2015 AUDI R8 SPYDER Owners Manual

Tires and wheels
valve stem caps. Ask your au--Tires age even if they are not
thorized Audi dealer to replace being used and can fail sud-
lost valve stem caps .
denly, especially at high
The installation of replacement speeds
. Tires that are more
tires with steel cord body plies in than 6 years old can only be
the tire sidewall may cause mal- used
in an emergency and
function of the tire pressure man- then with special care and at
itoring system, and is not recom- lower speeds.
mended (cord material informa- -Never mount used tires on
tion in molded on the tire side- your vehicle if you are not sure
wall). of their "previous history." Old
Always check your tire pressure used tires may have been
damaged even though the
monitoring system indicator after
damage cannot be seen that
replacing one or more tires on
can lead to sudden tire failure
your vehicle. If the tire pressure
and loss of vehicle control.
monitoring system indicator
-Only the wheel/tire sizes
flashes, or is on, your system is
specified by the manufacturer
not working properly.
may be used on vehicles with
A_ WARNING all-wheel drive.
-Using incorrect or unmatched -Never drive faster than the
tires and/ or wheels or im- maximum speed for which the
proper tire and wheel com bi -
tires on your vehicle are rated
nations can lead to loss of because tires that are driven
control, collision and serious faster than their rated speed
personal injury. can fail suddenly.
-Always use tires, rims and
-Overloading tires cause heat
wheel bolts that meet the build-up, sudden tire failure,
specifications of original fac- including a blowout and sud-
tory-installed tires or other den deflation and loss of con-
combinations that have been trol.
... .... N
" specifically approved by the N ": ...
vehicle manufacturer. IO "? N
"' ....
191

Tires and wheels
-Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and not over or underinflated.
-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.
-Do not use run-flat tires on your vehicle. Using run-flat
tires can lead to vehicle dam­age or crashes.
(D Note
-For technical reasons, it is not generally possible to use the
wheel rims from other
vehicles. This can hold true for
wheels of the same vehicle
type.
-If you should put different wheels and tires on your vehi­
cle (e.g. winter wheels and
tires), you must be certain
that the wheels and tires are compatible with the tire pres­
sure monitoring system. Oth­
erwise the system will register
a malfunction and a fault message will be displayed. For
more information, contact
your authorized Audi dealer.
192
(D Note
-When installing new tires, be careful not to damage the
valves or tire pressure moni­
toring system sensors.
-Never drive without the valve stem cap. The valves could get
damaged.
-If the sensors must be re­ placed, then the valve must
also be replaced at the same
time.
@) For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accord­
ance with the local require­
ments.
(D Tips
Tires with the identification "ROl" have been specially matched with your Audi. We
recommend using only these
tires because they meet the highest standards regarding
safety and driving characteris­
tics when used correctly. Your authorized Audi RB dealer will
gladly provide you with more information.
· Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Traction AA AB C
- Temperature ABC

..... N
r-­N "': ..... \!) 1.1'1
N 1.1'1 .....
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire side wall between tread shoulder and maximum sect ion w idth
r::!:> page 186, fig. 150.
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA , Tem­
perature
A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal
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 spec ified gov­
e rnment test course.
For example, a t ire graded
150 would wear one
and one half (1 1/2) times as well on the govern­
ment course as a tire graded
100 .
The relative performance of tires depends upon
the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving hab its, serv ice practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B and
C. Those grades represent the tire's
ab il ity to stop on wet pavement as measured un­
der controlled condit ions on specified govern­
ment test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance
r::!;> .&. .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C, representing the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate
h eat when tested under controlled cond it ions on
a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the mate­
rial of the tire to degene rate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure
r::!:> .&. .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet un­
der the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety S tanda rd
No.
109. Grades Band A represent higher levels
Tires and wheels
of performance on the laboratory test whee l than
the minimum required by law .
A WARNING
-
-
The traction grade assigned to th is tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include accelerat ion, cor­
nering, hydroplaning or peak traction charac­
terist ics.
A WARNING
= -
The temperature grade for this tire is estab-
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla­
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or
in combination, can cause heat buildup and
possible 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 gove rnments
may require true wint er or "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread. These tires should on­
ly be used in pairs and be installed on a ll four
wheels. Make sure you purchase snow tires that
are the same size and construction type as the other tires on your vehicle.
If your vehicle is equipped with all-whee l drive *,
this will improve traction during winter driving,
even with the standard tires. However, we strong­
ly recommend that you always equip all four
wheels on your vehicle with correctly fitted win­
ter tires or all-season tires, when w inter road
condit ions are expected. This also improves the
vehicle's braking pe rformance and reduces stop­
ping distances.
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and snow .
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on
all four wheels.
Compatible t ire pressure monitoring sensors
must be installed on all four winter tires for the
tire pressure monitoring system to function prop- erly
¢ page 190. ..,.
193

Tires and wheels
Ask your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop for permitted
winter tire sizes. Use on­
ly radial winter tires.
Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of 0.157 inch
(4 mm).
Only drive with winter tires under winter condi­
tions. Summer tires handle better when there is
no snow or ice on the roads and the temperature
is above 45 °F (7 °().
Please always remember that winter ti res may
have a lower speed rating than the tires originally
installed on your vehicle at the time it was manu­
factured . Please see¢ page 189, Speed roting
(letter code) for a listing of the speed rat ing let­
ter codes and the maximum speed at which the
t ires can be driven.
The speed rating letter code(¢ page 174) is on
the side wall of the tire ¢page 186.
A WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits that
may be lower than your vehicle's maximum
speed. Always know the maximum speed be­
fore driving off . Never drive faster than the
speed permitted for your specific winter tires .
This will cause damage to the tires leading to
an accident and serious personal injury to you
and your passengers.
A WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed for
which the winter tires on your vehicle were designed can cause tire failure including a
blowout and sudden deflation, loss of contro l,
crashes and serious personal injuries. Have
worn or damaged tires replaced immediately.
- Winter tires have maximum speed rating that may be lower than your vehicle's maxi­
mum speed .
- Never drive faster than the speed for which
the winter or other tires installed on your
vehicle are rated.
194
-
A WARNING ,_ -
Always adjust your driving to the road and
traffic conditions . Never let the good accelera ­
tion of the winter tires and all-wheel drive
tempt you into taking extra risks. Always re­
member:
- When braking, an all-wheel drive vehicle
handles in the same way as a front drive ve­
hicle.
- Drive carefully and reduce your speed on icy
and slippery roads, even winter tires cannot
help under black ice conditions.
@ For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather conditions
permit . They are quieter, do not wear as
quickly and reduce fuel consumption.
, Snow chains
Snow cha ins may be fitted only to the rear
wheels , and only to certain tire sizes. Ask your au­
thorized Audi dealer on which tire sizes snow
chains can be used.
The snow chains must have low-profile links and
must not be thicker than 0.53 inch (13 .5 mm) ,
including the lock.
Remove wheel center covers before putting snow
chains on your vehicle ¢Ci) . For safety reasons
cover caps must then be fitted over the wheel
bolts . These are available from authorized Audi
dealers .
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehicle
or installing them incorrectly can increase the
risk of loss of control leading to serious per­
sonal injury .
- Snow chains are available in different sizes.
Always make sure to follow the instructions
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.

..... N
r-­N "': ..... \!) 1.1'1
N 1.1'1 .....
CD Note
-Remove snow chains before driving on roads
not covered with snow to avoid damaging
tires and wearing the snow chains down un­ necessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct contact
with the wheel rim, can scratch or damage
it. Therefore, make sure that the snow
chains are suitably covered . Check the posi­
tion of the snow chains after driving a few
yards and correct if necessary. Follow the in­
structions from the snow chain manufactur­
er when doing so.
(j) Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this normally also applies to vehicles
with all-wheel drive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque .
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the fac­
tory installed rims. If different rims are fitted,
the correct wheel bolts with the right length and
correctly shaped bolt heads must be used. This
ensures that wheels are fitted securely 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 model ¢
page 217.
A WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel
bolts can become loose causing loss of con­
trol, a collision and serious personal injury.
-
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the threads
in the wheel hubs clean so the wheel bolts
can turn easily and be properly tightened.
- Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hubs. They can become
loose while driving if greased or oiled, even
if tightened to the specified torque.
- Only use wheel bolts that belong to the rim
being installed.
Tires and wheels
- Never use different wheels bolts on your ve­
hicle.
- Always maintain the correct tightening tor­
que for the wheel bolts to reduce the risk of
a wheel loss. If the tightening torque of the
wheel bolts is too low, they can loosen and
come out when the vehicle is moving. If the
tightening torque is too high, the wheel bolts and threads can be damaged and the
wheel can become loose.
CD Note
The specified torque for the wheel bolts is 90
ft lb (120 Nm) with a tolerance of± 7 .4 ft lb
(± 10 Nm) . Torque wheel bolts diagonally. Af­
ter changing a wheel, the torque must be
checked as soon as possible with a torque
wrench -preferably by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect ra­
tio tires. These tires have been thoroughly tested
and been selected specifically for your model for
their superb performance, road feel and handling under a variety of driving conditions . Ask your au­
thorized Audi dealer for more details.
The low aspect ratio of these tires is indicated by
a numeral of
55 or less in the tire's size designa­
tion. The numeral represents the ratio of the
tire's sidewall height in relation to its tread width
expressed in percentage. Conventional tires have
a height/width ratio of 60 or more.
The performance of low-aspect-ratio tires is par­
ticularly sensitive to improper inflation pres­
sure. It is therefore important that low aspect
ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure
and that the inflation pressure is regularly
checked and maintained. Tire pressures should be checked at least once a month and always
before a long trip
c> page 179, Checking tire
pressure.
195

Tires and wheel s
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damag e
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more easi ­
ly by impact with potholes, curbs, gullies or
ridges on the road, part icularly if the t ire is un­
derinflated.
In order to minimize the occurrence of impact
damage to the tires of your vehicle, we recom­ mend that you observe the following precau­
tions:
- Always maintain recommended inflation pres­
su res. Check your tire pressure every 2.000
miles (3.000 km) and add air if necessary .
- Drive carefu lly on roads w ith potholes, deep
gull ies or r idges. The impact from driving
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires . Impact with a curb may also cause
damage to you r tires .
- After any impact, immediately inspec t your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest au ­
thorized Audi dealer. Replace a damaged tire as soon as possib le.
- Inspect you r tires every 2 .000 miles (3 .000 km)
for damage and wear. Damage is not always easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of ai r and
u nderinflation , which cou ld eventua lly cause
t ir e fa ilure. If yo u be lieve that a tire may have
been damaged, rep lace the tire as soon as pos ­
sible .
- T hese tires may wear more q uick ly than others .
- Please a lso remembe r that, wh ile these ti res
deliver responsive handling, t hey may ride less
com fortab ly and make more noise than other
choices.
R educed performance in winter /cold season
condit ions
All ti res are designed for certain pu rposes . The
low aspect ratio, u ltra high performance tires
originally insta lled on your vehicle are intended
for maximum dry and wet road performance and handling. They are not suitable for cold, snowy or
icy weather cond itions . If you drive under those
circumstances, you should equip your vehicle
with all-season or winter tires, which offer better traction under those conditions. We suggest you
196
u se the recommended snow or all-season tires
specified for your vehicle, or their equivalent.
Refer to~
page 193 for more de tailed informa­
tion regarding w inter t ires.
Tire pressure monitoring
system
General notes
E ach tire, incl uding the spare ( if prov ided),
shou ld be checked monthly when co ld and inflat­
ed to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placa rd or
tire inflation pressure labe l (If your vehicle has
tires of a different s iz e than the si ze indicated on
the ve hicle placard or tire inflation pressure la­
bel, you should determine the proper t ire infla ­
tion pressure for those tires .) .
As an added safety feature, your veh icle has been
equipped with a tire pressure mon itor ing system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low t ire pressure tell­
ta le when one or more of your t ires is sign ificant­
l y unde r-inflated. According ly, when the low tire
pressure te lltale illuminates, you shou ld stop and
chec k yo ur ti res as soon as poss ible, and infla te
them to the proper pressure . Dr iv ing on a signifi­
cant ly under-inflated tire ca uses the t ire to over ­
heat and ca n lead to tire failure . Under-inflation
also reduces fuel effic iency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle 's handling and stop­
ping abili ty .
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver's re­
spons ibility to maintain correct tire pressure,
even if under-infla tion has not reached the level
to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire pres­
sure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS malfunc tion indicator to indicate when the sys­
tem is not operat ing properly . The TPMS mal ­
funct ion indicator is combined with the low t ire
pressure te lltale. When the system detects a
malfu nction, the tellta le w ill flash for approxi­
mately one m inute and then remain cont inuo usly
i ll uminated. This seq uence will continue upon .,.

subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as the mal­
function exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated,
the system may not be able to detect or signa l
l ow tire pressure as intended. TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons, including the
installation of rep lacement or a lternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the
T PMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or
more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure
that the replacement or alternate tires and
wheels allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly .
Introduction
The tire pressure monitoring system monitors air
pressure in all four road wheels while the vehicle
is moving.
As soon as the tire pressure monitoring system
senses a s ignificant loss of a ir pressure in one or
several tires, text messages and ye llow symbo ls
appear in the instrument cluster display to a le rt
the driver. The
[I] warning light in the instru ­
ment cluster comes on when the tire is signifi ­
cantly underinflated .
The warning
light [l'J also illuminates in the case
of a system malfunction.
Be aware that tire p ressure is also dependent on
the temperat ure of the t ire. For every 18 ° F
(10 °() increase in tire temperature, tire pressure
increases by about 1.5 psi (0.1 bar) . The tire
warms up while the vehicle is moving and tire
pressure rises. So you shou ld adjust tire pressure
only when they are
cold, when the temperature
of the tires is roughly the same as the ambient
air temperature.
In order to keep the tire pressure monitoring sys­
tem properly calibrated, tire pressure on all four
tires should be checked at regular intervals .
The tire pressure is shown on the label located on
~ the driver 's side B-pillar (visible when the door is r--
~ open) .
,...., \!) ..,.,
N
"' ,....,
Tires a nd w hee ls
A WARNING
-
When the tire pressure monitoring system
warning light is lit, one or more of your tires is
significantly under- inflated . You should stop
and check your t ires as soon as poss ible, and
i nflate them to the proper pressure as indicat­
ed on the vehicle 's t ire pressure label
¢ page 176. Driving on a significant ly 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
stopping ability.
@ For the sake of the environment
Driving with under -inflated tires reduces fuel
efficiency and tire tread life.
(D Tips
- Each tire should be checked monthly when
the temperature of the tires is about the
same as ambient air temperature and set to
the recommended inflation pressure as
specified on the tire pressure label
¢page 176.
- The tire pressure mon itoring system helps
the driver to keep an eye on tire pressures.
But the driver still has the responsib ility for
ma inta ining the correct tire pressure.
- Tire pressure must only be adjusted when
the temperature of the tires is about the
same as amb ient air temperature.
- When tires are replaced, the sensors and
valves should not be exchanged. The valve
core, nut, valve seal ing and seal washer (re­
placement kit) needs to be replaced. If nec­
essary, the valve and the wheel electronics
have to be replaced.
- The tire pressure mon itoring system on your
Audi was calibrated using tires with "RO"
identification. We recommend using these
tires .
- If you sho uld put different wheels and tires
on your vehicle (e .g. winter whee ls and
tires), you must be certain that the wheels
197

Tires and wheels
and tires are compatible with the tire pres­
sure monitoring system. Otherwise the sys­
tem will register a malfunction and a fault message will be displayed. For more infor­
mation, contact your authorized Audi deal­
er.
- For Declaration of Compliance to United
States FCC and Industry Canada regulations
c:> page 218.
Programming a new set of tires
Applies to veh icles: w ith tire pressure monitoring syste m
When driving with a new set of tires, you can pro­
gram them to the tire pressure monitoring sys­
tem using the menu disp lay.
.,. Turn the ignition on .
.,. Select the menu:
Set> Tire pressure > Wheel
change.
.,. Confirm that you would like to begin the pro­
gramming process . The message
Wheel sen­
sors are being initialised. This may take a few
minutes ...
appears in the instrument cluster
display.
You can switch between programmed tire sets at
any time without reinitializing the system.
(D Tips
- If the programming process was not com­
pleted successfully, the message
Wheel
sensors could not be initialised
appears in
the display and them indicator light
turns on. If this happens, repeat the proce­
dure.
- Do not store the tire pressure if there are
snow chains on the tire.
TPMS Tire pressure monitoring system
malfunction
A malfunction can have various causes.
If the [I] warning light in the instrument cluster
flashes for approximately one minute and then
remains continuously illuminated and additional­
ly
the m symbol appears in the display, the tire
pressure monitoring system is not available. The
198
text Tire pressure! System malfunction appears
in the display. This can have various causes.
- A wheel sensor or other component may have
fai led.
- During initialization the system has detected
more than 4 wheels on the vehicle, for example
while driving next to another car with a tire pressure monitoring system.
- Audi replacement parts were not used.
- If snow cha ins are being used, system function
can be compromised due to the shielding prop­
erties of the chains .
- The tire pressure monitoring system may not
be available because of a rad io malfunction.
- Transmitters with the same frequency, such as
radio headphones in the vehicle or radio equip­
ment, can cause a temporary disruption of the
system through excessive electromagnetic
fields .
- Eliminate the interference if you can and then
proceed as follows: Turn off the engine for 20
minutes. Then drive another 10 minutes.
If the
warning light comes on again, you should con­
tact your authorized Audi dealer immediately
to have the problem corrected.
- Do not use commercially available tire sealants.
Otherwise, the electrical components of the
tire pressure monitoring system will no longer
work properly and the sensor for the tire pres­
sure monitoring system will have to be replaced
by a qualified workshop.