2015 AUDI A8 ESP

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Tires and wheels 249
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seating
capacities Designated seating capacity, Vehicle normal load, number Occupant distribution in a nor-
number of occupants of occupants mally loaded vehicle
4 2 2
in front
5 3 2 in front, 1 in back seat
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
Fig. 208 Tire pressure label: located on driver 's side B­
pillar
Tire pressure generally refers to the amo unt
of air in a tir e that it needs it to do its job and
safely carry the combined load of the entire
vehicle and its contents . Tire pressure is
measured in kilopascals (kPa), the interna ­
tional measuring unit and in pounds per
squa re inch (PSI). Tire pressure is based in
part on the vehicle's design and load limit -
the greatest amount of weight that the vehi­
cle can carry safely and the tir e size. The prop­
er tire pressure is frequent ly referred to as the
"recommended cold tire inflation pressure ."
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
because of internal friction when it flexes in
use. The tire p ressure is higher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold." It is the
inflation pressure in a "cold" tire that counts.
Therefore, you should never let air out of a
warm tire to match "cold tire inflation p res­
sure" recommendations. The tir es would then
be underinflated and could fail suddenly .
Maintaining proper tire pressure is one of the
most important things you can do to help
avoid sudde n tire failure . Underinflated tire s
are a major cause of sudden tire failure. Keep­
in g tires at the right pressure is also impor-
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-...........
- KPA. a PS I
- KPA.
a PSI
-KPA. a PSI
Fig. 209 Tire pressure label
tant for safe and respons ive ve hicle hand ling,
traction, braking and load carrying.
Tire pres­
sures are particularly important when the
vehicle is being driven at higher speeds, and
then especially when heavily loaded even
within the permissible load-carrying capaci­
ties approved for your vehicle.
The recommended tire pressures for your Audi
depend on the kind of tires on your vehicle
and the number of passengers and/or amount
of luggage you will be transporting.
The tire pressure label is located on the driv­
er's side B-pillar. The tire pressure labe l lists
the recommended cold tire inflat ion pressures
for the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and tires that were on your veh icle at
the time it was manufactured.
If you wish to improve comfort when operat­
ing the vehicle at normal load (up to 2*/3
occupants), you can adjust tire pressures to
those specified for normal vehicle load. Be­
fore operating the vehicle at maximum load,
you must increase the tire pressures to those specified for maximum vehicle load
¢ ,&. . IJi,,-

250 Tires and wheels
Bear in mind that the tire pressure monitoring
system* can only monitor the tire pressures
you have stored . The system does not recog­
nize the load condit ion of your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the tire pressure monitor ­
ing system* will be impaired if you store nor­
mal load pressures but then operate the vehi ­
cle at its max imum load
c:> &. .
See the illustration c:> fig. 208 for the location
of the label on driver's side B-pillar (color of
the act ua l label and exact location on the ve­
hicle will vary slightly). Note
that the following table is accurate at
the time of going to press and is subject to
change. In the event of d iscrepancies, the t ire
pressure label is located on the driver's side B­
pillar always takes precedence.
The table below lists the recommended cold
t ir e inflation pressures for the Audi mode l
covered by your Owner's Literature at the vehi­
cle's capacity weight and the t ire sizes instal­
led on the respective models as orig inal
equipment, or as a factory opt ion.
Tire pressure
Model/En- Tire designation normal load condition full load condition
gine fronta> reara>
front rear
PSI kPA
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
A8/A8 L: 235/55 R18 104H
35 240 32 220 36 250 38 260
3.0 liter
255/45 R19 104H 35 240 32 220 36 250 38 260
6-cylinder
265/40 R20 104H 35 240 32 220 36 250 38 260
265/40 R20 104V 33 230 32 220 33 230 35 240
275/35 R21103Y XL 35 240 32 220 36 250 35 240
A8/A8 L: 235/55 R18 104H 35 240
32 220 38 260 38 260
4.0 liter
255/45 R19 104H 35 240 32 220 38 260 38 260
8-cylinder
265/40 R20 104H 35 240
32 220
38 260
38 260
265/40 R20 104V 33 230 32 220
35 240 35 240
275/35 R21103Y
XL 35 240
32 220
38 260
38 260
ASL
: 265/40 R20 104V 35 240 32 220 36 250 35 240
6.3 liter
255/45 R19 104H 36 250 32 220
39 270
38 260
12-cylin-
265/40 R20 104H 36 250 32 220 39 270 38 260
der
275/35 R21103Y XL
35 240 32 220 36 250
35 240
58: 265/40 R20 104V 36 250 32 220
39 270 38 260
4.0 liter
265/35 R21101 Y 39 270 35 240 44 300 42 290
8-cylinder
275/35 R21103Y XL 39 270
35 240
44
300 42
290
XL= reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xl, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire side-
wall.
al n orma l lo ad co ndi tio n~ page 249.
The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is
locat ed on a label on the driver's side B-pillar.
Because technical changes may be made to
ve hicl e equipment during the model year, al­
ways compa re the tire size designation on the tire
pressu re lab el on your vehicle wi th the
tires on your vehicle. Make sure that the tire
s iz e inform ation on the vehicle label is the
same as the size of the tires on the vehicle.
This is espec ially important if the vehicle be-
l ongs to someone e lse or yo u bought the ..,.

252 Tire s and wheel s
of people and the amount of luggage into ac­
count when adjusting tire pressure for a trip -
even one that you would not consider to be
"long." See
c> page 2 53 , Tires and vehicle
load limits
for more importan t information.
A lways use an accurate tire pressure gauge
when checking and adjusting inflation pres­
sures . Check all of the t ires and be sure not to
f orget the spare tire. If the pressure in any tire
is too high when the tire is "cold," let air out
of the t ire slowly with the edge of the tire
gauge and keep checking the pressure until
you reach the pressure that is cor rect for the
l oad (passenge rs and luggage) a nd kind of
d riving you plan to do.
If the p ress ure in any tire is too low, note the
d iffe rence between the pressure in the cold
tire and the pressure yo u need and add the a ir
that yo u need to reach the correct pressure for
the vehicle load (passengers and luggage) for
the tires on your vehicle as listed on the on
you r veh icle and in this manua l and the k ind
of dr iving you plan to do.
Never exceed the ma ximum infl ation pre s­
sure li sted on the tire sidewall for any rea­
son.
Remember that the vehicle manufacturer, not
the tire manufacture r, determines the correct
tire pressure for the tires on your vehicle.
It is important to check the tire pressu re when
the tires are cold .
- Read the requ ired t ire pressu re from the tire
pressure label. The tire pressu re labe l is lo­
cated on the drive r's side 8-p illar.
- T urn the valve stem cap counter-clockwise
to remove it from the tire valve.
- Place the air pressu re ga uge on the valve .
- The tire pressures should only be checked
and adjusted when the tires a re cold. The
s li ghtly raised pressu res of warm tires must
not be reduced.
- Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying.
- Re install the valve stem cap on the valve .
When should I check the tire pressure?
The co rrect tire pressu re is especially impor­
tant a t high speeds. The pressu re should
therefore be checked at least once a month
and always before sta rting a jo urney . Do not
forget to check the tire pressure for the spare
whee l
c> page 268 .
When should I adju st the tire pres sure s?
Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
ca rrying . After cha ng ing a whee l
or replacing
whee ls you have to adjust the tire press ure s
on all whee ls. In addition, yo u m ust then
store the new tire pressures in t he tire pres­
sure monitoring system*
c> page 263.
A WARNING
=
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underi nfla-
tion can lead sudden tire fa ilu re, loss of
control, collision , serio us pe rsonal injury
or even dea th.
- When the wa rn ing symbol
[IJ appears i n
the ins trument clus ter, stop and inspec t
the t ires.
- I nco rrect tire pressure a nd/or underinfla­
tion c an cause increase d tire wea r and
can a ffect the hand ling of the vehicle and
stopping abi lity.
- I nco rrec t tire pressures an d/or underin­
flation can a lso lead to s udden t ire fail ­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
flation, ca using loss of vehicle contro l.
- The driver is responsible for the co rrect
tire pressures for all tires on the vehicle .
The applicable pressure values are locat ­
ed on a sticke r on the dr iver's s ide B-pil­
lar.
- Only when all tires on the vehicle are fil­
led to the correct pressure, the t ire pres­
sure mon itor ing* system can work cor­
rectly .
- The use of incorrect tire pressure va lues
can lead to acc idents or other damage .
Therefore it is essential that the drive r
observe the spec ified t ire pressu re val ues
for the tires and the correct pressures for
II),

256 Tires and wheels
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can cause exces­
sive tire wear, impairing the safety of the vehi­
cle. If tires show excessive wear, have the
wheel alignment checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles with quattro must always have tires
of the same size, construction and tread type.
For details see Qpage 202 .
.&_ WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of con­
trol, a crash and serious personal injury!
- Never drive a vehicle when the tread on
any tire 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"hydroplaning" and loss of
control.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause
tire damage, such as grease, oil, gasoline
and brake fluid away from tires.
- 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 your 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.
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in .
Fig. 212 Tir e specificat ion codes on the s idewall of a
t ire
No. Description
@ Nominal width of tire in millimeters
® Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
© Radial
® Rim diameter code
® Load index and speed rating
(J) U.S . DOT tire identification number
® Audi Original tire
® Sever snow conditions
@ Tire ply composition and materials
used
@ Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and temperature
grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pres-
sure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the
vehicle's design . The tires and rims approved
by Audi are specially matched to the charac­
teristics of the vehicle and can make a major .,..

258 Tires and wheels
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)ll
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)ll
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)l)
Your veh icle is normally factory equipped with
tires, which possess excellent driving charac­
teristics and give your Audi opt imum driving
comfort. An electronic speed limiter
c:> page 30 will normally prevent your vehicle
from going faster than the tire speed rating
c:> & .
U.S . DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
and tire manufacture date
This is the tire's "serial number". It begins
with the letters "DOT" and indicates that the
tire meets all federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers
r epresent the week and year of manufacture.
F or example, the numbers 2214 mean the tire
was produced in the 22nd week of 2014. The
other numbers are marketing codes that may
or may not be used by the tire manufacturer .
T his information is used to contact consumers
if a tire defect requires a recall.
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 characteristics when used
correctly . Your authorized Audi dealer will
gladly provide you with more information .
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of plies indicates the number of
layers of rubber-coated fabric in the tire. In
general, the greater the number of plies, the more weight a tire can support. Tire manufac -
ll F t· "t h .
o r ires w 1 a m ax im um spee d ca pabil ity ove r 149
mph (2 40 km/ h), ti re manufact urers sometimes use
the lett ers " ZR."
turers also must indicate the materials in the
tire, which include steel, nylon, polyester, and
others .
Maximum Load Rating
Th is number ind icates the max imum load in
kilograms and pounds that can be carried by
the tire .
Tire quality grading for treadwear,
traction , and temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and tempera ture grades
c:>page 259.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest amount of a ir
pressure that should ever be put in the tire
un der normal driv ing conditions .
_& WARNING
= -
- Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
combinations can lead to loss of control
collision and serious personal injury.
'
- Always use tires, rims and whee l bolts
that meet the specifications of original factory-installed tires or other combina­
tions that have been specifically ap­
proved by the vehicle manufacturer.
- 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 w ith special care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mount used tires on your veh icle if
you are not sure of the ir "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire fa ilure
and loss of vehicle control.
- All four whee ls must be fitted with radial
tires of the same type, size (rolling cir­ cumference) and the same tread pattern . ..,_

260 Tire s and wheel s
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. T hose grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance
c:> .&. .
Te mp eratu re
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and
C, representing the t ire's resistance to
the generat ion of heat and its ability to dissi­
pate heat when tested under con trolled cond i­
tions on a specified i ndoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure
c:> ,& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federa l Motor Veh icle Safety Stand­
ard No . 1 09 . Grades Band A represent h igher
l eve ls of pe rformance on the laboratory test
wheel than the m inimum required by law.
.&_ WARNING
T he traction grade assigned to this t ire is
based on stra ight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydrop laning o r peak traction
character istics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this t ire is es ­
tablished for a t ire that is properly inflated
and not ove rloaded. Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible ti re fa ilu re.
-
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice . At temperatures below 45 °F
(7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments
may require true w inter o r "snow" t ires , those
with very deeply cut tread . Th ese tires should
o n ly be used in pairs and be installed on a ll
f o ur wheels . Make sure you p urch ase snow
t ir es that are the same size and cons truction
type as the othe r tires on yo ur vehicle.
If your vehicle i s equ ipped w ith all-whee l
drive, this will improve tra ction during w inte r
driv ing, even with the standard tires . Howev ­
er, we strongly recommend that you always
equip all four wheels on your vehicle w ith cor­
rect ly fitted winter tires or all-season t ires,
when winter road condit ions are expected.
This also improves the veh icle 's brak ing per­
formance and reduces stopping d istances .
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on all fo ur whee ls .
As k your au thori zed A udi dealer or qualified
workshop for permit ted
winter tire size s. Use
only radial winter tires .
Winter tires lose their effec tivenes s whe n the
tread is wo rn down to a depth o f 0 .1 57 inch
(4 mm) .
Only d rive w ith w inter t ires under w inte r co n­
di tions. S umme r tir es handle be tte r whe n
the re is no snow o r ice on the roa ds an d the
temperatu re is above 45 °F (7 °C) .
If you have a flat ti re, see notes on spare
whee l
c:> page 256.
Please a lways remember that winter tires may
have a lowe r speed rating than the tires o rigi­
nally i nstalled on your vehi cle at the time it
was manuf actu red. P lease see
c:> page 257,
Speed ra ting (Letter code) fo r a lis ting o f the
speed rating lette r codes and the max imum
speed at which the tires can be driven . ..,.

,....,
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'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
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 veh icle, 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 ir e may have been damaged, replace the
t ire as soon as possible.
- T hese tires may wea r mo re qui ck ly 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 performance in winter /cold
season 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 circumstances, you
should equip your veh icle with all-season or
winter t ires, which offer better traction under
those cond itions. We suggest you use the rec­
ommended snow or all-season tires specified
for your ve hicl e, or their equ iva lent.
Tire s an d wheel s 263
Refer to q page 260 for more detailed infor­
mation regard ing winter tires.
Tire pressure
monitoring system
ill General notes
Each tire, incl uding the spare ( if provided),
shou ld be checked monthly when co ld and in­
flated to the inflation pressure recommended by the veh icle manufacturer on the veh icle
placard or tire inf lation pressure label. (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size than the s ize indicated on the vehicle placard or tire in­
flat io n pressure labe l, you shou ld determ ine
t h e p rope r tir e inflation p ressu re fo r those
ti res).
As an added safety feature, your veh icle has
been equipped with a tire pressure mon itoring
system ( TPMS) that illum inates a low t ire
pressure te lltale whe n one or more o f you r
tires is significant ly under-inflated . According­
ly, when the low tire pressure te lltale illumi­
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 tire causes the tire to overheat
and can lead to tire fa ilure. Under-inflation al ­
so reduces fuel eff ic 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
reached the leve l to tr igger illuminat ion of the
T PMS low tire pressu re tellta le .
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
T PMS ma lfu nction ind icator to ind icate when
the sys tem is not operating properly. The
T PMS ma lfunction indicator is combined with
the low tire pressure te lltale. When the sys ­
tem detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximate ly one minute and then ..,.
•
•

,....,
N ,....,
N
0 J:
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
A WARNING ,~
- If the tire pressure indicator appears in
the instrument cluster display, one or
more of your tires is significantly under­
inflated. Reduce your speed immediately
and avoid any hard steering or braking
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and
check the tires and their pressures. In­
flate the tire pressure to the proper pres­
sure as indicated on the vehicle's tire
pressure label¢
page 249. Driving on a
signif icantly 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 maintaining the correct tire pressures. You must check the tire pressures regularly.
- Under certain conditions (such as a spor­
ty driving style, winter 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.
.
(0 Tips
- The tire pressure monitoring system may
stop working when there is an ESC mal­
function.
- 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 256. We recom­
mend using these tires.
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels are ro­
tated or changed, the TPMS must be reset via
MMI.
.,. Before storing the new tire pressures, check
that the current pressures on all four tires
correspond to the specified values and
Tires and wheels 265
adapt the pressures to the current load
¢page 249 .
.,. Switch on the ignition.
.,. Select in the MMI:
ICARI function button >
Car systems control button > Servicing &
checks > Tire pressure monitoring > Store
tire pressures > Yes, store now.
(D Tips
Do not store the tire pressure if there are
snow chains on the tire. Otherwise, a sys ­
tem malfunction may occur .
•
•