warning AUDI S6 2009 Owners Manual

ll'JI Tires and wheels
The tire pressure labe l on your Audi also lists the maximum
c o m bined w eigh t of all o f th e occ upant s a nd l uggage o r oth e r ca rgo
that the vehicl e can carry . For the location of the label~
page 3 21,
fig . 247 .
& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control , a crash or
other accident , serious personal 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 vehi cle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehicle within a safe distance.
• Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly ,
including a blowout and sudden deflation , causing loss of control
and a crash .
• Always make sure that the total load being transported -
including the weight of a trailer 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 calculate the
total weight of the passengers and luggage or other things that you plan to
transport 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 OCCUPANTS AND CARGO SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
LBS"on your vehicle's placard (tire infla­
tion pressure label)=>
page 321 , fig. 247.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.
3 . Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from
"XXX" kilo ­
grams or
"XXX" pounds shown on the
sticker=>
page 321 , fig. 247.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, 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.) t,,,

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Tire pr essure
Inco rrect tire pressure causes prematu re wear and can cau se
sudden tire blow-out. For this reason, tire pressure must be checked
at least once a month
~ page 323 .
Driving style
Dr iv ing fa st around curves, heavy acceleration and hard brak ing
increase tire wear.
Rotating tire s for more even wear
For all four t ires on your vehic le to have the same service life, we
recommend that the front and rea r tires are rotat ed acc ord ing to the
tire manufacturer 's suggested tire rotation intervals. Please
remembe r the f ollo wi ng :
• Tire rotat ion i nterva ls m ay d iffer from the vehic le serv ice inte r­
vals outl ined in your Maintenance and Warranty Book let.
• The longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle, t he
more it wears at certain points; the refo re, we recommend that you
f ollow the tire manu facturer's sug ges ted t ire rotat ion i nte rvals.
• Vehicles with fro nt-w hee l dr ive e xper ience more tread wear on
the front wheels compared to all -wheel drive (quattro®l .
• Please rotate tires as sh ow n~
page 32 7, fig. 250 .
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction -specific tires
~ pag e 349 .
Wheel balancing
T he w hee ls o n new v ehic les are balanced. However, various s itua ­
tions during everyday driving can cause them to become unba l­
anc ed, resu lti ng in vib rati ons yo u ca n us ually feel thro ugh t he
steer ing whee l.
U nba la nce d w heels must b e re ba lance d to avoid e xcessive wea r on
steering, suspension and tires. A whee l must a lso be reba lanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect w hee l al ig nm ent ca n cau se e xcess ive ti re wea r, impa iring
t h e s afety of th e veh ic le. If t ires s how excessive w ear, have the
w hee l a lig nme nt checke d by a n autho rize d Aud i deale r or qualifie d
wo rkshop.
All Wheel Drive
Vehic les with quattro® must always have tires of the same size,
co nstruct ion an d tread ty pe. For deta ils see ~
page 268.
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of control , a crash and serious
personal injury !
• Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire is worn down
to the wear indicators.
• Worn tires are a safety hazard , they do not grip well on wet
roads and increase your risk 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 with special care and at
lower speeds .
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history. " Old used tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control . •

Tires and wheels -________________ w-.
•
ture. For exam ple , t he numbers 2 208 mean that the tire was
pr od uce d in the 22nd w eek o f 20 08 . T he ot her num bers a re
marketing cod es that may or may not b e used by the tire manufac ­
tu rer. This inf or ma tion is use d to conta ct consum ers if a tir e defec t
requires a recall.
Audi Original tire
Ti res with the identification "AO" or "R O" hav e been specia lly
m atc h ed wi th you r A ud i. We re comm end u sing on ly these tire s
becaus e they meet the highest standards re garding safety and
dri ving c haracter istic s when used correctly . You r aut horized Audi
d ealer w ill glad ly prov ide you with mor e information .
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of p li e s indicates the numb er of layers of rubber -coat ed
fabric i n the tir e . In genera l, the grea te r the number of pl ies, th e
mo re we ig ht a t ire can suppo rt. T ire ma nufactu rers also must ind i­
cate the materia ls in the tire, which include steel, ny lon, polyester,
and oth ers .
Maximum Load Rating
This numb er ind icat es the maximum load in kil ograms and pou nds
th at ca n be ca rried by t he tire.
Tire qual ity grading for treadvvear , traction , and
temperature resistance
T read wear , traction and temperature grades::::;, page 332.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest amount of air pressure that should ever
be put in the t ir e u nder nor mal d riving co nd it ion s.
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and / or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can lead to loss of control , collision
and serious personal injury .
& WARNING (continued )
• Always use tires, rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifica­
tions of original factory -installed tires or other combinations that
have been spec ifically approved by the veh icle manufacturer .
• 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 with special care and at
lower speeds .
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history." Old used tires may have been damaged
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 radial tires of the same type ,
size (rolling circumference ) and the same tread pattern. Driving
with different tires reduces vehicle handling and can lead to a loss of control.
• If the spare tire is not the same as the tires that are mounted
on the vehicle - for example with winter tires - only use the spare
tire for a short period of time and drive with extra care . Refit the
normal road wheel as soon as safely possible.
• Never drive faster than the maximum speed for which the tires
on your vehicle are rated because tires that are driven faster than
their rated speed can fail suddenly.
• Overloading tires cause heat build -up, sudden tire failure ,
includ ing a blowout and sudden deflation and loss of control.
• Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and
not over or underinflated .
• For technical reasons it is not always possible to use wheels
from other vehicles -in some cases not even wheels from the
same vehicle model.
• If you install wheel trim discs on the vehicle wheels , make sure
that the air flow to the brakes is not blocked. Reduced airflow to
the brakes can them to overheat , increasing stopping distances
and causing a collision.
~
Vehicle care I t •

-Tires and wheels
PW-------------------
& WARNING (continued)
• Run flat tires may only be used on vehicles that were equipped
with them at the factory. The vehicle must have a chassis designed
for run flat tires. Incorrect use of run flat tires can lead to vehicle
damage or accidents. Check with an authorized Audi dealer or tire
specialist 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 permitted.
0 Note
• For technical reasons , it is not generally possible to use the
wheel rims from other 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 vehicle (for example winter tires or wide profile tires), then
use the spare tire for a short period of time only and drive with extra
care. Replace the flat tire with the tire matching 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 requirements. •
Uniform tire quality grading
• Tread wear
• Traction AA A B C
• Temperature A B C
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire side wall between tread shoulder and maximum section width~
page 329,
fig. 251 .
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA, Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal Safety Require ­
ments 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 .
For example , a ti re graded 150 wou Id wear one and one half (1 1 /2)
times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual condi­
tions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differ­
ences in road characteristics 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 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 conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high 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 performance which all
passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law. .,_

Tires and wheels -_____________ .:.....::...=..____:__:_:_:_=-=----
•
& WARNING
The traction grade ass igned to this t ire i s based on straight -ahead
braking traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
c ornering , hydroplaning or peak tra ction chara cteristic s.
& WARNING
The temperature grade for this t ire is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed , underinfla ­
tion , or ex ces sive loading , either separately or in combination , can
c ause heat buildup and possible tire failure . •
Winter tires
Wi nter tires c an im prove vehicle handli ng on snow and
ic e. At t emperatures below 4 5 °F (7 ° C) we re commend
cha ngi ng to winte r tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments may require true
winter o r "snow" tire s, those with ve ry deeply cut tread. These tires
s h ou ld on ly be used in pairs and be i nstalled on all four wheels .
M ake sure you purchase snow tires that are the same si ze and
co nstruction type as t he o the r tires on your veh icle .
I f your vehicle is equipped with all -wheel drive *, this will improve
t raction d uring win te r dr iving, eve n with the s ta n dard t ires .
However, we strongly recommend that you always equip a ll four
w hee ls on you r vehic le wi th cor rec tly fi tted w inter tire s or all-season
t ir es, when w inter road co nditions ar e expec ted . T his also improves
the vehicle 's br aking perfo rmance and reduces stopping distance s.
Summer tires p rov ide less gr ip on ice a nd sno w.
Winter tires (snow tires) must a lways be fitted on all four whee ls .
Ask you r author ized Aud i deale r o r qualified wo rksho p fo r pe rmitted
winter tire sizes . Use only rad ial wint er tires. Winter tires
lose their effec tiveness when the tread is worn down to
a depth of 0 .1 57 inch (4 mm).
Only drive with w inter tires under winter conditions. Summer tires
handle better when there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
t emperature is above 45 °F (7 °C).
I f you have a flat tire, see notes on spare whee l
~ page 329.
Please always remember that winter tires may have a lower speed
rating than the tires original ly installed on your vehicle at the time
it was man ufact ured. Please see~
page 330, "Speed rating (lette r
code)" for a l ist ing o f th e speed rati ng lette r codes a nd the
maximum speed at which the tires can be driven.
The s peed rati ng letter code(~
page 320) is on th e sid e wa ll o f the
tire
~ page 329 .
& WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits that may be lower than
your vehicle' s maximum speed. Always know the maximum speed
before driving off . Never drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific winter tires. This will cause damage to the tires
leading to an acc ident and serious personal injury to you and your
passengers .
& WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed for which the winter tires
on your vehicle were designed can cause tire failure including a
blowout and sudden deflation , loss of control , crashes and serious
personal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires replaced immedi ­
ately.
• Winter tires have max imum speed rating that may be lower
than your vehicle' s maximum speed.
• Never drive faster than the speed for which the winter or other
tires installed on your vehicle are rated . ...
Vehicle care
I t •

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and t raffic condit ions .
Never let the good a cceleration of the winter tires and all -wheel
dri ve tempt you into tak ing extra ri sk s. Always remember :
• When braking, an all -wheel drive vehicle handles in the same
way as a front drive vehicle .
• Drive carefully and redu ce your speed on icy and sli ppery roads ,
even winter tires cannot help unde r bla ck ice conditions.
c£> For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather conditions permit. They are
quieter, d o no t wear as quick ly a nd re duce fuel consump tio n.•
Snow chains
Snow cha ins may be fitte d o nly to the fron t whee ls, and o nly to
certain tire sizes . Ask your authorized Audi dealer on which tire
s iz es snow c hains can be used.
If you are going to use snow chains, then you must install them on
the front wheels at least.
The snow cha ins must have low -profile l inks and must not be thicker
than 0 .53 inch ( 13.5 mm), including the lock.
Remove wheel center c overs and trim discs before putt ing snow
chains on your vehicle~
0 . For safety reasons cover caps must
then be fitted ove r the wheel bo lts . These are avai lable from autho­
r ized Aud i dealers.
& WARNING
Using the wrong sno w chains for your vehi cle or installing them
incorre ctly can in crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury .
& WARNING (continued )
• Snow chains are available in different sizes. Alw ay s make sure
to follo w the instructions provided by the snow chain m anufac ­
turer .
• When driving with snow cha ins never drive faster than the
s peed permitted for your specific snow chains .
• Alway s observe lo cal regu lations.
0 Note
• Remove snow c hains before driving on roads not covered with
snow t o av oid da maging tires a nd wea ring the snow cha in s dow n
unnecessari ly.
• Sno w cha in s, w hich come in to direc t contact wi th th e wheel ri m,
can scratch or damage it. Therefore, make sure that the snow chains
a re sui tab ly cove red. Check the position of t he snow cha ins a fter
driving a few yards and correct if necessary . Follow the instructions
from the snow chain manufacture r when doing so .
• I f the Adaptive Air Suspension * shou ld malfunction, do not
mo unt or use snow chains because the veh icle w ill be ext remely
l ow . If you do drive with snow chains on while the vehicle is at this
l evel, the snow chains might severe ly damage the wheelhouse and
other parts of the vehicle.
[ i ] Tips
Where snow c hains a re ma ndatory on ce rtai n roa ds, th is norma lly
a lso app lies to veh ic les with A ll Wheel Drive. •

Tires and wheels -_______________________ ..::...:..:..-=::.......:.:..;::..:....____;___
•
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the correct
torque.
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the factory installed rims. If
different rims are fitted, the correct wheel bolts with the right length
and correctly shaped bolt heads must be used. This ensures that
wheels are fitted securely and that the brake system functions
correctly.
In certain circumstances, you may not use wheel bolts from a
different vehicle - even if it is the same model~
page 374.
& WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel bolts can become loose
causing loss of control, a collision and serious personal injury.
• Always keep the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel hubs
clean so the wheel bolts can turn easily and be properly tightened.
• Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel
hubs. They can become loose while driving if greased or oiled,
even if tightened to the specified torque.
• Only use wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed.
• Never use different wheels bolts on your vehicle.
• Always maintain the correct tightening torque for the wheel
bolts to reduce the risk of a wheel loss.
If the tightening torque of
the wheel bolts is too low, they can loosen and come out when the
vehicle is moving. If the tightening torque is too high, the wheel bolts and threads can be damaged and the wheel can become
loose.
0 Note
The specified torque for the wheel bolts is 90 ft lb (120 Nm) with a
tolerance of ± 7,4 ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bolts diagonally.
After changing a wheel, the torque must be checked as soon as possible with a torque wrench
-preferably by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop. •
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect ratio tires. These tires
have been thoroughly tested and been selected specifically for your
model for their superb performance, road feel and handling under
a variety of driving conditions. Ask your authorized Audi dealer for
more details.
The low aspect ratio of these tires is indicated by a numeral of 55 or
less in the tire's size designation. The numeral represents the ratio
of the tire's sidewall height in relation to its tread width expressed
in percentage. Conventional tires have a height/width ratio of 60 or
more.
The performance of low-aspect-ratio tires is particularly sensitive to improper inflation pressure. It is therefore important that low
aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure and that the
inflation pressure is regularly checked and maintained. Tire pres­
sures should be checked at least once a month and always before a
long trip~
page 323, "Checking tire pressure" .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim damage Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more easily by impact with
potholes, curbs, gullies or ridges on the road, particularly if the tire
is underinflated.
In order to minimize the occurrence of impact damage to the tires
of your vehicle, we recommend that you observe the following
precautions:
• Always maintain recommended inflation pressures . Check your
tire pressure every 2,000 miles (3,000 km) and add air if necessary.
• Drive carefully on roads with potholes, deep gullies or ridges.
The impact from driving through or over such obstacles can
damage your tires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to
your tires. ..,
Vehicle care
I t •

Tires and wheels -
----------------------
Tire pressure indicator appears
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument cluster
informs you if the tire pressure is too low or if there is a
sys tem malfunc tion.
en
~ 0 ..:, ;g
0 g 0 ..:, ;g
F ig . 25 2 Displa y:
underinflation warning
Fig . 253 Displ ay :
Sy stem malfunction
Using th e ABS sensors , th e t ire pr essur e monitoring system
c o m pares the tire tread ci rcu mference and vi bration character istics
of the individua l tires . If the pressure decreases in one or mor e tires,
th is is ind icated in the inst rumen t cl uster w ith a warning symbol,
and a message=> fig. 252. The driver message in the display goes
ou t af ter 5 sec onds. T he driver message can be dis pl ayed again by
pressing the [ CH ECK ] button. If only on e tire is affected, the display
will indicate its position . T
he tire pressure monitoring must be reset via MMI each time the
press ures are adjus ted (e .g . when swi tchi ng between par tial and
fu ll load pressu re) or after changing or replacing a tire on your
veh icle =>
page 338. You ca n find the recom mended tir e pres sures
for your vehicle on the label on the driver's door pillar=>
page 32 1.
Tire tread circumference and vibration characteristics can change
and cause a tire pressure war ning if:
• the tire pressu re in one or more t ires is too low,
• t he tire has st ructura l damage,
• the tire pressure was changed, wheels rotated or replaced but
t he TP MS was no t r eset =>
pag e 338 .
Warning symbols
• ~ Loss of pressur e in at le ast one tire=>&. Check the tire or tires
and replace or repair if necessary . T he indicator light in the
i nstrument cluster also illu mi nat es =>
page 16 . Che ck/cor rect th e
p ressures of al l four t ires and reset TPM S via MMI.
T (Ti re Pre ssure Mo nitorin g System)
Tire pressure! System
malfunction .
If appears after switch ing the ign it ion on or
w hi le drivi ng => fig . 253 an d the i ndica tor lig ht in th e in stru ment
c luster blinks for approximately one minute and the n stays on, there
i s a sy stem malfunction . See your authorized Au di d ealer as soon a s
possible .
& WARNING
• If the tire pressure indicator appears in the instrument cluster
display, one or more of your tires is significantly under -inflated.
Reduce your speed immediately and avoid any hard steer ing or
braking maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and check the tires
and their pressures. Inflate the tire pressure to the proper pressure
as indicated on the vehicle's tire pressure label =>
page 321.
Driving on a significantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to over­
heat and can lead to tire failure . Under- inflation also is l ikely to
impair the vehicle's handling and stopping ability .
~
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

___ T_ i_ r_e _s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_ e_ e _ ls _________________________________________________ _
& WARNING (con tinued )
• The driver is respon sible for maintaining th e correct tire pres­
s ures . You must check the tire pre ssure s regularly .
• Under certain conditions (such as a sporty driving style , winter
cond itions or unpaved roads ), the pressure monitor indicator may
be delayed.
• Ask your authorized Audi dealer if run -flat tires may be used on
your vehicle. Your vehicle registration becomes invalid if you use
the se tires when not permitted. Damage to your vehicl e or acci ­
dents could also result .
• To ensure a p roper TPMS -function use Audi relea sed tires
which are marked with "AO " or "RO " on the tire sidewall
=> page 331 .
[ i ] Tips
• The tire pressure monitoring system stops work in g when there
is an ES P/ABS malfunct ion.
• Using snow chains may resu lt in a system ma lfunction. •
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
If the tire pressur e is adju sted , whee ls are rotated or
c hang ed, the T PMS must be reset vi a MM/ .
Fig. 254 Car : Tire pre s­
sure m onitoring
sys tem
T ur n on th e i gni tio n.
- Selec t: the [ CA R) f un ctio n k ey>
Tire pressure monitoring
> Store now .
[ i ] Tips
Befor e reset t he TPMS, the c urrent pressur es o f all four t ires must
correspond to the speci fied values. Adjust the tire pressure and
r ese t th e press ure i n t he tire p ress ure moni tori ng system accord ing
to the load you are carry ing=>
page 321. •