2016 AUDI A8 tires

.,.Che ck th e tir e s idewall
(c:::> page 2 3 6, fig. 205 ) to deter­
min e th e des ig nated load r atin g
for a spec ific tir e.
Wheel bolts and rims
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must be clean and loosen/t ighten
easi ly.
Rims
R ims with a bolted rim ring* or with bolted wheel
covers* consist of m ultip le pieces. These compo­
n ents were bolted toge ther using specia l bolts
a nd a specia l procedu re. You must not repair or
disassemble them¢
A.
A WARNING
Wheel bolts that are t ightened or repaired in­
co rrectly can become loose and result in loss
of vehicle control, which increases the risk of
an acc ident. For the correct tightening specifi­
cation, refer to¢
page 260.
-Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the whee l hub clean and free of
grease.
- Only use wheel bolts that fit the rim.
- Always have damaged r ims repaired by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized repair
facility. Never repair or d isassemble rims
yourself, because th is increases the r isk of
an acc ident .
Winter tires
W inte r tires s ignificantly improve the vehicle's
h andling when d rivi ng in winter condit ions. Be­
cause of the ir constr uction (width, compound,
t read pattern), summe r ti res provide less trac­
tion on ice and snow.
"'U se winte r tir es on all four wheels.
"' Only use winter t ires that a re approved for your
vehicle.
"' Please note that the maximum permitted
speed may be lower with winter tires
¢ &, .
Wh eel s
Your authorized A udi dealer or authorized re­
pair facility can inform you about the maximum
permitted speed for your tires.
"' Check the tire pressure after insta lling wheels
¢page 246.
The effectiveness of winter tires is reduced great­
ly when the tread is worn down to a depth of
0.157 inch (4 mm). The characteristics of winter
tires also decrease greatly as the tire ages, re­ gardless of the rema ining t read .
A WARNING
'---
-Never d rive faster than the max imum pe r­
mitted speed for your tires. This could ca use
the t ires to heat up too mu ch. This in cr eases
the r isk of an accident because it can ca use
the t ire to burst.
- Always adapt your driving to the road and
traffic cond itions. Drive carefully an d reduce
your speed on icy or slippery roads. Even
winter t ires can lose tract ion on black ice.
@ For the sake of the environment
Reinsta ll summer tires a t the app ropr iate
time, beca use they prov ide bette r handling
when roads are free of snow and ice . Summer
tires cause less road noise, tire wear and fue l
consumpt ion.
(D Tips
You can also use all season tires instead of
winter tires . Please note that in some coun ­
tries where winter tires are required, on ly
winter tires w ith the
& symbo l may be per­
mitted.
Snow chains
Snow chains improve traction in the snow.
"' On ly install snow chains on the front wheels.
"' Check and co rrect the seating of the snow
chains if necessary after driving a few feet. Fol­
low the instructions from the manufacturer.
"' Note the maximum permitted speed when dr iv­
ing with snow chains. Do not exceed 30 mph
(SO km/h) . ...
251

Wheels
Snow chains not only improve the driving in win­
ter road conditions, but also the broking.
Use of snow cha ins is o nly pe rm itted with certain
r im/t ire combinations due to tec hni cal reasons.
Check with an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized repair faci lity to see if yo u may use snow
cha ins .
The snow c ha ins must have
low-profile lin ks and
m ust not be thicker than 0 .4 inch (10.S mm), in ­
cluding the lock.
You mus t remove the c hains whe n driving on
roads that are
free of snow. When roads are free
of snow, snow c hains can impair handling and
damage the tires, and the chains wi ll quickly be
destroyed .
_& WARNING
Using inco rrect snow chains or insta lling snow
chains incorrectly can result in loss of vehicle
cont rol, which inc reases the risk of an acc i­
dent .
{CT) Note
-Snow cha ins can damage the rims/wheel
covers* if the chains come into d irect con­
tact with them . Remove the wheel cove rs*
first. Use coated snow chai ns.
- Using snow chains that add more than 0.4
inch (10.5 mm) of he ight can severely dam­
age the wheel hous ings and other vehicle
components.
- Do not i nstall and use snow chai ns if there is
a malfunct ion in the adaptive air suspen­
s io n, because the vehicle he igh t will be very
l ow. If you drive wi th snow ch ains anyw ay,
the wheel ho usings and other vehi cle com ­
ponen ts can be severely damaged .
(D Tips
When using snow chains, it m ay be useful t o
sw itch on sport mo de
¢page 192.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Aud i is factory-equipped with low aspect ra ­
tio tires . These ti res have been tho roughly tested
252
and been sele cted specifica lly for your mode l for
their superb performance, road fee l and hand ling
u nder a var iety of dr iv ing cond it ions. Ask your au ­
thori zed Audi dea ler fo r more details.
The low aspect rat io o f these tires is indica ted by
a n umera l of
55 or less in the tire's size designa­
t ion . The n umera l represents the ratio of the
tire's sidewall height in relation to its tread width
expressed in percentage. Convent iona l tires have
a height/width ratio of 60 or more .
The performance of low-aspect-ratio tires is par­
t ic ularly sensitive to improper inflation pres ­
sure.
It is the refore important that low aspect
ratio tire s are inflated to the specified pressure
and that the inflation pressur e is regularly
checked and maintained . T ir e pressures should
b e c hec ked at l east on ce a month and alway s
befor e a long trip
¢ page 246.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more eas i­
l y by impact with potholes, curbs, gullies or
ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is un­
derinflated.
In orde r to mi nimi ze the occur rence of impact
dam age to the tires of yo ur vehicle, we recom ­
mend tha t you observe the following preca u­
tions:
- Always ma intain recommended i nflation pres­
sures. Check yo ur tir e pressure eve ry 2,0 00
m iles (3,000 km) and add air if necessary .
- Dr ive ca refully on roads w ith potholes, deep
gullies o r ridges. The impac t from dr iv ing
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may a lso ca use
damage to your ti res.
-After any impact, immediate ly inspect you r
tires or have them inspected by the nearest au­
thorized A udi dealer. Replace a damaged tire as
soon as possible.
- Inspect your tires every 2,000 mi les (3,000 km)
for damage and wear. Damage is not always
easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of air and
underinflation, wh ich could eventually cause
tire fa ilure . If you be lieve that a tire may have .,.

been damaged, replace the t ire as soon as
possible .
- T hese tires may wear more q uickly than others.
- Please a lso remembe r th at, while these tires
deliver responsive handling, they may r ide less
comfortab ly and make more noise than other
choices .
Reduc ed performance in wint er/ cold sea son
condit ions
All ti res are designed fo r ce rtain purposes. The
l ow aspect ratio, ultra 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
i cy weather cond it ions. If you dr ive under those
circumstances, you should equ ip your vehicle
with a ll-season or winter tires, wh ich offer better
traction under those condit ions. We suggest you
use the recommended snow or all-season tires
specified for yo ur vehicle, or the ir eq uivalent.
Refer to
c::;, page 251 for more detai led informa­
tion rega rding winter tires.
Uniform tire quality grading
- T read wear
- T raction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire side wall between tread shoulder and maximum sect ion w idth
c::> page 236, fig . 205.
For e xample: Tread wear 200 , Traction AA , Tem­
perature A.
All passenger car tires m ust conform to Federa l
Safety Requirements in addition to these grades .
Tread wea r
The
tread wear grade is a comparat ive rating
based on the wear rate of the t ire when tes ted
under cont ro lled conditions on a specified gov ­
ernment test course.
F or examp le, a t ire graded
150 would wear one
and one h alf
(1 1/2) times as well on the govern­
ment course as a tire g raded
100 .
Wh eel s
The re lat ive pe rformance of tires depends upon
the actual cond itions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to
variations in driv ing habits, service practices and
differences in road character istics and cl imate.
T raction
The
traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, Band
C. Those grades rep resent the tire's
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured un­
der controlled cond itions on specified govern­
ment test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance
c::;, .&_ .
Te mperature
The
temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C, representing the tire 's resistance to the
generat ion of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained h igh temperature can cause the mate­
rial 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 un­
der the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No.
109 . Grades Band A represent higher levels
of pe rformance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minim um req uir ed by law.
A WARNING
-
The t ract io n grade assigned to this t ire is
based on straight -ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, co r­
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
i n comb inat ion, can cause heat bu ildup and
-
possib le tire fai lure. ~
253

Wheels
_& WARNING
Temperature grades apply to tires that are
properly inflated and not over or underinf lat ­
ed.
Tire pressure monitoring system
U) General notes
Applies to: vehicles with tire pressure monito ring system
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and inflat­
ed to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or
tire inflat ion pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure la­
bel, you should determine the proper tire infla­
tion pressure fo r those tir es) .
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a t ire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure tell­
tale when one or more of your tires is significant­
ly under-inflated . Accord ingly, when the low tire
p ressure telltale illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure. Driving on a signifi­
cantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to over­
heat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's handling and stop­
ping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver's re­
sponsib ility to maintain correct tire pressure,
even if under-inflation 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
malfunct ion indicator to indicate when the sys­
tem is not operating properly. The TPMS mal­
function indicator is comb ined w ith the low tire
pressure telltale. When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for approxi­
mately one minute and then remain cont inuous ly
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon
254
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as the mal­
function exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illum inated,
the system may not be able to detect or s ignal
low tire pressure as intended . TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons, including the
i nstallation of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or
more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure
that the replacement or alternate tires and
whee ls allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
If the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
indicator appears
Applies to: vehicles with tire pressure monitoring system
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too low
or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig . 209 Instrument cl uste r: indicator light with me ssage
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitor­
ing system compares the tire tread c ircumfer­
ence and v ibration characteristics of the individu­
al tires.
If the pressure changes in one or more
ti res, this is ind icated in the instrument cluster
display with an indicator light
[I] and a message.
If only one tire is affected, the locat ion of that
tire will be indicated.
The tire pressures must be stored in the Infotain­
ment system again each time the pressures
change (switching between partial and full load
pressure) or after changing or replacing a tire on
your vehicle ¢
page 255. The tire pressure moni­
tor ing system only monitors the tire pressure you
have stored . Refer to the t ire pressure label for ..,.

the recommended tire pressure for you r ve hicle
¢ page 246, fig . 208.
T ire tread circumference and v ibrat ion character­
istics can change and cause a ti re pressure warn­
ing if :
- the tire p ressure in one o r more tires is too low.
- the tire has structura l damage .
- the tire was replaced or the tire pressure was
changed and it was not stored¢
page 255 .
-the spare t ire* is installed.
Ind icat or light s
IE Loss of press ure in at least one tire q &. .
Check the tires and replace or repair if necessary.
Check/correct the pressures of a ll four tires and
store the pressure again in the Infotainment sys­
tem ¢
page 255.
ffim (T ire Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
pressu re: Sys tem malfunction !.
Iffflm appears
after switching the ignition on or wh ile driving
and the
IE indicator light in the instrument clus­
ter blinks for approximate ly one minute and then
stays on, there is system malfunction . Try to
store the correct tire pressures¢ page 255 . If
the indicator light does tur n off or t urns on again
a fte r a short period of time, dr ive to you r author­
ized A udi dealer or qualified repair fac ility imme­
diate ly to have the ma lfunction co rrected.
&_ WARNING
- If the tire pressu re indicator appears in the
display, reduce your speed immed iate ly and
avoid any hard steer ing or braking maneu­
vers. Stop as soon as possib le and check the
t ir es and their press ure .
- The driver is responsib le for maintaining the
correct tire pressure. You must check the
t ir e pressu re regu la rly .
- Under certa in conditions (such as a sporty
dr iv ing style, wi nter cond itions or unpaved
roads), the tire p ressure monitoring system
indicator may be de layed.
- Do not use r un-flat tires on your vehicle. Us­
ing them when not permitted can lead to
vehicle damage or accidents.
Wh eel s
(D Tips
-The tire p ressure monitoring system can al­
so stop working when there is an ESC mal­
function.
- Using snow c hains may result in a system
ma lf u nction.
- The tires wit h the identification "AO" or
"RO"
q page 243 have been matched wit h
your Audi t ire press ure monitoring system.
We recommend that you use these tires.
Storing tire pressures
If the tire pressure changes or a tire is replaced,
it must be confirmed in the Infotainment sys­ tem.
.,. Ma ke sure befo re storing t hat the t ire pressures
of all four tires meet the specified values and
are adapted to the load ¢
page 244.
.,. Switch the ignit ion on .
.,. Select: the
I CAR ! funct io n button > Car Systems
cont rol button > Serv icing & check s > Tire
pressure monitoring > Store tire pressures >
Ye s, store now .
(j) Tips
Do not sto re the tire pressures if snow chains
are ins talled. Ot he rw ise the system could
malfunc tion.
255

Emerg ency assis ta nce
If you do have to drive with snow chains and a
front tire fails, mount the spare wheel with tire
instead of a rear tire . Install the snow chains on
the rear tire and use it to replace the defective
front tire.
A WARNING
- Never use the spare tire if it is damaged or if
it is worn down to the tread wear indicators.
- If the spare tire is more than 6 years old,
use it only in an emergency and with ex­
treme caution and ca refu l dr iving .
- The spare tire is intended only for tempora­
ry and short-term use . It should be replaced
as soon as possible with the normal wheel
and t ire.
- After mounti ng the compact spare t ire, the
tire pressure must be checked as soon as possible. The tire pressure of the compac t
spare tire must be 4.2 bar; otherwise, you risk having an accident.
- Do not drive faster than SO mph (80 km/h).
Yo u risk hav ing an accident.
- Avoid full-throttle accelerat ion, heavy brak­
ing, and fast cornering. You risk having an
acc ident .
- Never dr ive using more than one spare
wheel and tire. You risk having an acciden t.
- Normal summer or winter tires must not be
mounted on the compact spare wheel rim.
- For technical reasons, the use of tire chains
on the spare tire is not pe rm itted. If it is
necessary to drive with tire chains, the spare
wheel m ust be mounted on the front ax le in
the event of a flat in a rear tire. The new ly
available front wheel must then be insta lled
in place of the rear wheel with the flat t ire.
Installing the tire chain before mounting
the wheel and t ire is recommended.
- Loose items in the passenger compartment
can cause ser ious personal injury during
hard braking or in an accident. Never store
the inflatable spare t ire or jack and too ls in
the passenger compartment.
258
Spare wheel
Applies to: vehicles with spare whee l
The spore wheel is stored in the wheel well un­
derneath the floor panel in the luggage
com­
portment.
Fig . 215 Luggage compartmen t: spare whee l
Taking out th e spar e wh eel
.. Lift the cargo floor by the plastic handle
¢ fig. 215.
.. Hook the handle into the luggage compartment
weather strip.
.. Turn the large screw
¢fig. 215 counter-clock­
wise .
.,. Take out the spare tire.
.,. Always store the vehicle tool kit , the jack* and
the rep laced tire in the luggage compartment
¢page 135.
.. Unhook the cargo floo r before clos ing the rear
lid.
A WARNING
Loose items in the passenger compartment
can cause serious personal injury during hard braking or in an acc ident.
- Never store the spare wheel or jack and
too ls in the passenger compartment .
(D Tips
Check the inflation pressure of the spare tire
periodically to keep the tire ready for use.
-

Emergency assistance
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not complete without the do­
ing the following .
• Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack* and
the replaced tire in the luggage compartment
<=>page 135.
• Check the tire pressure on the spare wheel im­
mediate ly after mounting it.
• As soon as possible, have the
tightening tor­
ques
on all wheel bolts checked with a torque
wrench. The correct tightening torque is 90 ft
lb (120 Nm).
• Have the flat tire
replaced as soon as possible.
@ Tips
- If you notice that the whee l bolts are cor­
roded and difficu lt to turn while changing a
tire, they should be replaced before you
check the tightening torque .
- Drive at reduced speed until you have the
tightening torques checked.
- After changing a wheel, the tire pressure in
a ll four tires must be checked/corrected and
the tire pressure mon itor ing indicator must
be stored in the MMI
c> page 255.
Decorative wheel covers
App lies to: vehicles with decorative wheel covers
The decorative wheel covers must be removed
first to access the wheel bolts .
Fig. 216 Chan gin g a w heel : Removing the whee l cover
Removing
• Insert the hook (provided with the ve hicle tool
kit) in the hole in the wheel hub cover.
• Pull off the
decorative wheel cover c> fig. 216.
260
Wheels with wheel bolt caps
Applies to: vehicles with wheel bo lts with caps
The caps must be removed first from the wheel
bolts before the bolts can be unscrewed .
Fig. 217 Changing a wheel: removing the wheel bo lt caps
Removing
• Push the plastic clip (provided with the vehicle
tool kit) over the whee l bolt cap until the inner
retainers on the clip align with the edge of the
cover.
• Remove the cap with the
plastic clip (vehicle
tool kit)
<=> fig. 217 .
Refitting
• Place the caps over the wheel bolts and push
them back on .
The caps are to protect and keep the wheel bolts
clean.
Loosening and tightening the wheel bolts
The wheel bolts must be loosened before raising
the vehicle.
Fig. 218 Chang ing a wheel: loosening the wheel bo lts

Emergency assistance
After you have loosened all wheel bolts and raised the vehicle off the ground, remove and re­
place the wheel as follows:
Removing the wheel
.,. Use the hexagonal socket in the screwdriver
handle
to completely remove the topmost
wheel bolt and set it aside on a
clean surface
.::!> fig. 223.
.,. Screw the threaded end of the alignment pin
from the tool kit hand-tight into the empty bolt
hole¢
fig. 224 1> .
.,. Then remove the other wheel bolts as described
above.
.,. Take off the wheel leaving the alignment pin in
the bolt hole ¢0 .
Putting on the spare wheel
.,. Lift the spare wheel and carefully slide it over
the alignment pin to guide it in place ¢0 .
.,. Use the hexagonal socket in the screwdriver
handle to screw in and tighten all wheel bolts
slightly .
.,. Remove the alignment pin and insert and tight­
en the remaining wheel bolt slightly like the
rest.
.,. Turn the jack handle counter-clockwise to lower
the vehicle until the jack is fully released.
.,. Use the wheel bolt wrench to tighten all wheel
bolts firmly ¢
page 260 . Tighten them cross­
wise,
from one bolt to the (approximately) op­
posite one, to keep the wheel centered.
0 Note
When removing or installing the wheel, the
rim could hit the brake rotor/ceramic brake
rotor* and damage the rotor . Work carefully
and have a second person help you.
Never use the hexagonal socket in the handle
of the screwdriver to loosen or tighten the
wheel bolts.
1
> A pp lies to vehicles with cer amic brake rotors*: Use a sec­
o n d alignment p in* (sto re d in th e s pare w hee l well mold ­
in g) fo r the lower hole , fol low ing the descrip tion for the
fir st a lig nme nt pin .
264
-Pull the reversible blade from the screwdriv­
er before you use the hexagonal socket in
the handle to turn the wheel bolts.
- When mounting tires with
unidirectional
tread design
make sure the tread pattern is
pointed the right way¢
page 264.
-The wheel bolts should be clean and easy to
turn. Check for dirt and corrosion on the
mating surfaces of both the wheel and the
hub. Remove all dirt from these surfaces be­
fore remounting the wheel.
Tires with unidirectional tread design
Tires with unidirectional tread design mus t be
mounted with their tread pattern pointed in the
right direction .
Using a spare tire with a tread pattern
intended for use in a specific direction
When using a spare tire with a tread pattern in­
tended for use in a specific direction, please note
the following:
- The direction of rotation is marked by an arrow
on the side of the tire.
- If the spare tire has to be installed in the incor­
rect direction, use the spare tire only tempora­
rily since the tire will not be able to achieve its
optimum performance characteristics with re­
gard to aquaplaning, noise and wear.
- We recommend that you pay particular atten ­
tion to this fact during wet weather and that
you adjust your speed to match road condi­ tions.
- Replace the flat tire with a new one and have it
installed on your vehicle as soon as possible to
restore the handling advantages of a unidirec­
tional tire.
Notes on wheel changing
Please read the information¢ page 243 if you
are going to use a spare tire which is different
from the tires on your vehicle.