2016 AUDI S8 winter tires

Driving
Speed warning system
Introduction
The speed warning system helps you to stay un­
der a specified maximum speed .
The speed warning system warns you if you are
exceeding the maximum speed that you have set .
You will hear a warning tone when your speed ex ­
ceeds the stored value by approximately 3 mph
(3 km/h). An indicator light . (USA models) .
(Canada models) in the instrument cluster dis­
p lay also tur ns on at the same time. The indicator
light •• turns off when the speed decreases
be low the stored maximum speed.
Setting a threshold is recommended if you would
like to be reminded when you reach a certa in
maximum speed. Situations where you may want
to do so include driving in a country with a gener ­
al speed limit or if there is a specified maximum
speed for winter tires.
(D 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.
Setting the threshold
You con set, change and delete the threshold in
the MMI.
.,. Select:
ICARI function button > Car systems
contro l button > Driver assist > Speed warning.
You can set any threshold between 20 mph (30
km/h) and 150 mph (240 km/h). Settings can
each be adjusted in increments of S mph (10 km/
h).
88
Cruise control system
Switching on
The cruise control system makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed starting at 20 mph (30 km/h) .
0
f
®l
0
Fig. 94 Contro l lever wi th se t but ton
Fig. 95 D isp lay : Selected speed
g M 0 ±
~
.,. Pull the lever to position (D <::> fig . 94 to switch
the system on.
.,. Drive at the speed you wish to set .
.,. Press button @to set that speed .
The stored speed and the indicator light
Iij;\1)~14 (US models) !Bl (Canadian models) ap­
pear in the instrument cluster display
c> fig. 95.
The display may vary, depending on the type of
display in your vehicle.
This information is also shown briefly in the
Head-up Display*.
The speed is kept constant via an engine output
adjustment or active brake intervention. ..,_

Driving with your
quattro
With All Wh eel Drive , all four wh eels are driven .
General information
With All W heel Drive, power is dis tribute d to all
four wheels . This happens automatically depend­
ing on your dr iving style and the road conditions
at the time . See also¢
page 190 . With the sport
d ifferent ial*, power d istr ibution to the rear
wheels is variable and can be adjusted with Audi
d rive select*
¢ page 106. Always read and fo llow
safety preca utio ns ¢ ,&. .
Winter tires
When drivi ng in the w inter, you r vehicle with All
Wheel Drive has an advantage, even with reg ular
tires. In winter road cond itions it may be adv isa­
b le to mount w inte r tir es (or a ll-season tires) for
i mproved d riveab ility and bra king : these tires
must be mounted on
all four wheels . See also
¢ page 251, W inter tires.
Snow chains
Where snow chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this normally also a pplies to vehicles w it h
All Whee l Dr ive ¢
page 251, Snow chains.
Replacing wheels /tires
Veh icles w ith All Wheel Drive must always have
tires of the same s ize. A lso avo id tires wi th d iffer­
ent tread depths. For detai ls see page
¢ page 243.
Off-Road driving?
Your Aud i does not have e nough g round clear­
a nce to be used as an off-road vehicle . It is there­
fore best to avoid rough tracks and uneve n ter­
r ain as m uch as possible . Also refe r to
¢page 197.
_& WARNING ,~ -
Always adjust you r driv ing to road and t raffic
conditions . Do not let the extra safety affo rd­
ed by All Wheel Drive tempt you into taking
extra risks.
Sma rt Technology
- Although the A ll Whee l Drive is very effec­
tive, always remember that braking capacity
is limited by t ire tract ion. You shou ld there­
fore not dr ive at excessive speeds on icy or
slippe ry road surfaces .
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to dr ive
too fast because the front wheels could be­
g in to slide on top of the water (aquap la n­
ing) . If th is should oc cur, you will have no
warn ing from a sudden increase in engine
speed as with a front-wheel d rive vehicle.
Always d rive at speeds which are suited to
the road conditions -risk of c rash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution of
electrical energy and thus op timizes the availa­
bility of electrical energy for starting the engine .
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system is
not driven for a long pe riod of time, the battery is
discharged by id ling curre nt consumers (e.g. im­
mobilize r) . In certain circumstances i t can resu lt
in t he re being i nsufficien t energy ava ilable to
sta rt the engine.
Intelligent energy manageme nt in you r vehicle
hand les the distribution of electrical energy .
Start ing ability is markedly improved and the life
of the ba ttery is ex tended.
Bas ica lly, energy management cons ists of
bat ­
tery diagnosis , idling current management
and
dynamic energy management .
Battery diagnosis
Battery d iagnosis continuously dete rm ines the
state of the battery. Sensors determine battery
vo ltage, battery current and battery tempera­
tu re. This de termines the current state o f ch arge
and the power of the battery .
Idling current management
Idling current management reduces energy con­
sumption while the vehicle is standing. With the ..,_
195

Wheels
Wheels
Wheels and Tires
General information
~check your tires regularly for
damage (punctures, cuts, cracks
and bulges). Remove foreign ob­
jects from the tire tread.
~ If driving over curbs or similar
obstacles, drive slowly and ap ­
proach the curb at an angle.
~ Have faulty tires or rims re­
placed immediately.
~ Protect your tires from oil,
grease and fuel.
~ Mark tires before removing
them so that the same running direction can be maintained if
they are reinstalled .
~ Lay tires flat when storing and
store them in a cool, dry location
with as little exposure to light as possible.
(i}) Note
-Please note that summer and
winter tires are designed for
the conditions that are typical i n those seasons. Audi recom­
mends using winter tires dur­
i ng the winter months. Low
temperatures significantly de­ crease the elasticity of summ­
er tires, which affects traction
236
and braking ability. If summer
tires are used in very cold
temperatures, cracks can form on the tread bars, resulting in
permanent tire damage that
can cause loud driving noise
and unbalanced tires.
-Burnished, polished or chromed rims must not be used in winter driving condi­
tions. The surface of the r ims
does not have sufficient corro­
sion protection for th is and
could be permanently dam­
aged by road salt or similar
substances.
Tire designations
Fig. 205 Tire specifi cation codes on the
sidewall of a tire .,._

-
"XL" "xl" "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF" ' ' '
on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire
or a tire and tube assembly upon
which the tire beads are seated .
Rim diameter
means nominal diameter of the
bead seat. If you change your
wheel size, you will have to pur­
chase new tires to match the new
rim d iameter.
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between
r im flanges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire be ­
tween the tread and bead .
Speed rating (letter code )
means the speed at wh ich a tire is
designed to be driven for exten d­
ed periods of t ime . The ratings
range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298 km/h)
¢ table
on page 237.
Yo u may not find
ci this information on all tires be-:c
; cause it is not required by law. V,
-"' -
Wheels
T he speed rating letter code,
where applicable, is molded on
the tire sidewall and indicates the
maximum pe rmissible road
speeds
¢ & in Winter tires on
page 251 .
Tire pressure monitoring
system*
means a system that detects
when one or more of a vehicle's
tires are underin flated and illum i­
na tes a low tire pressure wa rning
telltale.
Tread
means that port ion 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 visua l indication of t he degrees
of wear of the tread . See
¢ page 245, Treadwear indicator
for mo re info rma tion on measu r-
ing tire wear. .,.
241

Occupant loading and distri­
but ion for vehicle normal load
for various design ated se ating
c a pa cit ies
Refer to the tire inflation pres­
sure label ¢
page 246, fig. 208
for the number of seating posi­
tions. Refer to the table ¢
table
on page 248
for the number of
people that correspond to the ve­
hicle normal load.
New tires or wheels
Audi recommends having all work
on tires or wheels performed by
an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized repair facility. These fa ­
cilities have the proper knowl ­
edge and are equipped with the
required tools and replacement
parts .
.,,. New tires do not yet have the
opt imum adhesion properties.
Drive carefully and at moderate
speeds for the first 350 m iles
(500 km) with new tires .
... use tires of the same construc­
tion, size (rolling circumference)
and as close to the same tread pattern as possible on all four
;:::; wheels.
ci :c ": ....
'° V, ....
'° ....
Wheels
.,,.Do not replace tires individually.
At least replace both tires on the same axle at the same time.
.,,. Audi recommends that you use
Audi Original equipment tires. If
you would like to use different
tires, please note that the tires may perform differently even if
they are the same size¢,&..
.,,. If you would like to equip your
vehicle w ith a tire/r im combina­
tion that is different from what
was installed at the factory, con ­
sult w ith an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized repair facili­
ty before making a purchase
~ .&. -
The spare tire* is diffe rent from
the regular tires installed on the
vehicle - for example, if winter
tires or wide tires are installed -
then only use the spare tire* tem­
porarily in case of emergency and
drive carefully while it is in use . It
should be replaced with a regular
tire as soon as possible.
All four whee ls must be equipped
with tires that are the same brand
and have the same construction
and tread pattern so that the
drive system is not damaged by different tire speeds. For this rea-
son , in case of emergency, only .,.
24 3

.,.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

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

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.
-