AUDI TT ROADSTER 2011 Owners Manual

Tires and wheels 199
Note that the following tab le is accurate at
the time of going to press and is subject to
change. In the event of discrepanc ies, the tire
pressure label (on dr iver's side B-pillar) always
takes precedence .
The table be low lists the recommended cold
tire inf lation pressures for the Audi model covered
by your Owner 's Literature at the vehi­
cle's capacity weight and the tire sizes instal­
l ed on the respective models as orig inal
equipment, or as a factory option.
Engine II Tire designation Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear l
(dis-
full load full load
place- normal load
condition normal load
condition
ment in condition
(2 occupants condition
(2 occu-
liter) (up
to 2 oc-
plus lug- (up
to 2 oc-
pants plus
cupants) gage) cupants)
luggage)
PSI
ll kPA PSI kPA
PSI JI kPA PSI Jl kPA
-
4-cylin-
der
2.0 225/50
Rl 7 94H All Sea-
son
225/50 R17 94W XL High
Performance
245/45 Rl 7 95H All Sea-
son
245/45 R17 95YXL High
Performance
245/40 R18 93H All Sea­
son
245/40 R18 93V XL High
Performance
255/35 Rl9 96V XL High
Performance
32 220
32 220
32 220
32 220
32 220
32 220
32 220 32
220 29 200 29 200
32 220 29 200 29 200
32 220 29 200 29 200
•
32 220 29 200 29 200
I
32 220 29 200 29 200
•
33 II 230 29
200 30 210 I
32 220 29 200 29 200
XL= reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xl, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire side­
wall.
The correct tire pressure for the spore wheel is
l ocated on a label on the drive r's side B-pillar.
Because technical changes may be made to
ve hicl e equ ipment dur ing the model year, a l­
ways compa re the tire size designation on the
tire pressure label on your vehi cle w ith t he
tires on your vehicle . Make sur e that the tire
size information on the vehicle label is the
same as the size of the tires on the vehicle.
This is especially important if the vehicle be­
longs to someone else or you bought the veh i­
cle with different rims/tires or you bought the
vehicle as a previously owned vehicle. Remember, you
r safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on making sure that
load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
vehicle. These load limits are technically refer­
red to as the veh icle's Gross Vehicle Weight
Rat ing ("GVWR"). The Gross Axle We ight Rat­
ing ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can
be applied at each of the vehicle's two axles .
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety comp liance sticker label lo cated on the
driver's side B-pillar. The tire pressure label on
your A udi lists the maximum combined
weight of all of the occ upants and luggage or
Ill>
•
•

200 Tires and wheels
other cargo that the vehicle can carry. For the
location of the tire pressure label
r=:>fig. 146.
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more weight than your vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of a loss of veh icle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly causing loss of con­
tro l and a crash.
A WARNING ,~ -
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can lead to a serious or fatal acci­
dent.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation cause increased tire wear and can
affect the handling of the vehicle.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can also lead to sudden tire fa il­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
flation, causing loss of vehicle control.
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires original­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressure label located on driver's side 8-pil ­
lar.
The recommended t ire pressures are on the
tire pressure labe l and in the table
r=:> page 198, Cold tire inflation pressure . This
means that the pressure must be checked and
adjusted when the tire has not been driven for more than a couple of miles (kilometers) at
low speeds during the previous three hours.
A ir i n the tires expands when the tire heats up
as a result of interna l fr iction as it flexes in use.
The tire pressure is higher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "co ld."
It i s the inflation pressure in a "cold" tir e that
counts. Therefore, you should never let air out
of a warm tire to match "Cold tire inflation
pressure" recommendations
r=;, page 198. The
t ir es wou ld then be underinf lated and co uld
fail suddenly .
The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the
recommended cold tire inflation pressures for
the new, original eq uipment tires that were
on your veh icle at the time it was manufac­
tured. For the location of the labe l
r=:>page 198, fig . 146.
Most tires lose air natura lly over t ime. They
can a lso lose some air if you drive over a pot­
hole or hit a curb while park ing. It is usually
not possible to see whether the rad ial tires
used today are underinflated just by looking
at them.
Therefore, be sure to check t ire pressures at
least once a month and a lways before going
on a long trip . Make sure to take the number
of peop le and the amount of luggage into ac­
count when adjust ing tire pressu re for a trip -
even one that yo u wou ld not consider to be
" long." See
r=;, page 202, Tires and vehicle
load limits
for more important information.
Always use an accurate tire pressure gauge
when checking and adjusting inflation pres­
sures. Check all of the tires and be s ure not to
forget the spare tire. If the pressure in any tire
is too high when the tire is "cold," let air out
of the tire s low ly with the edge of the tire
gauge and keep checking the pressure until
you reach the pressure that is correct for the load (passengers and luggage) and kind of
dr iv in g you plan to do.
If the pressure in any tire is too low, note the
difference between the pressure in the cold
tire and the pressure you need and add the air
that you need to reach the correct pressure for
the vehicle load (passengers and luggage) for
the tires on your vehicle as listed on the on
your vehicle and in this manual and the kind
of driving you plan to do. .,..

Never exceed the m aximum inflati on pres­
s u re li sted on the ti re sidew all for any rea­
son.
Remembe r that the vehicle manufacturer, not
the t ire manufacturer, determines the co rrect
tire pressure for the tires on your vehicle.
It is importan t to check the tire pressure when
t he t ires are cold .
- Read the requ ired ti re pressure from the tire
pressure label located on d river's s ide B-pi l­
l ar .
- T urn the valve stem cap counter-clockwise
to remove it from the tire valve .
- Place the air pressure gauge on the valve .
- The tire pressures should only be checked
and adjusted when the tires are cold . The
s li ght ly raised p ressures of warm tires must
not be reduced.
- Adjust the t ire pressure to the load you a re
ca rrying.
- Re install the valve stem cap on the valve .
When should I ch eck the ti re pres sur e?
The correct tire pressure is especially impor­
tant at high speeds. The pressure should
therefore be checked at least once a month
and a lways before start ing a journey .
When should I ad just th e tir e pre ss ures?
Ad just the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying . After changing a wheel
or replacing
wheels you have to adjust the tire pressures
on all wheels. In addition, you must then in it i­
alize the new tire pressures in the tire pres ­
sure mon itor ing system
q page 212 .
A WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or unde rinfla­
tion can lead sudden tire failure, loss of cont ro l, col lision, ser ious persona l inju ry
or even death.
- When the warning symbo l
[D] appears in
the instrument cl uster, stop and inspect
the tires.
- Incor rect tire pressure and/or underinfla­
tion can cause increased tire wear and
Tire s an d wheel s 201
can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability .
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can a lso lead to sudden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
flation, caus ing loss of veh icle control.
- The driver is responsible for the correct
tire pressures for all tires on the veh icle.
The applicable pressure values are locat­ ed on a sticker on the dr iver's s ide B-pil ­
lar .
- On ly when all tires on the vehicle are fil­
led to the correct pressure, the t ire p res­
sure mon itor ing system can work cor­
rectly.
- The use of incorrect tire p ressu re va lues
can lead to acc idents or other damage.
Therefore it is essential that the drive r
observe the spec ified t ire p ress ure val ues
for the t ires and the correct pressures for
the function of the tire press ure monito r­
ing system.
-A lways inflate tires to the recommended
and correct tire pressure before dr iv ing
off.
- Driving with underinf lated tires bend
mo re, letting them get too hot resulting
in tread separation, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
- Excessive speed and/over loading can
cause heat b uild-up, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
- If the tire pressure is too low or too high,
the t ires will wear prematurely and the
veh icle w ill not handle well.
- If the tire is not flat and you do not have
to change a wheel immediately, drive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta­
tion to check the t ire p ressu re and add
a ir as requ ired.
(D Note
Driving w it h out valve stem caps can cause
damage to the tire valves. To prevent this,
always make sure that factory installed
valve stem caps on all whee ls are secu rely
mounted o n the valve. .,.
•
•

202 Tires and wheels
@ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will a lso increase the
fue l consumption.
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or
weight that any vehicle and any t ire can carry.
A vehicle that is overloaded w ill not handle
well and is more difficult to stop. Overload ing
can not only lead to loss of vehicle control,
but can also damage important pa rts of the
vehicle and can lead to s udden tire failure, in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the vehicle to crash.
Your safety and that of your passengers a lso
depends on making sure that load limits are
not exceeded. Vehicle load includes everybody
and everything in and on the vehicle. These
l oad limits are technically referred to as the
vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic
vehicle, all factory installed accessories, a full
tank of fuel, oil, coo lant and other fluids plus
maximum load. The maximum load includes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is
intended to carry ("seating capacity") with an
assumed weight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each
passenger at a designated seat ing pos ition
and the total weight of any l uggage in the ve­
h icle.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be app lied at each
of the vehicle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance stick er labe l located on the
driver 's side 8-p illar. Your Audi has 2 seat ing
positions. Each seating pos ition has a safety
be lt ¢
page 107, Safety belts.
The fact that the re is an upper limit to your
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the tota l weight of whatever is being car­
ried in the vehicle is limited. The more passen­
gers in the vehicle or passengers who are heavier
than the standard weights assumed
mean that less weight can be carried as lug­
gage.
T he tire pressure label on your Audi also lists
the maximum combined weight of a ll of the
occupants and luggage or other cargo that
the vehicle can carry. For the location of the
label ¢
page 198, fig. 146.
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
h icle control, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more we ight than your veh icle
was des igned to carry will prevent the
veh icle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of the loss of vehicle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
veh icle w ithin a safe distance .
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly, including a blowout
and 5udden deflation, cau5ing lo55 of
control and a crash.
Determining correct load limit
Use the example below to cal­
culate the total weight of the passengers and luggage or oth­
er things that you plan to trans­
port so that you can make sure
that your vehicle will not be
overloaded.
Steps for Determining
Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF QC­
CU PANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX .,..

KG OR XXX LBS"on your vehi­
cle's placard (tire inflation
pressure label)
¢ page 198 ,
fig. 146.
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas­ s engers that will be riding in
your vehicle .
3. Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and pas ­
s engers from
"XXX" kilo ­
grams or
"XXX " pound s
shown on the sticker
¢ page 198 , fig. 146 .
4. The resulting figure equals
the available amount of car­go and luggage load capa ci­
ty . For example, if the
"XXX''
amount equals 1400 lbs.
and there will be five 150 lbs. passengers in your vehi­
cle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load ca­
pacity 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
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
Tires and wheels 203
6 . If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer , load from your trail­
er will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual
to determine how this re­ duces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
~check the tire sidewall
(¢ page 205, fig . 150) to de­
termine the designated load rating for a specific tire.
Tire service life
Th e se rvic e lif e of tir es d ep ends on a lot of
differ ent things including proper ins tall atio n
and bal ancin g, corr ect ti re press ure and dr iv­
ing s tyle .
Fig. 148 Tir e t read: t read wea r in dic ato rs (TWI)
f --------
~- ---- --'
Fig. 149 Rotating tir e s for more eve n wea r
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The o rig ina l tires o n yo ur vehi cle have
1/ 16 inch ( 1.6 mm) hig h "wea r in dicato rs"

204 Tires and wheels
c::>fig . 148 running across the tread. Depend­
ing on the make, there will be six to eight of
them evenly placed around the tire. Marks on
the tire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other
symbols) indicate the positions of the tread
wear ind icators . Worn tires must be replaced .
Different figures may apply in other countries
c::> ,& .
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear
and can cause sudden tire blow-out . For this
reason, tire pressure must be checked at least
once a month
c::> page 200.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy acceleration
and hard braking increase tire wear.
Rotating tires for more even wear
For a ll four tires on your vehicle to have the
same service life, we recommend that the
front and rear tires are rotated according to
the tire manufacturer's suggested tire rota­
tion intervals. Please remember the follow­
ing:
- Tire rotation interva ls may differ from the
vehicle serv ice intervals outlined in your
Warranty
& Maintenance Booklet.
- The longer one tire is used in one location
on the vehicle, the more it wears at certain
points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufacture r's suggested
t ir e rotation intervals .
- Vehicles with front-wheel drive experience
more tread wear on the front wheels com ­
pared to all-wheel drive (quatt ro ® ).
- Please rotate t ires as shown
c::> fig . 149.
-Extra care must be taken when rotating di-
rect ion-specific tires
c::> page 226.
Wheel balancing
The whee ls on new vehicles are balanced.
However, various situations during everyday
driving can cause them to become unbal­
anced, resulting in vibrations you can usually
feel through the steering wheel. Unbalanced
wheels must be rebalanced to
avoid excessive wear on steering, suspension
and t ires . A whee l must also be reba lanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can cause exces­
sive tire wear, impairing the safety of the vehi ­
cle. If tires show excessive wear, have the
whee l alignment checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles with quattro ® must a lways have tires
of the same size, construction and tread type .
For details see c::>page
154.
A WARNING
-Sudden tire fai lure can lead to loss of con-
trol, a crash and serious personal injury!
- Never drive a vehicle when the tread on
any tire is worn down to the wear indica­
tors.
- Worn tires are a safety hazard, they do not grip well on wet roads and increase
your r isk of "hydroplaning" and loss of
control.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause
tire damage, such as grease, oil, gasoline
and brake fluid away from tires.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith special care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mount used tires on your vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." O ld used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire fai lure
and loss of vehicle control.

New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in.
Fig. 150 Tire specification codes on the sidewall of a
t ire
No. Description
(D Passenger car tire (where applicable)
@ Nominal width of tire in millimeters
@ Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
@ Radial
@ Rim diameter code
@ Load index and speed rating
(J) U.S. DOT tire identification number
@ Audi Original tire
@ Sever snow conditions
@ Tire ply composition and materials used
@ Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and temperature
grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pres­
sure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the
veh icle's design . The tires and r ims approved
by Audi are specially matched to the charac­
teristics of the vehicle and can make a major
contribution to good road holding and safe
Tires and wheels 205
handling when in good condition and properly
inflated
¢ .&..
We recommend that all work on tires and
wheels be performed by an authorized Audi
dealer. They are familiar with recommended
procedures and have the necessary special
tools and spare parts as well as the proper fa ­
cilities for disposing of the old tires.
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary
information about technical requirements for
installing or changing tires and rims .
Replacing tires and wheels
Tires should be replaced at least in pairs and
not ind ividually (for example both front tires
or both rear tires together).
Be sure to read and heed the information to
the tire pressure monitoring system
¢page 212 .
Always buy replacement radial tires that have
the same spec ificat ions as the tires approved
for your vehicle by Audi. Replacement tires
must always have the same load rating speci­
fication as the original equipment or approved
optional tires listed in the table¢
page 198.
Audi-approved specification tires are specially
matched to your vehicle and its load limits,
and can contribute to the important roadhold­
ing, driving characteristics, and safety of the
vehicle. The table( <=>
page 198) lists specifica­
tions of the tires approved for the Audi mod­
els covered by your Owner's Literature.
The tire pressure label located on driver's side
B-pillar ( <=>
page 198, fig. 147) lists the speci­
fications of the original equipment tires in­
stalled on your vehicle at the time it was man­
ufactured .
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to
place standardized information on the side­
wall of all tires<=>
fig. 150 . This information
identifies and describes the fundamental
characteristics, the quality grade of the tire
and also provides a tire identification number
for safety standard certification and in case of
a recall. .,.

206 Tires and wheels
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it eas­
ier to choose the correct tires. Radial tires
have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewall, for example:
P245 / 45 R 17 95 H
This contains the follow ing informat ion:
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars
245 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire
from s idewall edge to sidewall edge. In
general, the larger the number, the wider
the tire
45 Height/width ratio in percent (aspect ra-
tio)
R Tire construction: Rad ial
17 Rim diameter code (in inches)
95 L oad rating code
H Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF") indicates
that th e tire is a"Reinfo rced" or an "Ex tra
Loa d" tire
M+S (or "M/5") Indicates that the tire has
some mud and snow capability
The tires could also have the information of
direction of rotation ¢
page 194.
Tire manufacturing date
The manufacturing date is also indicated on
the tire s idewall (possibly only on the
inner
side of the wheel) :
"DOT .. . 2209 ... "means, for example, that
the tire was produced in the 22nd week of
2009.
Speed rating (letter code)
The speed rating letter code on the wheels in­
dicates the maximum permissib le road speeds
¢ &. in Winter tires on page 209.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
ll For tir es w it h a m ax im um spee d ca pabil ity ove r 149
mph (2 40 km/ h), ti re manufact urers sometimes use
the lett ers " ZR."
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)1l
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)ll
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)
1>
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)1>
Your vehicle is normally factory equipped w it h
tires, which possess exce llent dr iving charac­
teristics and give your Aud i optimum driving
com fort. An electronic speed limiter
¢ page 28 will normally prevent your vehicle
from going faster than the tire speed rating
¢,&. .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
and tire manufacture date
This is the tire's "seria l number". It begins
with the letters "DOT" and ind icates that the
tire meets all federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters ind icate the plant where it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers
represent the week and year of manufacture.
For example, the numbers 2209 mean that
the tire was produced in the 22nd week of
2009. The other numbers are marketing co­
des that may or may not be used by the tire
manufacturer. This information is used to con­
tact consumers if a tire defect requires a re­
ca ll.
Audi Original tire
Tires with the identification "AO" or "RO" have
been specially matched with your Audi. We
recommend using only these tires because
they meet the highest standards regarding
safety and driving characterist ics when used
correctly. Your authorized Audi dealer will
gladly prov ide you w ith more information.
Tire ply compos ition and materials used
The number of plies indicates the number of
layers of rubber-coated fabric in the tire. In
Ill>

general, the greater the number of plies, the more weight a tire can support . Tire manufac­
turers also must indicate the materials in the
tire, wh ich include steel, nylon, polyester, and
others .
Ma ximum Load R ating
This number indicates the maximum load in
kilograms and pounds that can be carried by
the tire.
Tire qualit y gr ad ing for treadw ear,
tract ion , an d temp erature resis ta nce
Tread wear , traction and temperature grades
c::> pag e208.
M aximum Permis sibl e Inflation Pr essur e
This n umbe r is the greatest amount of air
pressure that should ever be put in the tire
under normal driving conditions .
& WARNING
- Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/
or whee ls or improper tire and whee l
combinations can lead to loss of contro l,
collision and serious personal injury.
- Always use tires, rims and wheel bo lts
that meet the specifications of orig inal
factory-installed tires or other combina­
t ions that have been spec ifically ap­
proved by the vehicle manufacturer .
- Tires age even if they are not be ing used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds . T ires that are more than 6 years
o ld can only be used in an emergency
and then with special care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mount used ti res on you r vehicle if
yo u are not s ure of their "previous histo­
ry ." Old used tires may have been dam ­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- All four wheels must be fitted with radia l
t ires of the same type, size (roll ing cir­
cumference) and the same tread pattern .
Driv ing with different tires reduces veh i-
Tire s an d wheel s 207
cle handling and can lead to a loss of
contro l.
- If the spare tire is not the same as the
tires that are mounted on the vehicle -
for examp le w ith winter t ires -only use
the spare t i re for a short period of time
and drive with extra care . Refit the nor ­
mal road wheel as soon as safely poss i­
ble .
- Never drive faster than the max imum
speed for which the tires on your vehicle
are rated because tires that are dr iven
faster than their rated speed can fa il
suddenly.
- Ove rloading tires cause heat build-up,
sudden tire fa ilure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of contro l.
- Temperature grades apply to tires tha t
are properly infla ted and not over or un­
derinf lated .
- For technical reasons it is not always
possible to use whee ls from other vehi­
cles -in some cases not even wheels
from the same ve hicle mode l.
-If you install wheel trim discs on the ve ­
hicle wheels, make sure that the air flow
to the brakes is not b locked. Reduced air­
f low to the brakes can them to overheat,
increas ing stopping d istances and caus­
ing a co llision .
- Run flat tires may only be used on vehi­
cles that were equ ipped w ith them at the
factory. The veh icle must have a chassis
des igned for run flat ti res and a factory­
installed t ire p ressure monito ring sys­
tem that indicates a loss of ti re p ressu re.
I nco rrec t use of run fl at tires can lead to
veh icle damage o r accidents. Check with
an authorized Audi dealer or tire special­ ist to see if your vehicle can be equipped
with run flat tires. If run flat tires are used, they must be installed on all four
wheels. Mixing tire types is not permit-
ted .
Ill>
•
•

208 Tires and wheels
-For technical reasons, it is not generally
possible to use the whee l rims from oth­
er vehicles. This can hold true for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
- If the spare tire is different from the
tires that you have mounted on your ve­ hicle (for example winter tires or wide
profile tires), then use the spare t ire for a
short period of time only and drive with
extra care. Replace the flat tire with the
tire match ing the others on your vehicle
as soon as possible.
- Never drive without the valve stem cap.
The valves could get damaged.
@ For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accordance with the
local requ irements.
Uniform tire quality grading
- T read wear
- Traction AA A B (
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire side wall between tread shoulder
and maximum sect ion width ¢
page 205,
fig . 150 .
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA,
Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Feder­
al 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 specified
government test course.
F or example, a tire graded 150 would wear
one and one half (11/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relat ive performance of tires depends
upon the actua l conditions of their use, how -ever, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, serv­
ice practices and differences in road character­
istics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest
to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under contro lled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt and 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 generation of heat and its ability to dissi­ pate heat when tested under controlled condi­
t ions on a specified indoor labo ratory test
wheel.
Sustained h igh temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure ¢ ,&.
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stand ­
ard No. 109. Grades Band A represent h igher
levels of performance on the laboratory test
whee l than the minimum required by law.
A WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight -ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning or peak traction
characterist ics .
A WARNING i- -
The temperature grade for this tire is es-
tablished for a tire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded . Excess ive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combinat ion, can cause
heat buildup and possible tire failure.