2015 AUDI R8 SPYDER winter tires

On the road
Speed warning 1 lGJ /laJ You can use speed warning 1 to set the maximum
speed while you are driving. This setting wi ll re ­
main in effect until you turn off the ignition, as­
suming that you have not changed or reset the
setting .
The speed warning symbo l
lDJ/[f] (Canada mod­
els) in the warning
1 display appears when you
exceed the maximum speed. It goes out when
the speed falls below the stored maximum
speed.
The speed warning symbo l will also go out if the
speed
exceeds the stored maximum speed by
more than about
25 mph (40 km/h) for at least
10 seconds. The stored maximum speed is delet­
ed.
Sett ing speed warning 1
¢ page 70.
Speed warning 2 lCl/lDJ Storing warning 2 is recommended if you always
want to be reminded of a certain speed, for ex­
ample when you are trave ling in a country that
has a general maximum speed limit, or if you do
not want to exceed a specified speed for winter
tires.
The speed warning 2 symbol
lCIJ(a1 (Canada
models) appears in the disp lay when you exceed
the stored speed limit. Unlike warning 1, it will
not go out until the vehicle speed drops be low
the stored speed limit.
Sett ing speed warning 2
¢ page 70.
@ Tips
Even though your vehicle is equipped with a
speed warning system, you should still watch
the speedometer to make sure you are not
driving faster than the speed limit.
70
Speed warning 1: setting a speed limit
Warning threshold 1 is set by the button .
Fig. 79 Section of instrument cluster: Set/C hec k button
Storing the maximum speed
.,. Dr ive at the desired maximum speed .
.,. Press the knob butto n
c::> fig. 79 until the sym­
bol appears.
Resetting the maximum speed
.,. Dr ive 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
[IH (USA models)/ (01
(Canada models) w ill appear br iefly in the display
when you release the button to indicate that the
max imum speed has been stored s uccessfu lly.
The maximum speed rema ins stored until it is
changed by pressing the button again briefly or
until it is deleted by a lengthy push on the but­
ton.
Speed warning 2: setting a speed limit
Switches in the wiper arm ore used to operate warning threshold 2 .
~--®
Fig. 80 Controls

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Power steering
When the engine is running, power steering
makes i t easier for the driver to steer.
Power steering helps the driver steer the vehicle
with litt le physical effort.
If the engine is not running, the power steering
system is also not working. In this case, you will
find it extremely difficult to turn the steering
wheel.
If you turn the steering fully to the left or right
when the vehicle is stationary, you place a very
heavy load on the power steering system. Turning
the steering wheel fully to the left or right wi ll
cause noise in the system . It also reduces engine
idle speed.
(D Note
Do not hold the steering turned fully to the
left or right for more than 10 seconds when
the engine is running. There is a risk of dam­
age to the power steering system.
@ Tips
- In the event of a power steering system fail­
ure, or if the engine is not running (while
being towed), you will still be able to steer
the vehicle. However, you will require more
effort to do so.
- If the power steering system has a leak or is
defective, you should immediately contact a
qualified workshop .
- The power steering system requires a spe­
cial hydraul ic fluid . The power steering fluid
reservoir is located in the engine compart­
ment. The correct hydraulic fluid level is im­
portant for proper operation of the power
steering system. The power steering fluid
l evel is checked according to the Audi main­
tenance service schedule.
Dry sump lubrication
High lateral and longitudinal forces affect the en­
gine and the vehicle during sporty driving. Dry
sump lubrication ensures that your engine is sup-
Intelligent technology
plied with oil and properly lubricated even under
these conditions.
In a "norma l" vehicle the oil pump sends the oil
from the oil pan to the lubrication points in the
engine . The oil then returns to the oil pan. In ex­
treme situations, the oil pump may draw in air,
wh ich results in insufficient oi l pressure .
With dry sump lubrica tion, the oil is not in the oil
pan (it is "dry"), but in a separate oi l tank. While
one pump supplies the engine with oil, a second
pump suct ions the oil out of the engine and re­
turns it to the o il tank. Because the oil tank is tall
and narrow, oil pressure is constant even under
extreme conditions .
In add ition, the oi l pan in vehicles with dry sump
lubrication is noticeably shallower . This allows
the engine to be installed lower in the vehicle,
bringing down the center of gravity . This im ­
proves your vehicle's handling.
Driving with your quattro
With oil-wheel drive, all four wheels are driven .
General information
With all-wheel drive, power is distributed to all
four wheels . This happens automatically depend­
ing on your driving style and the road conditions
at the time . See also
c:::.> page 134.
The all-whee l drive concept is designed for high
engine power . Your vehicle is exceptionally pow­
erful and has excellent driving characterist ics
both under normal driving conditions and on
snow and ice. Always read and fo llow safety pre­
cautions
c:::.> .&_ .
Winter tires
When driving in the winter, your vehicle with all­
wheel drive has an advantage, even with regular
t ir es . In winter road condit ions it may be advisa­
ble to mount winter tires (or all-season t ires) for
improved driveability and brak ing: these tires
must be mounted on
all four wheels. See also
c:::.> page 193 , Winter tires.
139

(D Note
- Please note that summer and
winter t ires are designed for
the conditions that are typical in those seasons . Audi recom­
mends using winter tires dur ­
ing the winter months . Low
temperatures significantly de­
crease the elasticity of summ­
er tires, which affects traction
and braking ability. If summer
tires are used in very cold tem­ peratures, cracks can form on
the tread bars, resulting in
Tires and wheels
permanent tire damage that
can cause loud driving noise
and unbalanced tires . Audi is
not responsible for this type
of damage.
- Burnished, polished or
chromed rims must not be
used in winter road condi­
tions . The surface of the rims
does not have sufficient corro ­
sion protection for this and
could be permanently dam­ aged by road salt or similar
substances .
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of auto­
matic transmission, power steer­
ing, power brakes, power win ­
dows , powe r seats , radio , and
heater , to the extent that these
items a re available as factory-in­
stalled equipment (whether in­
stalled or not).
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to
;:;: the width of the tire in percent .
" ~ Numbers of 55 or lower indicate a ...
~ low sidewall for improved steer -
"' ....
ing response and better overall
handling on dry pavement.
Bead
means the part of the tire that is
made of steel wires, wrapped or
reinforced by ply cords and that is
shaped to f it the rim .
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond
between components in the bead .
Cord
means the strands forming the
plies in the tire.
17 1
...

Tires and wheels
wheel size, you will have to pur­
chase new tires to match the new rim diameter .
Rim size designat ion
means rim diameter and width .
Rim width
means nominal distance between
rim flanges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire be­
tween the tread and bead .
Speed rating (letter code )
means the speed at which a tire is
designed to be driven for extend­
ed periods of time. The ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298 km/h)
c::;, page 189. You may not find
this information on all tires be­
cause it is not required by law.
T he speed rat ing letter code,
where applicable, is mo lded on
the tire sidewall and indicates the
maximum permissible road
speeds
c::;, .& in Winter tires on
page 194 .
Tire pressure monitoring
system
means a system that detects
when one or more of a vehicle's
1 7 4
tires are underinflated and ill umi­
nates a low tire p ressure warning
telltale.
Tread
means that portion of a tire that
comes into contact with the road .
Tread separation
means pulling away of the tread
from the tire carcass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the
principal grooves designed to give
a visual indication of the degrees
of wear of the t read. See
c::;, page 185 , Tread Wear Indica­
tor (TWI) for more information
on measuring tire wear.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire information system devel­
oped by the United States Nation­
a l Highway Traffic Safety Adminis­
tration (NHTSA) that is designed
to help buye rs make relative com­
parisons among tires . The UTQG is
not a safety rating an d not a guar­
antee tha t a tire will last for a
prescr ibed number of mi les or
perform in a certain way. It sim­
ply gives tire buyers addit ional in­
formation to combine w ith other
considerat ions, such as pr ice,
...

.... N
" N ~ .... \D U'
N U' .....
Speed rating (letter code)
The speed rating letter code on
the wheels indicates the maxi­ mum permissible road speeds
¢ .&. in Winter tires on page 194.
P up to 93 mph (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)
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)
1
)
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)1
)
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)1
)
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)1
)
Your vehicle is normally factory
equipped with tires, which pos­
sess excellent driving characteris­
tics and give your Audi optimum driving comfort
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
l) For tires with a maximum speed capa­
bility over 149 mph (240 km/h), tire
manufacturers sometimes use the let­
ters "ZR."
Tires and wheels
two numbers or letters indicate
the plant where it was manufac­
tured, and the last four numbers
represent the week and year of
manufacture. For example, the
numbers 2213 mean that the tire
was produced in the 22nd week of
2013. The other numbers are
marketing codes that may or may
not be used by the tire manufac­
turer. This 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 rec­
ommend using only these tires
because they meet the highest
standards regarding safety and
driving characteristics when used
correctly. Your authorized Audi
dea ler will gladly provide you with
more information. ..,.
189

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

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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.