2015 AUDI A8 height

.... N .... N
0 J:
'SI: .... \!) 1.1'1
.... 1.1'1 ,....,
Trailer load distribution Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely
in place to prevent it from shifting forward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢ .&. in Driving instructions on page 212.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard ­
er . It is important that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load .
Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the label located on the driver's
side B-pillar (visible when the door is open).
Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufac­
turers' specifications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer
lights are working properly.
Safety chains Be sure trailer safety chains are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve­
hicle . Leave enough slack in the chains to per­
mit turning corners . When you install safety
chains, make sure they will not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separation from the hitch .
Adjusting the Audi drive select Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface
be­
fore
hitching up the trailer and before adjust ­
ing the tongue weight. The vehicle must be in
auto or comfort driving mode and not raised
¢page 108, ~CD .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info ­
tainment, select:
ICARI function button> low­
er control button .
Trailer towing 211
If you must drive under poor road conditions,
you can raise the vehicle
after coupling the
trailer or
after adjusting the tongue weight
¢ page 110.
@ Note
- Changes in temperature or load can af­
fect the height of the vehicle.
- Always select auto or comfort mode.
Otherwise, the tongue load specified for
your vehicle will no longer be applicable.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
core and consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the following:
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car it­
self is not loaded .
.,. Be especially careful when passing other
vehicles.
.,. Observe speed limits.
.,. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed .
.,. Always apply brakes early .
.,. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car re­
sults in a highly unstable distribution of
weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at very
low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and con­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and permissi­
ble, while keeping the trailer as light as possi­
ble under the circumstances . Whenever possi­
ble , transfer some cargo to the luggage com­
partment of the tow vehicle while observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations .
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig. Do not .,.
•
•

24 6 T ire s and whee ls
- Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- 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 winter
tires are designed for the cond itions that
a re typ ica l in those seasons. Aud i recom­
mends using w inter t ires d uring the win-
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means t he comb ined weight (in excess of
those standard items which may be rep laced)
of automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that these
items are available as factory-installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not).
Aspect ratio
means t he 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 steer ing re­
sponse and better overall handling on dry pavement .
Bead
means the pa rt of the tire t hat is made of
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the r im.
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means t he strands forming the plies in the
tire. ter months.
Low tempe ratu res signifi­
cantly decrease the elasticity of summer
tires, which affects traction and braking ability. If summer tires are used in very
co ld temperatures, cracks can form on
the tread bars, resu lting in permanent
tire damage that can cause loud driving 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. The
surface of the rims does not have suff i­
c ien t corrosion protect io n for this and
cou ld be pe rmanently damaged by road
salt or simi lar substances. This damage
is not covered by war ranty.
Cold tire inflat ion pre ssure
means the t ire press ure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer for a tire o f a des ignated
size that has not been driven for more than a
coup le of miles (ki lometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire press ure
is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor vehicle w ith
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 x tra 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 A xle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
means the load-carrying capacity of a single
axle system, measured at the tire-ground in -
terfaces.
IJ>,

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 .,..

,....,
N ,....,
N
0 J:
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
contribution to good road holding and safe
handling when in good condition and properly
inflated
¢ .&. .
We recommend that all work on t ires and
wheels be performed by an authorized A udi
dealer. They are familiar with recommended
procedures and have the necessary spec ial
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 techn ica l requ irements for
installing or changing tires and r ims.
R eplacing t ires and wheel s
Tires shou ld be rep laced at least in pairs and
not individua lly (for example both front tires
or both rear tires together).
Be s ure to read and heed the information to
the tire pressure monitoring system*
¢page 263.
Always buy rep lacement radial tires that have
the same specifications as the t ires approved
for your ve hicle by Audi. Replacement tires
must always have the same load rating speci ­
fication as the original equipment or approved
optional tires listed in the table¢
page 249.
Audi-approved specification tires are specially
matched to your vehicle and its load limits,
and can contribute to the important road hold­
ing, driving character istics, and safety of the
veh icle. The table(¢
page 249) lists spec ifica­
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 dr iver 's side
B-pillar
( ¢ page 249, fig. 209) 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
p lace standard ized information on the s ide­
wall of all tires ¢
fig. 212 . This information
i dent ifies and desc ribes the fundamental
characterist ics, the quality grade of the tire
and a lso provides a tire ide ntificat io n number
Tire s an d wheel s 257
for sa fety standard certification and in case of
a reca ll.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it eas­
ier to choose the co rrec t tires . Radial ti res
have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewa ll, for examp le:
255 /45 R 19 104 H
This co nta ins the following information :
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars
(where app licab le)
255 Nom inal tire width i n mm of the tire
from sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In
general, the larger the number, the wider
the tire
45 Height/w idth ratio in percent (aspect ra -
t io)
R Tire construct ion: Radial
1 9 Rim diameter code (i n inches)
104 Load ra ting code
H Speed ra ting letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF") Indicates
t h at the t ire is a "Reinfo rced" or an " Ext ra
Load " tir e
M+S (or "M/S") Indicates that the ti re has
some mud and snow capab ility
The tires could also have the informat ion of
direction of rotat ion ¢
page 245 .
Tire manufacturing d ate
The manufact uring date is also indicated on
the tire sidewall (possibly only on the
inner
s ide of the wheel):
"DOT ... 2214 .. . " means, for example, the tire
was produced in the 22nd week of 2014.
Speed rating (letter code )
The speed rating le tter code on the whee ls in­
dicates the maximum permiss ible road speeds
¢ .&. in Winter tires on page 261.
P up to 93 mp h (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)
•
•

26 2 T ire s and wheel s
chains because the vehicle will be ex­
tremely low. If you do drive with snow
chains on while the vehicle is at this lev­
el, the snow chains might severe ly dam­
age the wheelhouse and other parts of
the veh icle.
(D} Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory oncer­
tain roads, this normally also applies to
veh icles with All Wheel Drive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque .
The design of whee l bolts is matched to the
factory installed r ims. If different rims
are fit­
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the right length and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted
secure ly and that the brake system functions
correctly .
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a different vehicle -even if it
is the same mode l
¢page 292.
_& WARNING
Imprope rly tig htened o r maintained whee l
bolts can be come loose ca using loss of
contro l, a co llision and serious persona l in­
jury.
- Always keep the wheel bol ts and the
threads in the wheel hubs clean so the
wheel bolts can tu rn easily and be prop­
er ly tightened .
- Never grease or oil the wheel bo lts and
the threads in the wheel h ubs. They can
become loose w hile driving if greased or
oiled, even if tightened to the specif ied
torque.
- Only use wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed.
- Never use different whee ls bolts on your
vehicle.
- Always maintain the correct tighten ing
torq ue for the wheel bo lts to reduce the risk of a whee
l loss. If the tightening tor­
que of the wheel bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the vehi­
cle is mov ing. If the tighte ning torque is
too high, the wheel bolts a nd threads
can be damaged and the whee l can be­
come loose.
([) Note
The specified torque for the 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. Afte r changing a whee l, the torque
must be checked as soon as possible wi th a
torque wrench -pre ferably by an au thor­
ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect
ratio tires. These tires have been thoro ughly
tested and been se lected specifically for your
model for their superb performance, road fee l
and hand ling u nder a var iety of d riv ing condi ­
t ions . As k your author ized Audi dealer for
more details.
The low aspect ratio of these tires is ind icated
by a numeral of
55 or less in the tire's s ize
designation . The numeral rep resents the ratio
of the t ire's s idewa ll height in relation to its
t read width ex pressed in percentage. Conven­
tiona l tires have a he igh t/w idth rat io of 60 or
more.
The performanc e of low -a sp ec t-ratio tires i s
pa rticularly sensitive to improper inflation
pre ssure . It is therefore important that low
a spect ratio tires are inflated to the specified
pre ssure and th at the inflation pressure i s
regularly checked and maintained. Tire pre s­
s u res should be checked at least once a
month and always befo re a long trip
¢ page 251, Checking tire pressure .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more
easily by impact w ith potholes, curbs, gull ies .,..

272 What do I do now?
hold on to the car to keep your balance
and take care not to slip.
AB: Raising the vehicle
The vehicle must be lifted with the jack first
before the wheel can be removed.
Fig. 224 Sill pa nels : m ark ings
Fig. 225 Sill: position ing t he veh icle jack
.. Activate the vehicle jack mode in the MMI:
I CAR ! function button > Car systems control
button>
Servicing & checks> Air susp.:
jack mode
> On.
.. Engage the parking brake to prevent your
vehicle from rolling unintentionally.
.. Move the
selector lever to position P .
.. Find the marking (imprint) on the sill that is
nearest the wheel that will be changed
o
fig. 224. Behind the marking, there is a
lifting point on the sill for the vehicle jack.
.. Turn the
vehicle jack located under the lift­
ing point on the sill to raise the jack until its
arm @o
fig. 225 is located under the des ­
ignated plastic mount o ,& o0 .
.. Align the jack so that its arm @ o
fig. 225
engages in the designated lifting point in
the door sill and the movable base @ lies
flat on the ground. The base @ must be
ver­
tical
under the lifting point @. ..
Wind the jack up further until the flat tire
comes off the ground o
.&,.
Position the vehicle jack only under the desig­
nated lifting points on the sill
c:> fig. 224.
There is exactly one location for each wheel.
The jack must not be positioned at any other
location
c:> .&, c:>Q).
An unstable surface under the jack can cause
the vehicle to slip off the jack. Always provide
a firm base for the jack on the ground. If nec­
essary place a sturdy board or similar support
under the jack. On
hard, slippery surfaces
(such as tiles) use a rubber mat or similar to
prevent the jack from slipping
c:> .&,.
A WARNING ~
-You or your passengers could be injured
while changing a wheel if you do not fol­
low these safety precautions:
- Position the vehicle jack only at the
designated lifting points and align the
jack. Otherwise, the vehicle jack could slip and cause an injury if it does not
have sufficient hold on the vehicle.
- A soft or unstable surface under the
jack may cause the vehicle to slip off
the jack . Always provide a firm base for
the jack on the ground. If necessary,
use a sturdy board under the jack.
- On hard, slippery surface (such as tiles)
use a rubber mat or similar to prevent
the jack from slipping.
- To help prevent injury to yourself and
your passengers:
- Do not raise the vehicle until you are
sure the jack is securely engaged.
- Passengers must not remain in the ve­
hicle when it is jacked up.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a
safe place away from the vehicle and
well away from the road and traffic .
- Make sure jack position is correct, ad­
just as necessary and then continue to
raise the jack.
- Changes in temperature or load can af­
fect the height of the vehicle.

274 What do I do now ?
-Passengers must not rema in in the ve­
h icle when it is jacked up.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a
safe p lace away from the vehicle and
well away from the road and traffic.
- Make sure jack position is correct, ad­
just as necessary and then continue to
raise the jack.
- Changes in temperature or load can af­
fect the height of the vehicle.
CD Note
D o not lift t he vehicle by the si ll. Position
the vehicle jack only at the designated lift­
ing points on the sill. Otherwise, your vehi­
cle will be damaged.
@ Tips
The vehicle jack mode switches off auto­ mat ica lly at speeds above
10 km/h.
Taking the wheel off/installing the spare
Follow these instructions step-by-step for
changing the wheel.
Fi g. 228 Changing a wheel: using the screwdrive r han­
dle (w ith t he blade r emoved) to turn the bo lts
F ig . 2 29 Changing a whee l: a lignmen t pin inside th e
top hole
After yo u have loosened all wheel bo lts and
raised the vehicle off the ground, remove and
replace the wheel as follows:
Removing the wheel
.,. Use the hexagonal soc ket in the scr ewdriv ­
er handle
to completely remove the top­
most whee l bolt and se t it aside on a
clean
surface r=> fig. 228 .
.,. Screw the threaded end of the alignme nt
pin from the tool kit hand-t ight into th e
empty bolt hole
Q fig. 229 .
.,. Then remove the other whee l bolts as de­
scribed above.
.,. Take off the whee l leaving the a lignment pin
in the bo lt ho le r=> 0 .
Putting on the spare wheel
.,. Lift the spare whee l and carefully s lide it
over the alignment p in to g uide it in place
Q0 .
.,. Use the hexagona l socket in th e screwdriver
ha ndle to screw in and tig hten all whee l
bolts
slightly.
.,. Remove the al ignment pin and insert and
tighten the remain ing wheel bolt slightly
like the rest .
.,. Turn the jack hand le counter-clockwise to
lower the vehicle until the jack is fully re­
leased .
.,. Use the wheel bo lt wrench to tighten all
wheel bo lts fi rm ly
r=> page 271 . Tighten
them
crosswise, from o ne bolt to the (ap­
p rox ima tely) opposi te one, to keep the
wheel ce nte red .
CD Note
When remov ing or i nsta lling the whee l,
the rim could hit t he b ra ke ro to r and d am­
age the ro tor. Wor k caref ully and have a
seco nd person hel p you.
(D Tips
Never use the hexagon al socke t in the han­
d le of t he screwdriver to loosen or tighten
the wheel bo lts .
Ill-

288 Techni cal Dat a
Gross Ax le Weight R atin g
The Gross Axle Weight Rating is the maximum
l oad that can be applied at each axle of the
vehicle
c::> &. .
Vehicle capacity weight
The vehicle capac ity we ight (max. load) is list­
ed eithe r on the dr iver's side B-pillar or inside
the fuel filler flap.
A WARNING
- The actual Gross Axle Weight Rat ing at
the front and rear axles should not ex­
ceed the perm iss ible weights, and their
combination must not exceed the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rat ing.
Dimensions
I>
-
- Exceeding permissible weight ratings can
result in veh icle damage, acc idents and
personal injury.
(D Note
- The vehicle capacity weight figures apply
when the load is distributed evenly in the
vehicle (passengers and luggage). When
transport ing a heavy load in the luggage
compartment, carry the load as near to
the rear axle as poss ible so that the vehi­
cle's handling is not impaired.
- Do not exceed the maximum permissible
axle loads or the maximum gross veh icle
we ight. Always remember that the vehi­
cle's handling w il l be affected by the ex­
tra load. Therefo re, adj ust your speed ac­
cordingly.
- Always observe local regulat ions.
AS SS ASL
Length in (mm) 202.2 (5135) 202.6 (5147) 20
7.3 (5265)
Width in (mm)
76.7 (1949) 76 .7 (1949) 76 .7 (1949)
Width (across mir rors) in (mm) 83.1 (2111) 83.1 (2111) 83.1 (2111)
Height (unloaded)a) in (mm)
57.5 (1460) 57 .4 (1458) 57 .9 (1471)
a l The height of the vehicle depends on the tires an d th e suspension.
When driv ing up steep ramps, on rough roads,
over curbs, etc . it is important to remember
that some parts of your vehicle, such as spoil-
Capacities
Fuel tank: total capacity
Winds hield and headlight* washer fluid container ers or exhaust
system components, may be
close to the ground . Be careful not to damage
them .
gal (liters) approx. 21.7 (82.0)
quarts (liters) approx. 5.29 (5.0)