2017 AUDI A8 Owners Manual

tires according to the load and
the size of the tires installed .
Wheels
Tire pressure
Model/ Tire designation Normal load Maximum load
Engine (up to
2*/3 people)al
front rear front rear
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
A8/A8 L: 235/55 Rl8 104H
35 24
0 30 210
36 250
38 260
3.0L
255/45 Rl9 104H 35 240 30 210 36 250 38 260
6 cylinders 265/40 R20 104H 35 24
0
30 21
0
36 2
50
38 26
0
265/40 R20 104V 35 240 30 210 33 230 35 240
265/35 R21 101 Y 38 260
35 240 36 250
38 2
60
275/35 R21 103V 35 240 30 210 36 250 35 240
AS/ASL: 235/55 Rl8 104H 36 250 30 210 38 260 38 2
60
4.0L
255/45 Rl9 104H 36 250 30 210 38 260 38 260
8 cylinders 265/40 R20 104H 36 250 30 210 38 260 38 260
265/40 R20 104V 36 250 30 210 35 2
40
35 2
40
275/35 R21 103V 36 250 30 210 38 260 38 260
58: 265/40 R20 104V 36 250 3 0 21 0 39 27
0
38 260
4.0L 265/35 R21101 Y 39 270 33 230 44 300 42 290
8 cylinders 275/35 R21103Y 36 250 30 210 44
300 4
2
29 0
58 plus: 265/40 R20 104V 38 260 32 220 39 270 38 260
4.0L
275/35 R21 103V
8
cylinders 45 310 39 270 49 340 48 330
a ) Vehicles with 4 seating positions: two people in the front, Vehicles with 5 seating
positions:
two people in the front , one person in the rear
A WARNING
Please note the important safe­
ty precautions regarding tire pressure
¢ page 293 and load
limits
¢ page 295.
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of
~ load or weight that any vehicle that is
overloaded will not handle
well and is more difficult to stop .
Overloading can not only lead to
loss of vehicle control, but can al­
so damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden
tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation that can
cause the vehicle to crash.
N
~ and any tire can carry. A vehicle
0 0 :c ' Your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on making ..,.
295

Wheels
sure that load limits are not ex­
ceeded. Vehicle load includes ev­
erybody and everything in and on
the vehicle. These load limits are
technically referred to as the vehi­
cle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat­
ing
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight
of the basic vehicle, all factory in­
stalled accessories, a full tank of
fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids plus maximum load. The maxi­
mum load includes the number of
passengers that the vehicle is in­
tended to carry ("seating capaci­
ty") with an assumed weight of
150 lbs. (68 kg) for each passen­
ger at a designated seating posi­
tion and the total weight of any luggage in the vehicle. If you tow
a trailer, the weight of the trailer
hitch and the tongue weight of
the loaded trailer must be includ­
ed as part of the vehicle load.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of the
vehicle's two axles.
The fact that there is an upper
limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating means that the
total weight of whatever is being
296
carried in the vehicle (including
the weight of a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of the loaded
trailer) is limited. The more pas­
sengers in the vehicle or passen­
gers who are heavier than the
standard weights assumed mean
that less weight can be carried as l uggage .
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
are listed on the safety compli­
ance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar
¢ page 293,
fig. 267.
.&_ WARNING
-
Overloading a vehicle can cause
loss of vehicle control, a crash
or other accident, serious per­
sonal injury, and even death.
-Carrying more weight than
your vehicle was designed to
carry will prevent the vehicle
from handling properly and increase the risk of the loss of
vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that
has been overloaded may not
be able to stop the vehicle
within a safe distance.

0
"' -N .... N
-0
0
:c ...
-Tires on a vehicle that has
been overloaded can fail sud­
denly, including a blowout and
sudden deflation, causing loss
of control and a crash.
-Always make sure that the to­ tal load being transported -
including the weight of a trail­
er hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer - does not make the vehicle
heavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
Determining correct load
limit
Use the example below to calcu­
late the total weight of the pas­
sengers and luggage or other
things that you plan to transport so that you can make sure that
your vehicle will not be overload­
ed.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCU ­
PANTS AND CARGO SHOULD
NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
LBS "on your vehicle's placard
(tire inflation pressure label)
c::> page 293, fig. 267 .
Wheels
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas­ sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers
from "XXX" kilograms or "XXX"
pounds shown on the sticker
c::> page 293, fig . 267 .
4. The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For ex­
ample, if the "XXX " amount
equals
1400 lbs. and there will
be five
150 lbs . passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage
load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5 X 150) = 650
lbs .)
5. Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely ex­ ceed the available cargo and
luggage load capacity calculat­
ed in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your ve­
hicle. Consult this manual to
determine how this reduces .,..
297

Wheels
th e av ail able cargo and lug­
g age load capa cit y of your vehi­
cl e.
.,.Ch eck th e tire s idewall
(¢ page 283 , fig. 265) to deter­
mine the d esignated load r atin g
for a sp ecifi c tire .
Wheel bolts and rims
Wheel bolts
W heel bo lt s must be clean and loosen/t ighten
easi ly.
Rims
R ims with a bol ted rim ring * or w it h bolted wheel
covers * consist of m ultip le pieces . These compo­
nents we re bolted together using specia l bolts
a nd a speci al procedu re. You must not repair o r
d is a ssemble them¢
A.
A WARNING
Whee l bolts that a re tightened or repaired in­
co rrectly can become loose and result in loss
o f vehicle control, which increases the risk of
an acc ident. For the correct t ightening specifi­
cat io n, see¢
page 314.
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
th reads in the whee l hub clean and free of
grease.
- Only use wheel bolts that fit the rim.
- Always have damaged rims repaired by an
autho rized Aud i dealer or authorized Aud i
Service Facility. Never repair or d isassemble
rims yourse lf, because this increases the risk
of an accident .
Winter tires
Winte r ti res s ignificantly improve the veh icle's
handling when d riving i n w inte r condit io n s. Be­
cause of the ir constr uction (width, compound,
t read pattern) , summe r ti res provide less trac ­
tion on ice and snow.
298
.,. Use win ter tires on a ll four wheels .
.. On ly use winter tires that are approved for yo ur
veh icle.
.,. Please note that the maximum permitted
speed may be lower with winter tires¢&_. An
author ized A udi dealer or autho rized Audi Serv ­
ice Fac ility can inform you about the maximum
permitted speed for your t ires .
.,. Check t he tire p ressure afte r insta lling wheels
¢ page 293 .
The effectiveness of wi nter tires is reduced g reat­
l y when the tread is wo rn down to a depth of
0.157 in ( 4 mm). The characte ris tic s of winter
ti res a lso decrease g rea tly as the t ire ages, re­
gard less o f the remaining t read.
_&. WARNING
- Never drive faster than the maximum pe r­
m itted speed for your tires . This could cause
the t ires to heat up too much. This increases
the risk of an accident because it can cause
the t ire to burst .
- Always adapt your driving to the road and
traffic conditions . Drive carefully and reduce
your speed on icy or slippery roads . Even
winter t ires can lose t ract io n on black ice .
@ For the sake of the environment
Reinstall summer tires at the appropr iate
time, because they prov ide better handling
when roads are free of snow and ice. Summer
tires cause less road no ise, tire wear and fuel
consumpt ion.
(i_) Tips
You can also use all season tires instead of
winter tires . Please note that in some coun­
tries where wint er tires are required, o nly
winter tires w it h t he
& symbol may be per­
mi tted.
Snow chains
-
Snow chains not on ly improve the driving in win ­
ter road conditions, but a lso the braking .
.,. Onl y ins tall snow ch ain s on t he fro nt wheels. ..,.

~ Check and correc t the seating of the snow
chains after driving a few feet , if necessary . Fo l­
l ow the instructions from the manufacturer .
~ Note the maximum speed of 30 mph (SO km/
h). Note the loca l regulat ions.
Use of snow chains is on ly pe rmitted with certain
rim/tire combinations due to technical reasons.
Check w ith an authori zed Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Fac ility to see if you may use
snow chains .
You must remove the snow chains on roads with­
out snow. Otherw ise, you could impair dr iving
ab ility and damage the tires.
_8 WARNING
Using incorrect snow chains o r insta lling snow
chains incorrectly can result in loss of vehicle
cont rol, which inc reases the risk of an acc i­
dent.
(D Note
- Snow cha ins can damage the rims/wheel
covers* if the cha ins come into d irect con·
tact with t hem . Remove the whee l cove rs*
f irst. Use coate d snow chai ns.
- Using snow cha ins tha t add more than 0.4
i nch (10.5 mm) of he igh t ca n seve rely dam­
age the wheel ho usings and other vehicle
componen ts .
- Do no t install and use s now chai ns if there is
a mal funct ion in the adaptive air suspe n­
s ion, because the vehicle heigh t will be very
l ow . If you drive with snow chains anyway,
the wheel ho usings and other vehicle com­
ponents can be severely damaged.
@ Tips
When using snow chains, it may be useful to
sw itch on sport mode ¢page
127.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Aud i is factory-equipped with low aspect ra-
o tio tires. These t ires have been thorough ly tested co
~ and been selected specifically for your model for ,.....
~ their supe rb performance, road feel and handli ng 0 0 :c ' Wh eel s
under a var iety o f dr iv ing condit ions . Ask your au ­
thorized Audi dea le r for more detai ls.
T he low aspect rat io of t hese tires is indicated by
a nu meral o f
55 or less in the tire's si ze des igna­
tion . The n umera l represents the ratio of the
tire's sidewa ll height in relation to its tread width
expressed in percentage . Conve ntiona l tires have
a height/width ratio of 60 or more .
The performance of low-aspect- ratio tires is par­
ti cula rly sen siti ve to imprope r inflation p res­
sure. It is the refore important that low aspect
rat io tires are inflated to the specified pressure
and that the inflation pressure is regularly
checked and maintained . Tire pressures should
be checked at lea st once a month and always
before a long trip
¢ page 293 .
What you can do to avo id tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more eas i­
ly by impact w ith potho les, curbs, gullies or
ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is un­
der inflated .
In order to m in imize the occurrence of impact
damage to t he tires of yo ur vehicle , we recom­
me nd tha t you observe the following preca u­
tio ns:
- Always maintain recommended inflat ion pres­
sures. Check you r ti re pressu re every 2,000
m iles (3,000 km) a nd add air if necessary.
- Dr ive carefully on roads w it h potholes, deep
gullies o r ridges. The impact from dr iving
t hrough or over such obst acles can damage
your tires. Impac t with a cur b may also ca use
damage to your tires.
- After a ny impac t, im med iate ly inspect yo ur
t ires or have them inspe cted by the neares t au­
t horized A udi dealer. Replace a damaged tire as
soon as possible.
- I nspect your tires every 2,000 m iles (3,000 km)
for damage and wear. Damage is not a lways
easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of air and
underinflation, wh ich could event ually cause
tire fa ilure . If you believe that a tire may have
been damaged, replace the tire as soon as pos­
sible .
- These tires may wear more quickly than others . .,.
299

Wheels
- Please a lso remember that, wh ile these tires
deliver responsive handling, they may ride less
comfortably and ma ke more noise than other
cho ices.
Reduc ed performance in winter /cold s eason
condit ions
All tires are designed for certain purposes. The
low aspect ratio, ultra high performance t ires
or iginally i nstalled on your vehicle are intended
for maximum dry and wet road performance and
handling . They are not s uitable for cold, snowy or
icy weathe r cond itions.
If you drive under those
circumstances, you s hou ld equ ip your ve hicle
with a ll-season or win ter tires, wh ic h offe r bette r
traction under those con dit ions . We suggest you
use the recommended snow or all -season tires
specified fo r your vehicle, or their equivalent.
Refer to¢
page 298 for more deta iled info rm a­
tion regarding w in ter tires.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperatu re ABC
Qua lity grades can be found where applicable on
the t ire side wall betwee n tread s hou lde r and
maximum sect io n w id th
¢pag e 283, fig. 265.
For e xample: Tread wear 2 00 , Traction AA , Tem­
perature
A .
All passenger car tires must conform to Federa l
Safety Requirements in addition to these grades.
Tread wea r
The tread wear grade is a comparat ive ra ting
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under contro lled conditions on a specified gov­
ernment test course.
F or examp le, a t ire graded
150 would wear one
and one ha lf
( 1 1/2) times as well on the govern ­
ment course as a tire g raded
100 .
The rela tive perfo rmance of tires depe nds upon
the actua l condi tions of their use, howeve r, and
may depart significant ly from the norm d ue to
300
variations in driving habits, service p ract ices an d
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from hig hest to lowest, a re
AA, A, B and
C. Those grades rep resent the tire's
ability to stop o n wet p avement as measure d un­
der controlled conditions on specified govern ­
ment test s urfaces of asphalt an d concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance
¢ _& .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A ( the highest), B,
and C, representing the tire 's resistance to the
generatio n of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under contro lled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the mate­
rial of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to s udden
tire failure¢ &.
The grade C cor responds 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 hig her levels
of performance on the laboratory test wheel than
t h e m inim um requ ired by law .
A WARNING
-
The tract io n grade assigned to this t ire is
based on st raig ht-a head b raking tr action
tes ts, and do es not in clude acceler ation, cor­
nerin g, hyd roplaning or pe ak traction ch arac­
teristics.
A WARNING
T he temperat ure grade fo r thi s tire is esta b­
lishe d for a tire that is properly inflated and
not ove rloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla -
tion, o r excessive load ing, either separately or
in comb inat ion, can cause heat bu ildup and
-
possible tire failure. ..,.

C) C0 ....
"' " "' .... 0 0 :r _& WARNING
Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and not over or underinflat­
ed .
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (AS, S8)
(D General notes
A ppl ies to: AS, 58
Each t ire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and inflat­
ed to the inflation pressure recommended by the
veh icle manufact urer on the vehicle placard or
tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure la­
be l, you should determine the proper tire infla­
tion pressure for those tires).
As an added safety feature, your veh icle has been
equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure te ll­
tale when one or more of your tires is significant­
ly under-inflated . Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure 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
p roper tire maintenance, and it is the driver's re­
sponsib ility to ma intain correc t tire p ressure,
even if under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire pres­
sure telltale.
Your veh icle has also bee n eq uipp ed w ith a TPM S
mal function indicator to indicate when the sys­
tem is not operat ing properly. The TPMS mal­
function indicator is combined with the low tire
pressure telltale. When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for approxi­
mately one mi nute and then remain cont inuously
illuminated . This sequence will continue upon
Wheels
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as the mal ­
function exists .
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated ,
the sys tem may not be able to detect or signal
low tire pressure as intended . TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons, including the
i nsta llation of replacement or alternate tires or
whee ls on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replac ing one or
more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure
that the replacement or a lternate tires and
whee ls allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
If the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
indicator appears
Applies to: A8, 58
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. 269 I n strument cluste r: indicator light with messa ge
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitor­
ing system compares the tire tread c ircumfer­
ence and vibration characteristics of the individu­
al tires.
If the press ure changes in one or more
tires, this is indicated in the instrument cluster
display with an indicator light
[I] and a message.
If only one tire is affected, the location of that
tire will be indicated.
T he tire press ures 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
c:> page 302. The tire pressure moni­
toring system only monitors the tire pressure you have stored . Refer to the t ire pressure label for ..,.
301

Wheels
the recommended tire pressure for your vehicle
¢page 293, fig. 268.
Tire tread circumference and vibration character­
istics can change and cause a tire pressure warn­
ing if:
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too low.
- the tire has structural damage .
- the tire was replaced or the tire pressure was
changed and it was not stored¢
page 302.
-the spare tire* is installed.
Indicator lights
IE Loss of pressure in at least one tire¢&. .
Check the tires and replace or repair if necessary.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires and
store the pressure again in the Infotainment sys­
tem ¢
page 302 .
mm (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
pressure: System malfunction!.
Ifmm appears
after switching the ignition on or while driving
and the
IE indicator light in the instrument clus­
ter blinks for approximately one minute and then
stays on , there is system malfunction . Try to
store the correct tire pressures¢
page 302. If
the indicator light does turn off or turns on again
after a short period of time, drive to an author­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty immediately to have the malfunction correct­
ed .
A WARNING
- If the tire pressure indicator appears in the
display, reduce your speed immediately and
avoid any hard steer ing or braking maneu­
vers . Stop as soon as possible and check the
t ir es and their pressure .
- The driver is responsible for maintaining the
correct tire pressure. You must check the
t ire pressure regularly.
- Under certain conditions (such as a sporty
dr iv ing style, winter cond itions or unpaved
roads), the tire pressure monitoring system
indicator may be delayed.
- Do not use run-flat tires on your vehicle. Us­
ing them when not permitted can lead to
vehicle damage or accidents .
302
(D Tips
-The tire pressure monitoring system can al­
so stop working when there is an ESC mal­
function.
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The tires with the identification "AO" or
"RO" ¢
page 290 have been matched with
your Audi tire pressure monitoring system.
We recommend that you use these tires.
Storing tire pressures
App lies to: AB, 58
If the tire pressure changes or a tire is replaced ,
it must be confirmed in the Infotainment sys­
tem.
... Make sure before storing that the tire pressur es
of all four tires meet the specified values and
are adapted to the load ¢
page 291.
... Switch the ignition on.
... Select: the
ICARI funct ion button> Car Systems
control button > Servicing & checks > Tire
pressure monitoring
> Store tire pressure >
Yes, store now.
(D Tips
Do not store the tire pressures if snow chains
are installed. Othe rw ise the system could
malfunction.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (S8 plus)
(l) General notes
App lies to : 58 plus
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
sho uld be checked monthly when cold and inflat­
ed to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or
tire inflation 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 determ ine the proper t ire infla-
tion pressure for those tires). .,.