ESP AUDI A8 2013 Manual Online

Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle .
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle . Tires are,
however, one of the most important parts of a
vehicle, particularly considering the compara­
tively small patch of rubber on each tire that
assures that a ll- important contact between
you, your vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, mak ing
sure that your vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry mo re weight than they can safely han­
d le, avoiding damage from road hazards and
r eg ularly inspect ing t ires for damage i nclud­
ing cuts, slashes irregu la r wear and ove rall
condition are the most important things that
you can do to he lp avoid sudden tire failure in­
cluding tread separat ion and blowouts.
A voidin g damage
If you have to d rive over a curb or similar ob­
stacle, drive very slow ly and as close as possi ­
b le at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chemicals includ ing grease, o il ,
gasoline and brake fluid off the t ires .
I nspect the t ires regularly for damage (cuts,
cracks or b listers, etc.). Remove any fo reign
bod ies embedde d in the treads.
Storing tires Mark tires when you remove them to indicate
the direction of rotation . T his ensures you to
be ab le to mount them correctly when you re­
i nstall them .
When removed, the wheels or t ires should be
sto red in a cool, d ry and preferably dark place .
Store tires in a vertical pos ition if they are not
mounted on rims, in a horizontal pos it ion if
they are mounted on rims .
Tires an d wheel s 249
New tires
New ti res have to be broken in¢& .
The tread depth of new t ires may vary, accord­
ing to the type a nd make of t ire and the tread
patte rn.
H idden damage
Damage to tires and r ims is ofte n not readily
visible . If you notice unusual v ib rat ion or the
vehicle pulls to one s ide, th is may ind icate
that one of the t ires has been damaged . T he
ti res m ust be chec ked immed iate ly by an au­
thorized Audi dea le r or q ua lified wor kshop .
Unidirectional tires
A un idirectional tire can be identified by ar­
rows on the sidewa ll, that po int in the direc­
tion the t ire is designed to rotate. You mus t
f ol low the specified di rection o f rotation . T his
is necessary so that these tires can develop
their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road noise, wear and hydrop laning resistance.
For more information
¢ page 278.
A WARNING
New tires or t ires that are o ld, worn or
damaged cannot provide maximum con­
trol and braking ability .
-
-New tires tend to be slippery and must
be broken in. To reduce the r isk of losing
control, a co llision and ser ious personal
in ju ries, d rive with special ca re for the
fi rst 350 m iles ( 560 km).
- Driving with worn or damaged tires can
lead to loss of control, sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
fl ation, cras hes and se riou s personal in­
juries . Have worn or damaged t ires re­
placed immediate ly.
- Ti res age even if they are not being used
and can fai l sudden ly, especially at hig h
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith special care and at low
speed.
•
•

250 Tire s and wheel s
-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
you are not sure 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 t ire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when driving, al­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and check the wheels and tires for dam­
age.
(D Note
Please note that summer and wi nte r tires
are designed for the cond itions that are
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means t he comb ined we ight (in excess of
those sta ndard items which may be rep laced)
of au toma tic tra nsmission, power steer ing,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that th ese
items are availab le as factory -installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not) .
Aspect ratio
means t he ratio of the he ight to the w idth of
the tire in percent . Numbers of 55 or lower in ­
dicate a low sidewall for improved steering re­
sponse and better overall handling on dry pavement .
Bead
means the part of the ti re that is made of
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the
tire . typ
ica l in those seasons . Aud i recommends
using winter tires during the winter
months . Low temperatures signif icant ly
decrease the e lasticity of summer tires,
which affects tract ion and brak ing ability.
If summer tires are used in very co ld tem­
peratures, cracks ca n form on the tread
bars, res ulting in permanent tire damage
that can cause loud driving no ise and un­
balan ced t ires. Audi is not responsible for
th is type of damage .
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire p ressu re recommended by t he
vehicle manufacturer fo r a tire of a des igna ted
s iz e that has not bee n driven for more than a
coup le of miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in
t h e three hour period before the tire pressure
is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
mea ns the we ight of a motor ve hicle with
standard equipment in cl uding the max imum
capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi ­
tioning and additional weight of optiona l
equipment.
Extra load tire
me ans a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at h igher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standard tire . Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "x l" , "EXTRA LOAD", or
"RF" on the sidewall.
Gross A xle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
means the lo ad -c a rry ing c apac ity of a s ingle
axle system , measured a t the tire-ground in­
terfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR ")
mea ns the maximum total loaded we ight of
t h e ve hicl e. .,.

Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs.
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry for a g iven inflation pressure. You
may not find this information on all tires be­
cause it is no t req uired by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a t ire at the max i­
mum permissible inflation pressure for that
tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated. Also called "maximum inflation pressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the
number of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the total seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle.
Outer diameter
means the overa ll diamete r of an inflated new
tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri­
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ ­
in g elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated parallel cords.
Tires and wheels 251
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those installed
regular production options we ighing over 5
lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and spec ial tr im .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which the ply cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan­
tia lly 90 degrees to the center line of the
tread .
Recommended inflation pressure
see¢ page 250, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at h igher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standard tire. Reinforced tires
may be identified as "XL", "xl" , "EXTRA LOAD",
or "RF" on the sidewa ll.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a t ire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Rim diameter
means nom inal diameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you will have to
purchase new tires to match the new rim di­
ameter.
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width .
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges .
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
tread and bead.
•
•

Tires and wheels 253
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various d esignated seat ing
capaci tie s
Designated seating capacity ,
number of occupants Vehicle normal load
, number Occupant distribution in a nor-
of occupants _____ mally loaded vehicle
4 2 _________ 2infront
5 3 2 in front, 1 in back seat
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
Fig . 20 4 Tire pressu re lab el: located o n driv e r's side B­
p ill ar
Tire pressure genera lly refers to the amo unt
of air in a tire that it needs it to do its job and
safely car ry the combined load of the en tire
vehicle and its contents . T ire pressure is
measured in kilopasca ls (kPa) , the interna ­
tional measu ring unit and in pounds per
s quare inch (PSI). Tire p ressure is based in
part on the vehicle's design and load limit -
the greatest amount of weight that the vehi ­
cle can carry safe ly and the t ire size . The prop­
e r tire pressu re is frequent ly referred to as the
" recommended cold tire inf lation pressure ."
Air in the tires expands when the ti re heats up
bec ause of interna l fri ct ion when it flexes in
use. The tire p ress ure is higher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold ." It is the
inflat ion p ressure in a "cold" tire that counts.
Therefore, you should never let air out of a
warm tire to match "cold tire inflation p res­
sure" recommendations. The t ires would the n
be underi nflated and could fail suddenly .
Maintaining proper tire pre ssure is one of the
most important things you can do to he lp
avoid sudde n tire failure . Underinflated t ires
are a majo r cause of sudden tire failure . Keep­
i ng tires at the r ight pressure is also impor-
-"' --~ - -,e
• (:::=~. ~: I =: I :,.. I)( ::: ) l3 n,........,..,.__...,~ ........ ....,_...... • ... _ .. , ....................................... ..,_ "" ..
-""u
--
-...........
- KPA. a PSI
- KPA.
a PSI
-KPA. a PSI
Fi g. 20 S Tire pres sure label
tant for safe and respo nsive ve hicle han dling,
tr action, braking and load carrying.
Tir e pres­
sure s are particul arly important when the
vehicle i s being dr iven at higher speeds, and
then e speciall y when hea vily loaded even
within the pe rmissible load- carrying capaci­
ties app roved for your veh icle .
The recommended t ire pressures for your Audi
depen d on the kind of tires on your vehicle
and the n umber of passengers and/or amount
of luggage you wi ll be transporting.
The tire pressure label is located on the driv­
er 's side B-pillar. The tire pressure labe l lists
the recommended cold t ire inflat ion pressures
for the vehicle at its maximum capac ity
weight and tires that were on your veh icle at
the time it was manufactured .
If you wish to improve comfort when operat­
ing the vehicle at normal lo ad (up to 2* /3
occup ants ), you can adjust t ire pressures to
those specified for normal v ehicle load . Be­
fore operating the vehicle at maximum load ,
you must increase the tire pre ssures to tho se
spe cified for maximum v ehicl e load
¢ ,&. . IJi,,-

254 Tires and wheels
Bear in mind that the tire pressure monitoring
system* can only monitor the tire pressures
you have stored . The system does not recog­
nize the load condit ion of your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the tire pressure monitor ­
ing system* will be impaired if you store nor­
mal load pressures but then operate the vehi ­
cle at its max imum load
c:> &. .
See the illustration c:> fig. 204 for the location
of the label on driver's side B-pillar (color of
the act ua l label and exact location on the ve­
hicle will vary slightly). Note
that the following table is accurate at
the time of going to press and is subject to
change. In the event of d iscrepancies, the t ire
pressure label is located on the driver's side B­
pillar always takes precedence.
The table below lists the recommended cold
t ir e inflation pressures for the Audi mode l
covered by your Owner's Literature at the vehi­
cle's capacity weight and the t ire sizes instal­
led on the respective models as orig inal
equipment, or as a factory opt ion.
Tire pressure
Model/En­ gine Tire designation
normal load condition full load condition
AB/AB L: 235/55 R18 104H
3.0
liter 255/45 R19 104H
6
-cyli nd
er 265/40 R20 104H
265/40 R20 104V
275/35 R21103Y XL
AS/AS L: 235/55 R18 104H
4.0
liter 255/45 R19 104H
B-cyli nd
er 265/40 R20 104H
265/40 R20 104V
275/35 R21103Y XL
AS/AB L: 235/55 R18 104H
4.2
liter 255/45 R19 104H
B-cyli nd
er 265/40 R20 104V
ASL:
6.3 liter
12-cylin­
der
265/40 R20 104H
275/35 R21103Y XL
265/40 R20 104V
255/45 R19 104H
265/40 R20 104H
275/35 R21103Y XL
SB: 265/40 R20 104V
4.0
liter 265/35 R21101 Y
B-cyli nd
er 275/35 R21103Y XL
rearal front rear
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
260
260
260
240
240
260
260
260
240
260
260
260
240
260
260
240
260
260
240
XL= reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xl, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire side­
wall.
•> normal load condition <=>page 253 .

The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is
l ocated on a label on the driver's side B-pillar.
Because tec hnical changes may be made to
veh icle equ ipment dur ing the model yea r, a l­
ways compare the tire size designation on the
tire pressure label on your vehicle wit h the
tires on your vehicle . Make s ure that the tire
size information on the veh icle label is the
same as the s ize of the t ires 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 boug ht the
ve hicle as a previously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on mak ing su re that
l oad l imits are not exceeded. Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
veh icle. These load limits are technically refer­
red to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating ("GVWR") . The Gross Ax le Weight Rat ­
ing ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can
be app lied at each of the veh icle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle We ight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance st icker label located on the
driver's side B-p illar . The t ire pressure label on
your Aud i lists the maximum combined
weight of a ll of the occupants and luggage or
other cargo that the vehicle can carry. For the
l ocat ion of the tire pressure labe l
c;, fig. 204.
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Car rying more weight than yo ur 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 veh icle 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
t rol and a crash.
Tire s an d wheel s 255
-Always make sure that the total load be­
ing transported - includ ing the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue we ight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehi­
cle heavier than the vehicle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
A WARNING
- Inco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can lead to a ser ious or fatal acci­
dent.
- Inco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation cause increased tire wear and can
affect the handling of the vehicle.
- Inco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can a lso lead to sudden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowou t and sudden de­
flation, caus ing loss of veh icle contro l.
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires original­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressvre label located on driver's side 8-pil ­
lar.
T he recommended tire pressures are on the
ti re pressure label and in the table
c;, page 253, Cold tire inflation pressure .This
means that the pressure m ust be checked and
adjusted when the tire has not been dr iven for
more than a couple of miles (kilometers) at
low speeds during the previous three hours.
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
as a result of internal frict ion as it flexes in
use. The tire pressure is h igher when the tire
has warmed up t han when it is "cold."
It is the inflation pressure in a "cold" t ire that
counts. Therefore, you should never let a ir out
of a warm tire to match "Cold t ire inflat ion
pressure" recommendat io ns
c;, page 253 . The
ti res wo uld then be unde rinfl ated and co uld
fail suddenly.
T he tire pressure label on your Audi lists the
recommended co ld tire inflation pressures at
max imum capacity for the new, or ig inal
equipment tires that were on your vehi cle at
1J1>
•
•

256 Tires and wheels
the time it was manufactured . For the
location of the label~
page 253, fig . 204.
Most tires lose air naturally over time. They
can also lose some air if you drive ove r a pot­
hole or hit a curb while parking . It is usually
not possible to see whether the radial tires
used today are under inflated just by looking
at them.
Therefore, be sure to check tire pressures at
least once a month and always before going
on a long tr ip. Make sure to take the number
of people and the amount of luggage into ac­
count when adjusting tire pressure for a trip -
even one that you would not consider to be
"long." See~
page 257, 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 sure not to
forget the spare t ire. If the pressure in any tire
is too high when the tire is "cold," let air out
of the tire slowly with the edge of the tire
gauge and keep checking the pressure until
you reach the pressure that is correct for the
l oad (passengers and luggage) and kind of
driving 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 veh icle and in this manual and the kind
of dr iving you plan to do .
Never exceed the maximum inflation pres­
sure listed on the tire sidewall for any rea­
son.
Remember that the vehicle manufacturer, not
the tire manufacturer, determ ines the correct
tire pressure for the tires on your vehicle.
It is important to check the tire pressure when
the tires are cold.
- Read the req uired ti re pressure from the tire
pressure label. The tire pressure label is lo ­
cated on the driver's side B-pi llar . -
Tu rn the va lve stem cap counter -clockwise
to remove it from the tire va lve .
- Place the air pressure gauge on the va lve.
- The tire pressu res should only be checked
and adjusted when the tires are cold. The
slightly raised pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced.
- Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying.
- Reins tall the valve stem cap on the valve.
When should I check the tire pressure?
The correct tire pressure is especially impor­
tant at high speeds. The pressure should
therefore be checked at least once a month
and always before starting a jour ney. Do not
f orget to check the tire pressure for the spare
whee l
~page 272.
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying. After changing a wheel
or replacing
whee ls you have to adjust the tire pressures
on all whee ls. In addition, you m ust then
store the new tire pressures in the tire pres­
sure monitoring system*~
page 267.
A WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinfla­
tion can lead sudden tire fa ilure, loss of
control, collision, serious personal injury
or even death.
- When the warning symbol
Rt] appears in
the instrument cluster, stop and inspect
the tires.
- Incorrect tire pressure and/or underinfla­
tion can cause increased tire wear and
can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping abi lity.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can also lead to su dden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
flation, causing loss of veh icle control.
- The driver is responsible for the correct
tire pressures for all tires on the vehicle.
The applicable pressure values are locat­ ed on a sticker on the driver's side B-pil-
la~
~

260 Tires and wheels
-Vehicles with front-wheel drive experience
more tread wear on the front wheels com­
pared to all-wheel drive (quattro ®).
- Please rotate tires as shown
¢fig. 207.
- Extra care must be taken when rotating di-
rection-specific tires
¢ page 2 78.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced .
H owever, various situations during everyday
driving can cause them to become unbal­
anced , resu lting in vibrations you can usually
feel through the steering wheel.
Unba lanced wheels must be rebalanced to
avoid excessive wea r on steering , suspens ion
and tires . A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect whee l alignment can cause exces­
sive tire wear, impair ing the safety of the vehi­
cle .
If tires show excess ive wear, have the
wheel alignment checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles with quattro® must always have ti res
of the same size, construction and tread type.
F or details see
¢page 203.
A WARNING
Sudden tire failure 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 risk of "hydrop laning" 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 be ing 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 with specia
l care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mount used tires on your vehicle if
you are not sure 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.
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in.
Fig. 208 Tir e spec ificatio n codes on the s idewall of a
tire
No.
©
®
®
0
®
®
@
Description
Passenger car tire (where applicable)
Nominal width of tire in mill imeters
Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
Rad ial
Rim diameter code
Load index and speed rating
U.S. DOT tire identification number
Aud i Original tire
Sever snow conditions
Tire ply composition and materials
used
Maximum load rating

262 Tire s and wheels
Speed rating (letter code)
The speed rating letter code on the wheels in­
dicates the maximum pe rmissib le road speeds
¢ & in Winter tires on page 265 .
p up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
s up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
u up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)1l
z over 149 mph (240 km/h)1l
w up to 168 mph (270 km/h)1l
y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)1l
Your vehicle is normally factory equipped with
tires, which possess excellent driving charac­
teristics and give your Audi optimum driving
comfort. An electronic speed limiter
<=> page 29 will normally prevent your vehicle
from go ing faster than the tire speed rating
<=> & .
U.S . DOT Tire Identification Numbe r (TIN)
and tire manufacture date
This is the t ire's "serial number". It begins
with the letters "DOT" and indicates that the
tire meets all federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant whe re it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers
represent the week and year of manufacture.
F or example, the numbers 2212 mean the tire
was produced in the 22nd week of 20 12. The
other numbers are marketing codes that may
or may not be used by the t ire manufacturer.
This information is used to contact consumers
if a tire defect requires a recall.
Audi original tire
Tires with the identification "AO" or "RO" have
been specially matched with your Audi. We
recommend using only these tires because
they meet the highest standards regarding
ll For tires wit h a max imum speed capab ility over 149
mph (240 km/h), tire man ufactur ers sometimes use
the letters "ZR."
safety and driving characterist ics when used
correct ly . Your authorized Audi dealer will
gladly provide you w ith more information.
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of plies indicates the number of
layers of rubber-coated fabric in the tire. In
genera l, the greater the number of plies, the
more weight a tire can support. Tire manufac ­
turers also must indicate the materials in the
tire, which include steel, nylon, polyester, and
others.
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the maximum load in
kilograms and pounds that can be carried by
the tire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear,
traction , and temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and temperat ure grades
<=> page 2 63.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
Th is number is the greatest amount of air
pressure that should ever be put in the tire
under normal driving conditions.
A WARNING
-Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
comb inat ions can lead to loss of control,
coll is ion and serious personal injury.
- Always use tires, rims and wheel bolts
that meet the specif ications of original
factory- installed tires or other combina­
tions that have been specifically ap­
proved by the vehicle manufacturer.
- T ires 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 with specia l care and at lower
speeds.

264 Tire s and wheel s
For example, a tire graded 150 wou ld wear
one and one half (1 1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded
100.
The relat ive perfo rmance of t ires depends
upon the actua l conditions of their use, how ­
ever, and may depart significantly from the norm due to var iat ions in dr iving 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 controlled cond it ions on
specif ied government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire marked
C may have poor
traction performance
q ,& .
Temp eratu re
The temperature grades are A (the h ighest),
B, and
C, representing the t ire 's resistance to
the generat ion of heat and its ability to dissi­
pate heat when tested under controlled cond i­
tions on a specified i ndoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained hig h temperature can cause the
materia l of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive tempe rature can lead
to sudden ti re failu re
q ,& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which a ll passenger car tires must meet
u nder the Federa l Moto r Ve hicle Safety Stand­
a rd No.
1 09. G rades Band A represent higher
l eve ls of pe rformance on the labo ratory test
wheel than the m inimum required by law.
A WARNING
T he traction grade assigned to this t ire is
based on straight-ahead b raking traction
tests, and does not incl ude acceleration,
cornering, hydrop lan ing or peak traction
character istics.
A WARNING
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 load ing, either
separa tely or in comb inat ion, can ca u se
h eat bui ld up a nd possib le tire failure.
-
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice . At temperatures below 45 °F
(7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires.
In some heavy snow areas , local gove rnments
may requi re true w in te r or "snow" tires, those
wi th very deeply cut t read . T hese tires sho uld
o n ly be used in pairs and be installed on a ll
fo ur whee ls. Make sure you purchase snow
ti res that are the same size and construction
type as the other tires on your vehicle.
If your vehicle is e quipped w it h all-whee l
drive*, this wi ll improve traction during winter
driving, even with the standa rd tires . Howev ­
er, we strongly recommend that you always
equip all four wheels o n your veh icle w ith cor­
rect ly fitted winter tires or all-season t ires,
when winter road condit ions are expected .
Th is also improves the veh icle's brak ing per­
fo rmance and reduces stoppi ng d ista nces .
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow .
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on all four wheels .
Ask your authorized A udi dealer or qualified
workshop for permitted
winter ti re size s. Use
on ly rad ial winter tires.
Win ter tires lose their effec tiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
0. 157 inch
(4 mm) .
Only drive w ith w in te r tir es under w inte r con­
di tions. S umme r tires handle bette r when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45
°F (7 °() .