladly provide you with more information . ...,
•
•

24 4 T ire s and wheel s
Tire pl y compo sit ion and materi als used
The numbe r of plies ind icates the n umber of
l ayers of rubber -coated fabric in the tire. In
general, the greater the number of p lies, the
more weight a tire can support . Tire manufac­
turers also must indicate the materials in the
tire, wh ic h include steel, nylon, polyester, and
others.
M ax imum Load R ating
This number indicates the maximum load in
kilograms and pounds that can be carried by
the tire .
Tire quality grading for treadw ear ,
tr act ion, a nd t emper ature re sis tan ce
Tread wear, traction and temperature grades
c:> page245.
Max imum Permiss ibl e Inflation Pressur e
This numbe r is the greates t amo unt of air
p ress ure that sho uld ever be put in the ti re
under normal driving conditions .
A WARNING
-Us ing incorrect or unmatched tires and/
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
combinations can lead to loss of contro l,
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 spec ifically ap­
proved by the vehicle manufacturer.
- Tires age even if they are not be ing used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tir es 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 ti res on yo ur vehicle if
yo u are not su re 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.
- All four wheels must be fitted with radia l
t ires of the same type, size (roll ing c ir- cumference) and the same tread pattern
.
Driving with different tires reduces vehi­
cle handling and can lead to a loss of
control.
- If the spare tire is not the same as the
tires that are mounted on the vehicle -
for example with winter tires - only use
the spare t ire fo r a short pe riod of time
and d rive with extra care . Refit the nor­
mal road wheel as soon as safely poss i­
b le.
- Never d rive faster than the max imum
speed for which the tires on you r vehicle
are rated because tires that are dr iven
faster than their rated speed can fai l
suddenly .
- Overloading tires cause heat build-up,
sudden tire fa ilure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of cont ro l.
- Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and not over or un­
de rinf lated .
- For technica l reasons it is not always
possible to use whee ls from other
veh icles -in some cases not even wheels
from the same veh icle model.
- If you install wheel trim discs on the ve­
hicle wheels, make sure that the a ir flow
to the brakes is not blocked. Reduced air­
f low to the brakes can them to overheat,
increas ing stopp ing distances and caus­
ing a co llision.
- Run flat tires may only be used on veh icles that were equipped with them
at the factory. The veh icle must have a
chassis designed for run flat tires and a
f a ctory -inst alled tire pressure monitor­
ing sys tem * that indicates a loss of tire
pressu re . I ncorrect use of run flat tires
can lead to vehicle damage or accidents.
Check with an authorized Audi dealer or
tire specialist to see if your vehicle can be
equ ipped w ith run flat t ires. If run flat
tires are used, they must be installed on
all fo ur wheels . Mix ing tire types is not
pe rm itted.

24 6 T ire s and whee ls
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 winter or "snow " tires, those
with
very deeply cut tread. These t ires shou ld
only be used in pairs and be installed on all
four wheels. Make sure you pu rchase snow
tires that are the same size and const ruction
type as the other tires on your vehicle.
Your veh icle is equipped with all whee l drive ,
this wi ll improve tract ion du ring w inter driv­
ing,
even with the standard tires. However, we
strongly recommend that you a lways equip a ll
four wheels on you r vehicle with correctly fit­
ted winter tires or all -se ason tires, when w in ­
t e r r oad conditions are expected . This also im­
proves the vehicle's braking performance and
reduces stopping distances .
Summe r tires provide less grip on ice and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted
on all four wheels.
Ask your autho rized Aud i dea ler or qualified
workshop for permitted
wi nter tir e si zes . Use
only radia l winter tires.
W inter t ires lose the ir effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
0.15 7 inch
(4 mm).
Only drive with winter tires unde r winter con­
d itions . Summer tires hand le better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is
above 45 °F (7 °C).
I f you have a flat tire, see notes on spare
wheel
9 page 242.
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
9 page 243,
Speed rating (letter code)
for a List ing of the
speed rating letter codes and the maxim um
speed at which the tires can be driven . The speed rating letter code
(
¢ page 233) is
on the side wall of the tire
9 poge 242.
A WARNING ,-
Winter t ires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than your vehicle's max­
i mum speed. Always know the max imum
speed before dr iv ing off . Never dr ive faster
than the speed permitted for yo ur specific
winter tires. This wi ll cause damage to the
tires leading to an accident and ser ious
personal injury to you and your passen­
gers .
A WARNING ,..___ -
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your vehicle
were designed can cause tire failure in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation, loss of control, crashes and ser ious per­
sonal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately .
- W inter tires have maximum speed rating
that may be lower than your vehicle's
maximum speed .
- Never drive faster than the speed for
which the winter or other tires installed on yo ur vehicle are rated .
A WARNING
-Always adjust your dr iv ing to the road and
traffic condit ions . Never let the good ac­
celeration of the winter t ires and al l wheel
drive tempt yo u into taking ext ra risks. Al­
ways remember:
- When braking, an all wheel drive vehicle
handles in the same way as a front drive
vehicle .
- Drive ca refully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads,
even w inter tires
cannot help under black ice conditions .
@ For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires whe n weather condi­
tions permi t. T hey are qu ieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumption .

248 Tires and wheels
diagonally. After changing a wheel, the
torque must be checked as soon as possi­
ble with a torque wrench -preferably by an
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop.
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
and handling under a variety of driving condi­
tions. Ask your authorized Audi dealer 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 of 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 23 7, Checking tire pressure.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more
easily by impact with potholes, curbs, gullies
or ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is
underinflated.
In order to minimize the occurrence of impact
damage to the tires of your vehicle, we recom­
mend that you observe the following precau­
tions:
- Always maintain recommended inflation
pressures. Check your tire pressure every
2,000 miles (3,000 km) and add air if neces­
sary. -
Drive carefully on roads with potholes, deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from driving
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to your tires.
- After any impact, immediately inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest
authorized Audi dealer. Replace a damaged
tire as soon as possible .
- Inspect your tires 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, which 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 high performance
tires originally installed on your vehicle are in­
tended for maximum dry and wet road per­
formance and handling. They are not suitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather conditions. If
you drive under those circumstances, you
should equip your vehicle with all-season or
winter tires, which offer better traction under
those conditions. We suggest you use the rec­
ommended snow or all-season tires specified
for your vehicle , or their equivalent.
Refer to
~ page 246 for more detailed infor­
mation regarding winter tires.