2014 AUDI TT ROADSTER tires

196 Tire s and wheel s
The relat ive performance of tires depends
upon the actua l conditions of their use, how ­
ever, and may depart sign ificantly from the
norm due to var iat ions in dr iving habits, serv­
ice practices and differences in road character­
istics and climate.
Tr action
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled cond itions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance¢ .&,.
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the h ighest),
B, and
C, representing the t ire's resistance to
the generat ion of heat and its abi lity to dissi ­
pate heat when tested under controlled cond i­
tions on a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
materia l of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden ti re fa il ur e~ .&, .
The grade
C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which all passenger ca r tires must meet
u nder the Federa l Moto r Veh icle Safety Stand­
a rd No.
1 09. Grades Band A represent higher
l eve ls of performance on t he laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required by law .
.&_ WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering , hydrop lan ing or peak traction
character istics.
.&_ WARNING
The temperature grade for this t ire is es­
tablished for a t ire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded . Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, eithe r
-
separately or in combination, can ca use
heat bui ldup and possib le 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 winter or "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread . These tires should
only be used in pairs and be installed on all
four wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
tires that are the same s ize and construction
type as the othe r tires on your vehicle .
If your vehicle is equipped w ith all-whee l
drive", th is w ill improve traction during winter
driv ing, even with the standard tires . Howev­
er, we st rongly recommend that you always
equip all fou r whee ls o n your ve hicle w ith cor­
rect ly fit ted winter tires or all -season t ires,
when w inter road condit ions are expected.
T his also improves the vehicle's braking per ­
formance and reduces stopping distances.
Summe r tires provide less grip on i ce and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on all four whee ls .
Ask your author ized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop for permitted
winter tir e siz es. Use
on ly rad ial winter t ires .
Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
O .15 7 inch
(4 mm).
Only drive w ith w inter t ires under winter con ­
ditions. Summer t ires handle better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °() .
If you have a flat ti re, see notes on spare
whee l
¢page 192.
Please a lways remember that winter tires may
have a lower speed rating than the tires origi -
nally installed on your vehicle at the time it .,.

was manufactured. Please see c> page 193,
Speed rating (letter code)
for a listing of the
speed rat ing letter codes and the maximum
speed at which the tires can be driven .
The speed rating letter code
( c> page 184) is
on the side wall of the tire
c::> page 192 .
A WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than your vehicle's max­
imum speed. Always know the maximum
speed before driving off . Never drive faster
than the speed permitted for your specific
w inte r tires . This will cause damage to the
tires leading to an acc ident and serious
personal injury to you and yo ur passen­
gers .
A WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your vehicle
were designed can cause tire fai lure in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation,
loss of control, crashes and serious per­
sonal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immed iately.
- Winter tires have maximum speed rat ing
that may be lower than your veh icle's
maximum speed .
- Never drive faster than the speed for
wh ich the winter or other tires installed
on your vehicle are rated .
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and
traffic conditions. Never let the good ac­
celeration of the winte r tires and all-whee l
drive tempt you into taking extra r is k s . A l­
ways remember:
- When brak ing, an a ll-wheel drive vehicle
hand les in the same way as a front drive
vehicle.
- Drive carefu lly and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot he lp under black ice conditions.
Tire s an d wheel s 197
@) For the sake of the env ironment
Use summer tires when weather condi­
tions permit. They are quieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumption.
Snow chains
Snow cha ins may be fitted only to the front
wheels, and only to certain tire sizes . Ask your
authorized Aud i dealer on which tire sizes
snow chains can be used .
If you are go ing to use snow chains, then you
must install them on the front wheels at
least .
The snow chains mus t have low-prof ile links
and must not be th icker than 0 .53 inch
(13.5 mm), includ ing the lock.
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putting snow chains on your vehicle
c::> (D . For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts . These are avail ­
able from authorized Aud i dealers.
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi­
cle or insta lling them incorrect ly can in­
crease the risk of loss of cont ro l leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes . Always make sure to follow the in­
structions 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 dr iv ing on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direc t con­
tact with the whee l rim, can scratch or
damage it . Therefore, make sure that the .,.
•
•

198 Tire s and wheel s
snow cha ins a re suitab ly covered. Check
the position of the snow chains after driving a few yards and correct if neces ­
sary. Follow the instr uctions from the
snow cha in manufacturer when doing so.
{O) Tips
Where snow cha ins are mandatory oncer­
tain roads, this norma lly also applies to
veh icles with all-wheel dr ive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correc t torque .
The design of whee l bolts is matched to the
factory installed r ims . If different rims are fit ­
ted, the correct wheel bolt s with the r ight
length and correctly shaped bol t heads mus t
be used . This ensures that wheel s are fitted
securely and that the brake system functions
correctly .
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a d iffe rent vehicle -even if it
i s the same model
Q page 228.
A WARNING
Imprope rly tig htened o r maintained whee l
bolts can be come loose ca using loss of
cont ro l, a co llision and serious person al in­
jury .
- Always keep the w heel bol ts and the
t h reads in t he wheel hubs clean so the
wheel bolts can t urn easily and be p rop ­
er ly t ightened .
- N ever grease or oil the wheel bo lt s an d
the threads in the wheel h ubs. They can
become loose w hile d riving if greased or
oi led, even if tightened to the specif ied
torque.
- Only use whee l bolts that be long to the
rim being installed.
- Never use different whee ls bolts on your
vehicle .
- Always mai ntai n the co rrect tighte ning
torq ue for the wheel bolts to reduce the
risk of a wheel loss. If the tightening tor- que of the whee
l bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the vehi­
cle is mov ing. If the tig hte ning torq ue is
too high, the w heel bolts a nd threads
can be damaged and the whee l can be­
come loose.
(D Note
The specified torque for t he whee l bolts is
90 ft lb (120 Nm) with a tolerance of± 7,4
ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torque whee l bolts diago­
nally . After changing a whee l, the to rq ue
must be checked as soon as possible with a
torque w rench - prefe rably by an author­
iz ed A udi dealer or quali fied workshop .
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-eq uipped w ith low aspect
ratio tires. These tires have b een tho ro ughly
tested and been se lected specifically for your
model for their supe rb performance, road fee l
and hand ling under a variety of driving condi­
t ions . Ask your author ized Audi dealer for
more de tails .
The low aspect ratio of these t ires is ind icated
by a numeral of
55 or less in the tire 's s ize
designation . The numera l rep resents the ratio
of the tire 's s idewa ll height in relation to its
t read width exp ressed in percentage. Conven­
tiona l tire s have a he igh t/w idth rat io of 60 or
more.
The p erformance of low-a spect-ratio tire s is
particularly sensitiv e to improper inflation
pre ssure. It i s ther efore important that low
aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified
pre ssure and that the inflation pre ssure i s
regularly checked and maintained. Tire pre s­
sures should be checked at least once a month and always before a long trip
Q page 187, Checking tire pressure.
What you can do to avo id tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged mo re
easily by impact w ith po tholes, curbs, gul lies ..,.

or ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is underinflated .
I n o rder to m inim ize the occu rrence of impact
damage to the t ires of your vehicle, we recom ­
mend that you observe the following precau­
tions :
- Always maintain recommended inflat ion
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
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may a lso
cause damage to your tires.
- After any impact, immediately inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest
authorized Aud i dealer. Replace a damaged
t ire 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 be lieve that a
t ire may have been damaged , replace the
t ire as soon as possible.
- T hese tires may wea r mo re qui ckly than ot h­
ers.
- Please a lso remember that, whi le these tires
deliver respons ive handling, they may ride
l ess comfortably and make mo re noise than
othe r choices.
Reduced perf ormance in winter /cold
s eason condition s
All tires are des igned for certa in pu rposes.
The low aspect ratio, ultra high performance
tires originally installed on your veh icle are in­
tended for maximum dry and wet road per­
formance and handling . They are not suitable
for cold , snowy or icy weather condit ions .
If
you dr ive under those circums tances, you
should equip your vehicle with all -season or
winter tires, which offer better traction under
those cond itions . We suggest you use the rec­
ommended snow or all-season tires specified
for your ve hicle, or their equ ivalent.
Tire s an d wheel s 199
Refer to q page 196 for more detailed infor­
mation regarding winter tires.
Tire pressure monitoring system
General notes
Applies to veh icles: w ith t ire pressure monitoring system
Each tire, incl uding the spare (i f provided),
shou ld be checked monthly when co ld and in­
flated to the inf lation pressure recommended
by the veh icle manufacturer on the veh icle
placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your
vehicle ha s tires of a different size than the
s ize indicated on the vehicle placard or tire i n­
flat ion pressu re labe l, you shou ld dete rm ine
the p roper t ire inflation p ress ure fo r those
t i r es.)
As an added safety feature , your ve hicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure mon ito ring
system ( TPMS) that illum inates a low ti re
pressure te lltale when one or more of your
tires is significant ly under -inflated . Acco rding­
ly, when the low tire pressure te lltale i llumi­
nates, you should stop and check your tires as
soon as possib le, and inflate them to the
proper pressure. Driving on a sign ificantly un­
der- inflated t ire causes the tire to overheat
and can lead to tire fa ilure . Under -inflation al ­
so reduces fuel effic iency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle 's hand ling and
stopp ing ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute
for proper tire ma intenance, and it is the driv­
er's respons ibility to maintain co rrect tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not
rea ched the level to tr igger illum inat ion of the
T PMS low tire pressure tellta le .
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
T PMS ma lfunction indicator to ind icate when
the system is not operating prope rly . T he
T PMS ma lfunction indicator is combined with
the low tire pressure te lltale. When the sys­
tem detects a malfunction , the telltale wi ll
flash for approximate ly one minute and then ..,_
•
•

200 Tires and wheels
remain continuo usly illuminated . This se­
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the ma lfunction ex ists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminat­
ed, the system may not be able to detect or
signal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of rea­
sons, including the installation of replace­ ment or alternate tires or wheels on the vehi­
cle that prevent the TPMS from functioning properly . Always check the TPMS malfunction
tellta le after replacing one or more t ires or
wheels on your veh icle to ensure that the re­
placement or alternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
Tire pressure indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
F ig. 143 Display : underi nflat io n warn ing
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni­
toring sys tem compares the t ire tread circum­
ference and vibration characteristics of the in­
d iv idual tires . If the pressure decreases in one
or more tires, th is is indicated in the instru­
ment clus ter with a warning symbo l
ail and a
message<>
fig. 143. The dr iver message in the
display goes out after 5 seconds . The driver
message can be displayed again by pressing
the
! CHECK I button @¢ page 10, fig . 3 . If on ­
l y one tire is affected, the display will indicate
its pos ition.
The tire press ure monitoring m ust be reset in
the menu display each time the pressures are
ad justed (e.g. when switching between parti- al and fu
ll load pressure) or after changing or
replacing a tire on your vehicle<>
page 201.
The TPMS indicator only mon itors the t ire
pressure that you have previously stored . You
can find the recommended tire pressures for
your vehicle on the label on the driver's door
pillar
¢ page 185.
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac­
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- the t ire pressure in one or more tires is too
low,
- the tire has structural damage,
- the tire pressure was changed, wheels rotat -
ed or replaced but the TPMS was not reset
¢ page 201.
Warning symbols
ail Loss of pressure in at least one tire¢& .
Check the tire or tires and replace or repa ir if
necessary . The indicator light
HE in the instru­
ment cluster also illuminates
<>page 13.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS in the menu display .
ffim (T ire Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
pressure! System malfunction. Ifffim
ap­
pears after switching the ignition on or while
driv ing and the indicator lig ht
HE in the in­
strument cluster blinks for approx ima tely one
minute and then stays on, there is a system
malfunction .
At tempt to store the correct tire pressure
¢ page 201. Ifthe indicator light does not
turn
off or if it turns on shortly thereafter, im ­
med iate ly drive your vehicle to an author ized
Audi dealer or author ized repair facility to
have the malfunction corrected.
_&. WARNING
-
- If the tire pressure indicat or appears in
the instrument cluster display, one or
more of your tires is significant ly under­
inflated . Reduce your speed immediately
and avoid any hard steer ing or braking
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and
check the tires and their pressures.
IJJ,,

Inflate the tire pressure to the proper
pressure as indicated on the vehicle's tire
pressure label¢
page 185. Driving on a
significantly under-inflated tire causes
the tire to overheat and can lead to tire
failure . Under-inflation also is likely to
impair the vehicle's handling and stop­
ping ability.
- The driver is responsible for mainta ining
the correct tire pressures. You must
check the tire pressures regularly.
- Under certain conditions (such as a spor­
ty driving style, wint er conditions or un­
paved roads), the pressure monitor indi­
cator may be delayed .
- Ask your authorized Audi dealer if run­
flat tires may be used on your vehicle.
Your vehicle registration becomes invalid if you use these tires when not permit ­
ted. Damage to your vehicle or accidents
could also result.
- If you switch between standard and run­
flat tires, an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop must reprogram the
control module .
@ Tips
-The tire pressure monitoring system
stops working when there is an ESC/ABS
malfunction.
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The tire pressure monitoring system on
your Audi was developed using tires with the "AO" or "RO" identification on the
tire sidewall¢
page 192. We recom­
mend using these tires.
Tires and wheels 201
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
(Stepl)
Appl ies to vehicles: wi th tire p ress ure mo nito ring system
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels ore ro­
tated or changed, the TPMS must be reset in
the menu display.
--- ®
Fig. 144 Wiper lever : Controls for the menu display
Fig. 145 Display: Start menu
I Reset I button @ and rocker switch @
¢
fig. 144 functions:
To open the menu
.,. Press the I Reset I button @ until the menu
disp lay
9 fig. 145 appears
Selections and settings
.,. Press the rocker switch@ to reach a menu
disp lay. The switch is operated the same as
the display (up/down) .
Entering and confirming
.,. Press the I Reset I button @.
Returning to the Start menu
.,. Press the I Reset I button longer than 2 sec ­
onds to return from any menu level to the
Start menu. "'

202 Tires and wheels
@ Tips
-Before resetting the TPMS, the current
pressures of
all four tires must corre­
spond to the specif ied values. Adjust the
tire pressure and reset the pressure in
the tire pressure mon itor ing system ac­
cord ing to the load you are carry ing
¢page 185.
- Do not store the tire pressure if there are
snow chains on the tire.
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
(Step2)
Ap plies to vehicles: with tire pressure mo nit oring sys te m
F ig. 146 Display: Tire pressure
Fig. 147 Display: Tire pres sure
I Reset I button @ and rocker switch @
c::, page 201, fig . 144 functions:
Storing tire pres sures
.. Turn on the ignition.
.. Se lect the menu :
> Adjust ing * > Tire pres­
sure > Store.
Entering and confirming
.. Select the menu: Store now
.. Press the
I Reset ! button @.
.. Se lect the menu : Confim
.. Press the
I Reset ! button @.
Returning to the Start menu
.. Press the I Reset I button longer than 2 sec­
onds to return from any menu level to the
Start men u.
(D Tips
-Before resetting the TPMS, the current
pressures o f
all four tires must corre­
spond to the specified values . Adjust the
tire pressure and reset the pressure in
the tire pressure monitoring system ac­
cording to the load you are carrying
c::, page 185.
-Do not store the tire pressure if there are
snow chains on the tire .
Run-flat tires
Introduction
Applies to vehicl es: wi th Run-fla t tires
Run-flat tires help keep you moving if a tire
goes flat.
Re inforced sidewalls give the ti res run-flat ca­
pability if tire pressure is lost .
We recommend that run-flat tires only be
mounted on vehicles that were originally
equipped with these special t ires at the facto­
ry and have a Tire Pressure Monitoring Sys­
tem.
Run-flat tires can be identified by the letters
"RSC " on the tire sidewall.
If you do change the tires on your veh icle from
normal to run-flat tires., you must buy the
special rims required for run-flat tires, and the
T ire Pressu re M on itor ing System must be re­
programmed by an authorized Audi dealer or
other qualified workshop .
What do run-flat tires do?
These special t ires have run-flat capabilities
that help keep you moving if a tire loses pres­
su re and goes f lat . Under favorab le condit ions
t ir es can be dr iven
at least 30 miles (50 km) ,
but you must not drive faster than 50 mph
(80 km/h)
c::, page 203, Driving with run-flat
tires .
IJI>

When it i s not po ssibl e to co ntinu e
d riv ing, even with run-fl at ti res?
-If the E lectronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
is not working or keeps coming on.
- If the Tire P ressure Monitoring System does
not work .
- If the tire has been severely damaged, in a
crash, for example. The tread can separate
from a damaged tire as the whee l turns, and
hit parts of the vehicle, such as the fuel tank
filler neck, fuel lines or brake lines.
- Do not continue dr iving if severe vibration
occurs or if the tire starts to smoke because
the tire is runn ing hot .
- Do not continue driving if damage to the
tire, such as cracks in the sidewall, appears.
A WARNING
Improper use of run-flat t ires can cause
vehicle damage that can lead to loss of ve­
hicle control, a crash and serious personal
injury.
- Run-flat tires can only be used with spe­
c ial rims.
- Run-flat tires must always be mon itored
with a properly programmed Tire Pre­
ss ure Mon itor ing System.
- Always inspect a tire that has lost air to
make su re it is safe to drive w ith the t ire
in the run-flat mode.
- Never drive with run-flat tires that have
been damaged in a collision.
- Never drive with run-flat tires if heat
build-up causes the t ire to give off
smoke.
- Never drive with run-flat tires if the vehi­
cle shakes or v ibrates severely.
- Never drive with a run-flat tire that de­
velops sidewall cracks or other damage
wh ile in use .
- If you switch between standard and run­
flat tires, an author ized Audi dealer or
qualified wo rkshop must reprogram the
control module.
Tire s an d wheel s 203
@ Note
Run-f lat ti res have special characteristics
and requirements, that are very different
from convent ional tires. Run-flat tires re­
quire special rims for run-flat use and can­
not be used on conventional whee l rims .
(D Tips
- If you are not able to cont inue driving
w ith run-flat tires, please seek professio­
nal ass istance.
- Please contact your authorized Audi
dealer or Aud i of America, Inc . if you
have questions about t ires and rims.
Driving with run-flat tires
Applies to veh icles: w it h Run -flat t ires
Handling characteristics change when tire
pressure is low.
Driving on tires with low tire pressure changes
the way a veh icle handles, particularly when
corner ing and braking. The handling charac­
teristics of run -flat tires do not seem to
change a lot even when driving on low pres­
sure or in the run-flat mode . Nevertheless you
must still take specia l precautions whe n oper ­
at ing a veh icle on run-flat tires when t ire pres­
s u re is low o r the tire(s) is flat:
" The Electronic Stabilization Contro l (E SC)
must be switched on.
" Never drive fas ter than 50 mph (80 km/h)
q .&_ .
"Plan ahead when driving and anticipate
what you will have to do considering traffic
and road conditions up ahead.
" Accelerate carefully.
" Avo id unnecessary and sudden steering and
braking maneuvers.
" Reduce your speed in plenty of t ime before
intersections, curves and other places where
you may have to react quickly .
Please see:
q page 203, When it is not possi­
ble to continue driving, even with run-flat tires?
•
•
...