2014 AUDI TT ROADSTER winter tires

ignition, assuming that you have not changed
or reset the setting.
The speed warning symbo l
Jmj (USA models)/
caj (Canada models) in the wa rning 1 display
appears when you exceed the maximum
speed. It goes out when the speed falls below
the stored max imum speed .
The speed warning symbo l wi ll also go out if
the speed
exceeds the sto red maximum speed
by more than about 25 mph (40 km/h) for at
least 10 seconds. The stored maximum speed
is deleted .
Setting speed warning 1
¢ page 77.
Speed warning
2
Storing 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 max imum speed limit,
or if you do not want to exceed a specified
speed for winter tires.
The speed warning 2 symbol,
(mj CUSA mod­
e ls)/
(SJ (Canada models) appea rs in the dis­
play when you exceed the stored speed limit.
Unlike warning 1, it will not go out until the
vehicle speed drops below the stored speed
limit.
Setting speed warning 2
¢ page 78.
@ Tips
Even though your vehicle is equipped wi th
a speed warning system, you should still
watch the speedometer to make sure you
are not driving faster than the speed limit.
On the road 77
Speed warning 1: setting a speed limit
Warning threshold 1 is set by the button.
Fig. 84 Sect ion of instru ment clu ster: Set/C heck but ·
ton
Storing the maximum speed
.,. Drive at the desired maximum speed.
.,. Press the knob button ~fig .
84 unti l the
speed warning symbol
[fl (USA models)/ ~
(Canada models) appears.
Resetting the maximum speed
.,. Drive the vehicle at a speed of at least
3 mph (5 km/h)
.,. Press the knob for more than 2 seconds .
The speed warning symbol
fZl (USA models)/
i•j rcanada models) will appear briefly in the
display when you release the button to indi­
cate that the maximum speed has been stored
successfully .
The maximum speed remains stored until it is
changed by pressing the button aga in briefly
or until it is deleted by a lengthy push on the
button.

-If the power steering system is not fu nc ­
tioni ng properly, contact your a uthorized
Audi dealer immediate ly.
Driving with your
quattro
App lies to vehicles: with a ll-wheel drive
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driv­
en.
Gene ral inform ati on
With all-wheel drive, power is distributed to
all four wheels. This happens automatically
depending on your dr iving sty le and the road
conditions at the t ime. See a lso
r=;, page 142.
The all-wheel drive concept is designed for
h igh engine power. Your vehicle is exception­
ally powerful and has excellent dr iving charac­
ter istics both under normal driving conditions
and on snow and ice. Always read and follow
safety precautions
c::;, ,&. .
Winter t ire s
When drivi ng in the w inter, your ve hicle w ith
all-wheel drive has an advantage, even with
regular t ires. In winter road conditions it may
be adv isable to mount winter t ires (or all-sea­
son t ires) for improved driveability and brak­
ing: these tires must be mounted on
a ll f our
w heel s.
See also c::;, page 196, Winter tires.
Snow chains
Where t ire cha ins are mandatory on certain
roads, th is normally a lso applies to vehicles
w ith a ll-wheel d rive
c::;, page 19 7, Snow
chains .
Replacing wheels /tire s
Vehicles w ith all-wheel drive must always
have tires of the same size. Also avoid t i res
with d iffe ren t tread depths. For details see
page
c::;, page 192 , 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 veh icle.
It is
Int ellig ent technolog y 147
therefore best to avoid rough tracks and un ­
even terrain as much as possib le . Also refer to
r=;, page 151.
_& WARNING
Always adjust your dr iv ing 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 lim ited by tire tract ion. You
should t herefore not d rive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippe ry road s urfaces.
- 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 th is should occur, yo u
wi ll have no warning from a s udden in ­
crease in engine speed as with a front­
wheel drive veh icle. Always drive at
speeds which are su ited to the road con­
ditions. -risk of crash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution
of electrical energy and thus optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting
the engine.
If a vehicle with a conventiona l energy system
is not d rive n for a long per iod of t ime, the bat­
te ry is discharged by idling current consumers
(e.g . immobilizer). In certain circumstances it
can res ult in there being insufficient energy
available to start the eng ine.
Intellige nt energy managemen t in your vehi­
cle handles the dis tribution o f electrica l ene r­
gy. Starting ability is marked ly improved and
the life of the battery is extended .
Bas ica lly, energy managemen t consis ts of
batt ery diagno sis, idling cur rent man age­
ment
and dyn amic energ y management .
•
•

182 Tire s and wheel s
-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 t ire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when driving, 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 wi nte r tires
are designed for the cond itions that are
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means t he comb ined we ight (in excess of
those sta ndard items which may be rep laced)
of au toma tic tra nsmission, power s teer ing,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
ra dio, and heater, to the extent that th ese
items are availab le as factory -installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not) .
Aspect ratio
means t he ratio of the he ight to the w idth of
the tire in percent . Numbers of 55 or lower in ­
dicate a low sidewall for improve d steering re­
sponse and better overall handling on dry pavement .
Bead
means the part 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 separation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the
tire . typ
ica l in those seasons . Aud i recommends
using winter tires during the winter
months . Low temperatures signif icant ly
decrease the e lasticity of summer tires,
which affects tract ion a nd brak ing ability.
If summer tires are used in very co ld tem­
peratures, cracks ca n form on the tread
bars, res ulting in permanent tire damage
that can cause loud driving no ise and un­
balan ced t ires. Audi i s not responsible for
th is type of damage .
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire p ress ure recommended by t he
vehicle manufacture r fo r a tire of a des igna ted
s iz e t hat has not bee n driven for more than a
coup le of miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in
t h e three hour period before the tire pressure
is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
mea ns the we ight of a motor ve hicle with
standard equipment in clu din g the max imum
capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi ­
tioning and additional weight of optiona l
equipment.
Extra load tire
me ans a tire designed to ope rate a t higher
loads and at highe r inflation p ress ures than
the corresponding standard tire. Extra load
tires my be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA
LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
me ans the lo ad -c a rry ing c apac ity of a s ingle
axle system , measured a t the tire-ground in­
terfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR ")
mea ns the max imum total loaded we ight of
t h e ve hicl e. .,.

184 Tires and wheels
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at wh ic h a tir e is des igned to
be d riven for extended per io d s o f time. The
ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h)
¢ page 193. You may
not find this in format ion on all tires because
it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, w here a pplica­
b le, is molded on the tire s idewa ll and indi­
cates the maxim um permissible road speeds
¢ &. in Winter tires on page 197.
Tire pressure monitoring system
means a sys tem that detects whe n one or
mo re of a vehicle's t ires a re under inflated and
il lum inates a low t ire p ress ure warn ing te ll­
tale.
Tread
means t hat port ion of a tire tha t comes into
con tact w it h t he road.
Tread separation
means pull ing away of the t read from the t ire
car cass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means t he p rojections withi n the pr inc ipal
g rooves desig ned to give a v isua l ind ication of
the deg rees of wea r of the tre ad . See
¢
pag e 191, Tread W ear Indicator (TWI) for
mo re inf ormat io n on measu ring tire we ar.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a ti re i nfo rmation system developed by the
United States Nat io nal Highway Traffic Safety
Admi nistration (N HTSA) that is designed to
h e lp buye rs m ake re lative compa risons among
tires. The UT QG i s n ot a safety r ating an d no t a
g ua ran tee t hat a tir e will las t fo r a presc ribed
n umber of m iles or per form i n a certa in way .
It sim ply g ives tire buyers a dditio na l info rma­
tion to combine w ith other considerations, s
u ch as pr ice, brand loyalty a nd dealer recom ­
me ndations. Under U TQG, tires are gra ded by
t h e tire man ufact urers in three areas : tread­
wear, traction and temperature resistance .
The UTQG informat io n on the tires, m olded in ­
to the sidewalls .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN )
This is the tire's "se ria l numbe r" It begins
with the letters "DOT" and ind icates that the
t ir e meets all federa l standards. The next two
numbers or letters ind icate the plant where it
was ma nufactu red, and the last four numbe rs
r eprese nt the week and year of ma nufact ure.
Fo r exampl e,
DOT ... 2213 ...
means that the tire was produced in t he 22nd
wee k of 2013. The ot her numbers are market­
ing codes that may or may not be used by the
t ire manufacturer . This information is used to
contact consumers i f a tire defect requires a
r ecall .
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and luggage load p lus
150 lbs. (68 k ilograms) times the vehicle's to­
ta l seating capacity as listed on the label lo­
cated on the driver's side B-pilla r.
Vehicle maximum lo ad on the tire
means that load on an individua l tire that is
determined by distrib uting to eac h axle its
share of the maxim um loaded vehicle weight
and divid ing by two .
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individua l t ir e that is
determined by distrib uting to eac h ax le its
share of the curb weight, accessory weight,
and normal occ upant weig ht (d istr ibuted in
accorda nce wit h tab le below¢
page 185)
and divid ing by two .

handling when in good condition and properly
inflated¢&..
We recommend that all wo rk on tires and
wheels be perfo rmed by an au thorized A udi
dea ler. They are familiar with recommended
proced ures and have the necessary special
too ls and spare parts as we ll as the proper fa­
cilities for dispos ing of the old tires.
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary information about technica l requirements for
insta lling or changing tires and r ims.
R eplacing t ire s an d wheel s
Tires s hou ld be rep laced at least in pairs and
not individua lly (for example both front t ires
or both rear tires together).
Be sure to read and heed the information to
the t ire pressure monitor ing system
¢page 199.
Always buy rep lacement radial tires that have
the same specifications as the tires approved
for your ve hicl e by Audi. Replacement t ires
must always have the same load rating speci­
fication as the original equipment or approved optional tires listed in the table
¢ page 185.
Aud i-approved specifica tion ti res are specially
matched to you r vehicle and its load limits,
and can contribute to the important road ho ld­
ing, driving characteristics, and safety of the
vehicle. The table
( q page 185) lists specifica­
tions of the t ires approved for the Audi mod­
e ls covered by your Owner's Literature .
The tire pressure labe l located on driver's side
B-pillar
( q page 185, fig. 139) lists the speci­
fications of the orig inal equipment tires in­
stalled on your veh icle at the time it was man­
ufactured .
Federal law requires t ire manufacturers to
place standard ized information on the s ide­
wall of all tires
q fig. 142. This information
ident ifies and describes the fundamental
characterist ics, the quality grade of the tire
and a lso provides a tire identificat ion number
for safety standard certificat ion and i n case of
a recall.
Tire s an d wheel s 193
Tire specification s
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it eas­
ier to choose the co rrect tires. Radial tires
have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewa ll, for examp le:
P245 / 45 R 17 95 H
This conta ins the following information:
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars
2 45 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire
from sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In general, the larger the number, the wider
the tire
45 Height/w idt h ratio in percent (aspect ra-
tio)
R Tire construction: Radial
17 Rim diameter code (in inches)
95 Load rating code
H Speed rat ing letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF") ind icates
that the t ire is a"Re inforced" o r an " Extra
Load " tir e
M+5 (or "M/S") Indicates that the tire has
some mud and snow capabi lity
The t ires could also have the informat ion of
direction of rotat ion
q page 181 .
Tire manuf acturing d ate
The manufacturing date is also indicated on
the tire sidewall (possibly on ly 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.
Sp eed 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 197.
p up to 93 mp h (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mp h (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 u
p to 130 mph (210 km/h)
•
•

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 tire for a short period of time
and drive with extra care. Refit the nor­
mal road wheel as soon as safely possi­
ble.
- Never drive faster than the maximum
speed for which the tires on your vehicle
are rated because tires that are driven
faster than their rated speed can fail
suddenly.
- Overloading tires cause heat build-up,
sudden tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of control.
- Temperature grades apply to tires that
are properly inflated and not over or un­
deri nflated.
- For technical reasons it is not always
possible to use wheels from other
vehicles -in some cases not even wheels
from the same vehicle model.
- If you install wheel trim discs on the ve­
hicle wheels, make sure that the air flow
to the brakes is not blocked. Reduced air­
flow to the brakes can them to overheat, increasing stopping distances and caus­
ing a collision.
- Run flat tires may only be used on
vehicles that were equipped with them
at the factory . The vehicle must have a
chassis designed for run flat tires and a
factory-installed tire pressure monitor­ ing system that indicates a loss of tire
pressure. Incorrect 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
equipped with run flat tires .
If run flat
tires are used, they must be installed on
all four wheels. Mixing tire types is not
permitted .
Tires and wheels 195
@ Note
-For technical reasons, it is not generally
possible to use the wheel rims from oth­
er vehicles. This can hold true for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
- If the spare tire is different from the
tires that you have mounted on your ve­
hicle (for example winter tires or wide
profile tires), then use the spare tire for a
short period of time only and drive with
extra care. Replace the flat tire with the
tire matching the others on your vehicle
as soon as possible.
- Never drive without the valve stem cap .
The valves could get damaged.
(® For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accordance with the
local requirements.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire side wall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width
¢ page 192,
fig. 142 .
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA,
Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Feder­
al Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades.
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded 1S0 would wear
one and one half (1 1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100. •
•

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 .,.
•
•