ESP AUDI TT COUPE 2009 Manual PDF

Tires and wheels -
----------------
•
& WARNING (continu ed )
crashes and serious personal in jur ies . Have worn or da maged t ires
replaced immediately .
• Tires age even if they are not being u sed and can fail suddenly ,
especially at high speeds. T ires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then w ith special care and at
low speed.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the co mbined we ig ht ( in excess o f those sta nda rd items
which may be rep laced) of automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power w indows, powe r seats, rad io, a nd heater, to
the extent that these items are avai lab le as factory-installed equip­
m ent (w hether insta lled or not).
Aspect ratio
means t he ratio o f th e height to t he w idt h of the tire in perce nt.
N umbers of 55 or lower indicate a low sidewa ll for improved
steer ing respo nse and b ette r overall ha ndl ing on dry pave ment.
Bead
means the part of the tire that is made of stee l wires, wrapped or
reinforced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a breakdow n of the bond be tween co mponents i n the bead.
Cord
means the strands fo rmi ng the plies in the ti re.
& W ARNING (continued )
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history. " Old used t ire s may ha ve been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and lo ss of vehicle control.
• If you noti ce unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one side
when driving , always stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the wheels and tires for damage . •
Cold tire inflation pressure
mea ns t he ti re pressure reco mm ended by the ve hicle ma nufacturer
for a tire of a designated size that has not been d riven for more tha n
a cou ple o f miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in t he t hre e ho ur per iod
before the tire pressure is measured or ad justed .
Curb weight
means the weight of a moto r vehic le with standard equipment
i nc lud ing the max imu m capac ity o f fue l, o il, and coola nt, a ir c ond i­
tioning and additiona l weight of optional equipment.
Extra load tire
means a tire designed to ope rate at higher loads and at higher infla­
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Extra load tires
my be identified as "XL",
"xi", "EX TRA LOAD", or "RF" on the side ­
wa ll.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
means the load -carrying capacity of a sing le ax le system, measured
at the ti re -ground interfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR "l
means the ma ximum tot al l oade d weigh t of the vehicle.
Vehicle care I t •

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
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 given
inflation pressure . You may not find this information on all tires
because it is not required by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire at the maximum permissible infla­
tion 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
in flated. 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 overall diameter of an inflated new tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteriors of the sidewalls of
an inflated tire, including elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs .
Ply
means a layer of rubber -coated parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those installed regular production
options weighing 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 special trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which the ply cords that extend to the
beads are laid at substantially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread.
Recommended inflation pressure
see =:> page 235, "Cold tire inflation pressure".
Reinforced tire
means a tire designed to operate at higher loads and at higher infla­
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Reinforced
tires my be identified as "XL", "xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the
sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and tube assembly upon
which the tire beads are seated .
Rim diameter
means nominal diameter of the bead seat. If you change your wheel
size, you will have to purchase new tires to match the new rim diam ­
eter.
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges .

___ T_ i_ r_e _s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_ e_ e _ ls _________________________________________________ _
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seating capacities
Designated seating capacity, num­
ber of occupants Vehicle normal load, number of
occupants Occupant distribution in a normally
loaded vehicle
4
2 2 in front
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
Fig. 148 Tire pressure
label: located
on
driver 's side B-pillar
Tire pressure generally refers to the amount of air in a tir e that it
needs it to do its job and safely carry the combined load of the entire
vehicle and its contents. Tire pressure is measured in kilopascals
(kPa), the international measuring unit and in pounds per square
inch (PSI). Tire pressure is based in part on the vehicle's design and
load limit -the greatest amount of weight that the vehicle can carry
safely and the tire size. The proper tire pressure is frequently
referred to as the "recommended cold tire inflation pressure." Air in
the tires expands when the tire heats up because of internal friction
when it flexes in use. The tire pressure is higher when the tire has
warmed up than when it is "cold ." It is the inflation pressure in a
"cold" tire that counts. Therefore, you should never let air out of a
warm tire to match "cold tire inflation pressure" recommendations .
The tires would then be underinflated and could fail suddenly.
* ,. ~ =cc- ------------------gl
( SEATING CAPAOTY '.TOTAl l :FRONT I :CE NTER I '.REAR I )
Toea,m....,_ oroa,.,pan11anda,golhould ,-!IICN TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION
SIZE COLO TIRE PRESSURE
- KPa,- PSI
- KPa,- PSI
- KPa,- PSI MANUAL FOR
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION SEEOWNER'S I
Fig . 149 Tire pressure
label
Maintaining proper tire pressure is one of the most important
things you can do to help avoid sudden tire failure . Underinflated
tires are a major cause of sudden tire failure. Keeping tires at the
right pressure is also important for safe and responsive vehicle
handling, traction, braking and load carrying .
Tire pressures are
particularly important when the vehicle is being driven at higher
speeds, and then especially when heavily loaded even within the
permissible load -carrying capacities approved for your vehicle.
The recommended tire pressures for your Audi depend on the kind
of tires on your vehicle and the number of passengers and/or
amount of luggage you will be transporting .
Th e tire pressure label located on driver's side 8 -pillar on your Audi
lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures for the vehicle
at its maximum capacity weight and tires that were on your vehicle
•
at the time it was manufactured . .,

________________________________________________ T_ i _r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ l'III
•
If yo u w is h to impr ove com fort when operat ing the vehi cle at
nor mal load (up t o 2 occupant s), you c an adju st tire pres sur es to
th ose spe cified f or norm al v ehi cle lo ad . B efo re op era tin g the vehicle
at maximum load , you mu st in crease the tire pre ssure s to tho se
s pe cifi ed for m aximum vehi cle lo ad =>
& .
Bear in mind that the tire pressure mon itor ing syst em * can only
monitor the tire pressures you have stored. The system does not
recogni ze th e load cond ition o f you r vehicle .
T he effec tiveness of the tire pressu re monitoring system * will be
impaired if you store no rmal load pressures bu t then operate the
vehicle at its maximum load=>& . See the
illustra tion=>
page 238, fig . 148 for the location of the label
on driver's side 8 -pillar (co lor of the actual label and exact location
on the vehic le wi ll vary slightly).
Note that the following tab le is accurate at the time of going to
press and is subject to change . In the event of discrepancies, the t ire
pressure label (on dr iver's side 8 -pillar) always takes precedence .
The table below lists the recommended cold tire i nflation pressures
for the Audi mode l covered by your Owner 's Litera ture at the
vehicle's capacity weight and the tire sizes insta lled on the respec ­
tive models as original equipment , or as a factory option .
Engine
(displ ace­
m ent in
liter ) Tir
e design ation Tire pr es sur e front Tire press ure re ar
4 -c ylinder
2 .0 225
/55 R16 95H All Se ason
225 /50 R17 94H All S eason
2 2 5/5 0 R17 94W XL High Perf orma nce
245 /45 R17 95H All Sea son
2 45 /45 R17 95 V XL High Perform ance
245 /40 R18 93H All Se ason
245 /40 R18 93V XL High P erformance
255 /35 R19 96V XL High Perform ance
normal lo ad
conditi on (up to
2 occup ant s)
PSI kPA
32 220
32 220
32 220
32 220
32 220
32 220
32 220
32 220
full load
c ondition
PSI kPA
32 220
32 220
32 220
32 220
32 220
32 220
32 220
32 2 20
Vehicle care
n o rm al l oa d
full load
co ndition (up
condition
to 2 o ccupant s)
PSI kPA PSI kPA
29 200 29 200
29 200 29 200
29 200 29 200
29 200 29 200
29 200 29 200
29 200 29 200
29 200 29 200
29 200 29 200
I t •

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Engin e
(displa ce­
ment in
lit er) Tire designation
Tir
e pressure front Tire pressure rear
normal load full load normal load
full load
condition (up to condition c
ondition (up
condition
2 o ccupants ) to 2 occupants)
6 -cylinder
3.2 245
/45 R1 7 95H All Season
245 /45 R17 95V XL High Performan ce
245 /40 R18 93H All Season
245 /40 R18 93V XL High Performan ce
255 /35 R19 95V XL High Performance
XL
= reinforced
PSI
32
32
32
32
32
The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is located on a label on
the driver's side B-pillar .
Because technica l changes may be made to vehicle equip ment
during the mode l year, always compare the tire size designat ion on
the tire pressure la bel on y our vehicle with the tires on your vehicle.
Make sure tha t the t ire size information on the veh icle labe l is the
same as the size of the tires on the vehicle. Th is is especially impor ­
t ant if the vehicle belongs to someone e lse or you boug ht the
vehic le with different rims/tires or you bought the vehicle as a previ ­
ously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your passengers a lso depends
on making su re tha t load limits a re not exceeded . Vehi cle loa d
inc ludes everybody and everything in and on the vehicle. These load
limits are technically referred to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating ("GVW R"). The Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each of the vehicle's two
ax les. The Gross Vehicle We ight Rat ing and the Gross Ax le Weig ht
Rating are listed on the safety comp liance sticker labe l located on
t he driver's side B- pillar. The tir e pressure labe l on y our Audi lists
the maximum combined weight of a ll of the occupants and luggage
kPA PSI kPA kPA kPA
220 32 220 29 2 00 29 200
220 32 220 29 200 29 200
220 3 2 220 29 2 00 29 200
220 32 220 29 2 00 29 200
220 3 2 220 29 200 29 200
or other ca rgo that the veh ic le can carry. For the location o f the t ire
pressure label::::;, page 238, fig. 148.
& WARNING
Overloading a vehi cle can cause loss of vehicle control , a crash or
other accident, serious personal injury, and even death .
• Carrying more weight th an your vehicle was de signed to carry
will prevent the vehicle from handling properly and increase the
risk of a loss of vehicle control.
• The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehicle within a safe distance .
• Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded c an fail suddenly
causing loss of control and a crash .
& WARNING
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can lead to a
s erious o r fatal a ccident .

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
When should I check the tir e pressure?
The correct ti re pressure is especially i mpor tant a t high speeds . The
pressure should therefore be checked at least o nce a month and
a lways before star tin g a j ourn ey.
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Adjust the tire pres sure to the loa d you are ca rrying. After changing
a wheel
or replacing whee ls you have to adjust the tire pressures on
a ll whee ls. In addition, y ou must the n ini tia lize the new tire pres ­
sures in the tire pressu re monitoring system*:::::,
page 253.
& WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and /or underinflation can lead sudden tire
failure, loss of control , collision, serious personal injury or even
death .
• When the warning symbol appears in the instrument
cluster , stop and in spect the tire s.
• Incorrect tire pressure and /or underinflation can cause
increased tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability.
• Incorre ct t ire pressures and /or underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation,
causing loss of vehicle control.
• The driver is responsible for the correct tire pre ssure s for all
tires on the vehicle . The appli cable pressure values are located on
a sticker on the driver' s side B -pillar.
• Onl y when all tires on the vehicle are filled to the correct pres­
sure , the tire pre ssure monitoring system* can work correctly .
• The use of incorrect tire pressure values can lead to accidents
or other damage. Therefore it is essential that the driver observe
the spe cified tire pressure values for the tires and the correct pres­
sures for the function of the tire pre ssure monitoring sy stem *.
• Always inflate tires to the recommended and correct tire pres­
sure before driving off.
& WARNING (continued )
• Driving with underinflated tires bend more , letting them get
too hot re sulting in tread separation, sudden tire failure and lo ss
of control .
• Excessive speed and /overloading can cause heat build -up ,
sudden tire failure and loss of control.
• If the tire pressure is too low or too high , the tires will wear
prematurely and the vehicle will 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 servi ce station
to che ck the tire pres sure and add air as required .
0 Note
Driving without valve stem caps can cause damage to the tire
va lves. To prevent this, always ma ke sure that fac tor y in st alled va lve
stem caps on all wh eels are securely mounted on the valv e.
'£> For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires w ill also increase the fue l consumption. •
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or weight that any vehic le and
any tire can ca rry. A vehicle that is overloaded wil l not handle wel l
and is more difficu lt to stop . Overloading can not on ly lead to loss
of vehic le contro l, but can also damage important parts of the
ve hicle a nd can l ead to sudden t ire fa ilure, i nclud ing a b lowout an d
sudden deflation that can cause the vehicle to crash .
Yo ur sa fety an d that o f yo ur passenge rs als o dep ends on making
sure that load limits are not exceeded . Vehicle load includes every -
b ody and eve rythi ng in and on the vehic le . These loa d limits are
~

________________________________________________ T_ i _r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ _
•
make, th ere w ill be six to ei ght of them evenly placed around the
t ire. Ma rks o n th e tir e s idewall (f or e xam ple "TWI " or oth er symbo ls)
indicate the positions of t he tread wear indicators . Worn tires must
be re placed. Diffe re nt fig ure s may a ppl y in other countr ies=>& .
Tire pressure
Inc orr ect t ire p ressure causes prema ture wea r and ca n cause
sudden tire blow -out. For this reason, tire pressure must be checked
at leas t on ce a mont h=>
pag e 24 1.
Dri ving style
Dr ivi ng fa st aro und curves, heavy accele ration a nd hard bra king
increase tire wea r.
Rotating tires for more even wear
F or all four tires on your vehicle to have the same service life, we
r ec om men d that t he fr ont a nd rear ti res are rota ted acco rd ing to the
tire manufacturer 's suggested tire ro tation interva ls. Please
r eme mber the fo llo wi ng:
• Ti re rotation interva ls may differ from the vehicle servic e int er­
va ls ou tlined in y our Wa rranty
& M ain te n ance Booklet .
• T he longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle, the
mo re it wears a t ce rtai n poi nts ; th erefore, we recom men d th at you
follow t he tire manufac turer's su ggested t ire rotation interv als .
• Vehi cles w ith front -w hee l d rive ex per ience more trea d wea r on
the front wheels compared to all -wheel drive (quattro®l .
• Ple as e rota te tires as shown=>
page 244, fi g. 15 1.
• Extra care must be ta ken when rotating direction -specific tires
=>
p age 2 73 .
Wheel balancing
The w heels on new vehic les are balanced. However, various situa ­
tions du ring everyday dr iving can cause them to become unbal ­
anc ed, resu lt in g in v ibrat io ns y ou can usual ly fe e l throu gh th e
steering whee l. U
nba lanc ed wheels must be r eba lanced to avoid excessive wear on
ste erin g, sus pen sion and tire s. A wh ee l mu st als o b e re b ala nce d
when a new tire is insta lled.
Incorrect wheel alignment
I ncorrect wheel alignment can cause excess ive tire wear, impairing
t he sa fety of the v ehicle. If t ire s s how e xcess ive wear, hav e t he
whee l a lignment chec ked by an authoriz ed Aud i d eal er o r qua lif ied
wo rk shop.
All Wheel Drive
V eh icles w ith q uattro ® must alwa ys ha ve tire s of the same siz e,
construction and t read t ype . For detai ls see=>
page 189 .
& 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,
espe cially 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. •
Vehicle care
I t •

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
ture. For example, the numbers 2209 mean that the tire was
produced in the 22th week of 2009. The other numbers are
marketing codes that may or may not be used by the tire manufac­
turer. This information is used to contact consumers if a tire defect
requires a recall.
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of plies indicates the number of layers of rubber-coated
fabric in the tire. In general, the greater the number of plies, the
more weight a tire can support. Tire manufacturers also must indi­
cate 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 temperature grades => page 249.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest amount of air pressure that should ever
be put in the tire under normal driving conditions.
Replacing tires or rims on vehicles equipped with tire
pressure monitoring system*
The wheels on your vehicle are equipped with a sensor which
constantly monitors the air pressure inside the tire, and then trans­
mits this information to the tire pressure monitoring system *. If you
are going to replace the wheel rims on your vehicle, make sure the
new rims also have these sensors . The sensors must be compatible
with the tire pressure monitoring system * on your vehicle.
If the sensors are to be installed on different rims , the seal, washer ,
and valve cap for each sensor must be replaced.
If you install rims, which do not have the sensors, or have sensors
which are not compatible, then the tire pressure monitoring system* will not work properly.
In this case, the tire pressure moni­
toring system * would not be able to monitor the tire pressure or
warn you if it is necessary .
• The battery inside of the tire pressure sensor has a limited
service life.
• Always drive with the valve stem caps securely mounted. We
recommend using factory installed valve stem caps. Ask your autho­
rized Audi dealer to replace lost valve stem caps.
The installation of replacement tires with steel cord body plies in
the tire sidewall may cause malfunction of the tire pressure moni­
toring system*, and is not recommended (cord material information
in molded on the tire sidewall) .
Always check your tire pressure monitoring system* indicator after
replacing one or more tires on your vehicle. If the tire pressure
monitoring system* indicator flashes, or is on, your system is not
working properly. Your replacement tire might be incompatible with
your tire pressure monitoring sys tem* , or some component o f the
tire pressure monitoring system* may be damaged.
& 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.
• Always use tires, rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifica­
tions of original factory-installed tires or other combinations that
have been specifically approved by the vehicle 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. .,_

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire side wall
between tread shoulder and maximum section width
=> page 246,
fig. 152.
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 tire graded 150 would 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.
& 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 characteristics.
& WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is established 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 governments may require true
winter or "snow" tires, those with very deeply cut tread. These tires
should only be used in pairs and be installed on all four wheels.
Make sure you purchase snow tires that are the same size and
construction type as the other tires on your vehicle.
I f your vehicle is equipped with all-wheel drive *, this will improv e
traction during winter driving, even with the standard tires.
However, we strongly recommend that you always equip all four
wheels on your vehicle with correctly fitted winter tires or all-season
tires, when winter road conditions are expected. This also improves
the vehicle's braking performance and reduces stopping distances.
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and snow.

Tires a nd wh eels -
----------------
•
possible with a torque wrench -preferably by an authori zed Audi
dea ler or qua lified workshop. •
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect ratio tires. These t ires
have been thorough ly tested and been selected specifically for your
model for their superb performance , road feel and hand ling under
a variety of driving conditions . Ask your authorized Audi dealer for
more deta ils.
The low aspect rat io of these t ires is indicated by a numera l of
5 5 or
les s
in the tire's si ze designation. The numeral represents the ratio
of the tire's sidewa ll height in relation to its tread wid th expressed
in perc entage. Conv entiona l tires have a h eight/width ratio of 60 or
more .
The p erform an ce of lo w-aspe ct-r a tio tire s is pa rti cula rly sen siti ve to
improp er inflation pre ssure . It i s ther efore important that low
a spect ratio tir es are inflat ed to the sp ec ified pre ssure and th at the
i nflation pr es su re is regularl y checked and mainta ined . Tire pr es­
s ure s should be che cked at le ast once a month and alw ay s before a
long tr ip :::;, page
247, "Checking tire pressure".
What you can d o to av oid tire and rim d amage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more easi ly by impact with
potholes, curbs, gul lies or r idges on the road, particularly i f the t ire
is underinflated.
In order to min imize the occurrence of impact damage to the tires
of your vehicle , we recommend that you observe the following
precautions:
• Always maintain recommended inflat ion 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 t ires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to
your tires . •
After any impact , immediately inspect your tires or have them
inspected by the neares t authorized Audi dea ler . Replace a
damaged tire as soon as possib le.
• Inspec t you r tires every 2,000 miles (3,000 km) for damage and
wear . Damage is not always easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of
air and underin flation, which cou ld eventua lly cause tire fai lure. If
you be lieve that a tire may have been damaged , replace the tire as
soon as possible .
• These tires may wear more quickly than others.
• Please also remember that, while these tires de liver responsive
handling, they may ride less comfortably and make more noise than
other choices.
R edu ced p erform an ce in w int er/c old sea son
c ondition s
All tires are designed for c ertain purposes . The low aspect ratio,
ultra h igh performance tires origina lly instal led o n your vehic le are
intended for maximum dry and wet road performance and hand ling.
They are no t sui table for cold, snowy or icy weather conditions . If
you drive under those circumstances , you should equip your vehic le
with al l- season or winte r ti res, which offer better tract ion under
those conditions . We suggest you use the recommended snow or
all -season tires specified for your vehicle, or their equiva lent.
Refer to:::;,
page 250 for more de tai led information regarding winter
tires. •
Tire pressure monitoring system
Applies to vehi cles : with tire p ressu re mon itori ng sy stem
General notes ....J
Each t ire, including the spare (if p rovided), should be checked
month ly when co ld and inflated to the inflation pressure recom­
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placa rd or tire
inf la tion pressure label. ( If your vehicle has tires of a different s ize _,.
Vehicle care I t •