traction control AUDI R8 SPYDER 2015 Owners Manual

Intelligent technology
Intelligent technology
Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Data
Reco rder (EDR) , insta lled by some manufactu rers
for the express pu rpose of captur ing data fo r re­
trieval after an accident or crash event. ED R 's are
sometimes called "crash recorders" .
Some state laws restrict the retr ieval or down­
loading of da ta stored by EDR's that were instal ­
led in a vehicle for the express p urpose of retriev­
ing data after an accident or crash event without
the owner's consent.
Al though you r vehicle is not eq uipped w ith an
E DR, it is equipped with a number of electronic
control modu les for vario us vehicle systems such
as, for example, engine function, emission con­
trol, as we ll as for the airbags and safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record ve­
hicle-related data during norma l vehicle opera­
tion for diagnostic and repair purposes . The re­
cording capacity of the electronic contro l mod­
ules is lim ited to data (no sound is recorded) and
only a small amount of data is actually recorded
over a very l imited per iod of t ime and stored
when a system fault or other condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of the data then stored
may re late to veh icle speed, direction, braking as
well as restraint system use and performance in
the event of a crash o r other cond ition . Stored
data can only be read and downloaded with spe­
cial equipment.
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of sk id­
d ing and loss of veh icle contro l.
It works only
when the engine is runn ing. ESC detects certain
d ifficult driving situations, including when the ve ­
h icle is beginn ing to spin (yaw) out of control and
he lps you to get the veh icle back under control by
134
selective ly braking the wheels, and/or reducing
engine power and providing steering assistance
to help ho ld the veh icle on the driver's intended
course. The ind icator light
GJ in the instrument
cluster blinks when ESC is taking act ion to help
you contro l the vehicle .
ESC has limitations. It is important to remember
that ESC cannot overcome the laws of physics. It
will not always be able to help out under all con­
dit ions you may come up against. For example,
ESC may not always be able to help you master
s ituations where there is a sudden change in the
coefficient of fric tion of the road surface. When
there is a sect ion of dry road that is suddenly cov­
ered with water, slush or snow, ESC cannot per­
f orm the same way it would on the dry surface . If
the vehicle hydrop lanes (rides on a cushion of wa­
ter instead of the road surface), ESC will not be
able to help you steer the vehicle because contact
with the pavement has been interrupted and the
vehicle cannot be braked or steered . During fast
corner ing, particularly on wind ing roads, ESC
cannot always dea l as effectively with difficult
driv ing situations as at lower speeds .
Always adjust your speed and driving style to road, traffic and weather condit ions . ESC cannot
overr ide the veh icle's phys ica l limits, increase the
available traction, or keep a vehicle on the road if
road departure is a result of driver inattention.
Instead, ESC improves the possibility of keeping
the vehicle under control and on the road during
extreme maneuvers by using the driver's steering
inputs to help keep the vehicle going in the in­
tended direction. If you are traveling at a speed
that causes you to run off the road before ESC
can prov ide any assistance, you may not experi­
ence the benefits of ESC.
ESC includes and/or works together with the an­
ti-lock brake system (ABS), brake assist sys tem
and anti -slip regulation (ASR) . ESC is sw itched on
all the t ime . In certai n situations when you need
less tract ion, you ca n sw itch off ESC by p ress ing
the button
l!l . Be sure to sw itch ESC on again
when you no longe r need less traction. .,..

..... N
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Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire side wall between tread shoulder and maximum sect ion w idth
r::!:> page 186, fig. 150.
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA , Tem­
perature
A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal
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 spec ified gov­
e rnment test course.
For example, a t ire graded
150 would wear one
and one half (1 1/2) times as well on the govern­
ment course as a tire graded
100 .
The relative performance of tires depends upon
the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving hab its, serv ice practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B and
C. Those grades represent the tire's
ab il ity to stop on wet pavement as measured un­
der controlled condit ions on specified govern­
ment test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance
r::!;> .&. .
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 dissipate
h eat when tested under controlled cond it ions on
a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the mate­
rial of the tire to degene rate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure
r::!:> .&. .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet un­
der the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety S tanda rd
No.
109. Grades Band A represent higher levels
Tires and wheels
of performance on the laboratory test whee l than
the minimum required by law .
A WARNING
-
-
The traction grade assigned to th is tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include accelerat ion, cor­
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
in combination, can cause heat buildup and
possible 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 require true wint er or "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread. These tires should on­
ly be used in pairs and be installed on a ll four
wheels. Make sure you purchase snow tires that
are the same size and construction type as the other tires on your vehicle.
If your vehicle is equipped with all-whee l drive *,
this will improve traction during winter driving,
even with the standard tires. However, we strong­
ly recommend that you always equip all four
wheels on your vehicle with correctly fitted win­
ter tires or all-season tires, when w inter road
condit ions are expected. This also improves the
vehicle's braking pe rformance and reduces stop­
ping distances.
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and snow .
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on
all four wheels.
Compatible t ire pressure monitoring sensors
must be installed on all four winter tires for the
tire pressure monitoring system to function prop- erly
¢ page 190. ..,.
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