air condition AUDI TT ROADSTER 2008 Owner's Manual
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Page 191 of 316

Faults in the brake syst em
If you shou ld notice a sudden i ncrease in brake pedal travel, then
one of the two brake circuits may have failed=>
& -
Low brake fluid level
Ma lfunctions can occur in the brake system if the brake fluid leve l is
t oo low. The brake fluid level is moni tored e lect ronica lly .
Brake pow er assist unit
The brake p ow er assist un it increas es th e pressure that you
generate with the brake peda l. It works only when the engine is
running.
& WARNING
• You should perform braking maneuver s for the purpose of
c leaning the brake system only if road conditions permit . Other
road users must not be put at ri sk -you may cause an accident!
• Before des cending a steep grade , redu ce speed and sh ift trans
mi ssion into a lower gear or lower driving position . Do not ride the
br akes or hold the pedal down too long or too often . This could
cause the brakes to get hot and diminish braking efficiency .
• Do not "ride the brakes " by resting your foot on the pedal when
you do not intend to brake . Thi s may cause the brakes to overheat,
premature we ar and increased stopping distan ce .
• Under certain cl imatic and operating condit ions such as
pas sing through water , driv ing in heavy rain or after washing the
vehicle, the effectiveness of the brake s can be reduced . In winter ,
ice can ac cumulate on the brake pads , linings , discs and drums .
Cautiously apply brakes for a te st. Brakes will dry and ice coatings
will be cleaned off after a few cautious brake appli cations .
• Driving for an extended period of time on salt -covered road s
without using your brakes can also affect brak ing effic iency . Clean
off accumulated salt coating from brake discs and pads with a few
c autiou s brake applications .
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Intelligent technology
& W
ARNING (continued )
• If you damage the front spo iler , or if you install a different
s poiler , be sure the air flow to the front brakes is not obstructed.
Otherwise the brake system could overheat redu cing the effective
ness of the entire br ake system.
• Failure of one brake circuit will impair the braking capability
resulting in an increa sed stopping distance. Avoid driving the
vehicle and have it towed to the nearest Audi dealer or qualified
workshop.
• Never let the veh icle roll to a stop with the engine shut off .
• If the b rake booster is not working , for e xample when towing
your vehicle, or because the brake booster has somehow been
damaged , the brake pedal must be pre ssed considerably harder to
make up for the lack of booster assistance . •
Anti- lock brake system (ABS)
ABS p revents the wheel s from loc king unde r br ak ing.
The anti -lock brake sys te m (ABS) makes a major contri but ion to
i ncreasing act ive d riv in g sa fety . You should not expect that brakin g
distances wi ll be
shortened unde r all c ircums tances wi th ABS.
B rak in g distance may even become somewhat
longer , for e xa m ple ,
on gravel or in new snow on s lippery ground, even if you are driving
carefully and slowly.
ABS operation
W hen a veh icle speed o f about 10 mph (20 km/ h) is reac hed , an au to
matic test sequence is run. Some noise from the pum p may be
audible.
I f the speed of a wheel s lows down too much re lative to vehicle
speed and i t starts to lock, br ake pressu re to th is whee l is reduce d.
T his adjustment process can be felt as a
pulsing motion of the b rake
pedal ,
accompanied by some noises. Yo u as the d rive r are in tent io n
a lly being g iven the in fo rmation that the wh eels a re tendin g to lock
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
Page 202 of 316

___ C _l_e _a _ n_ in_g ~_ a_n _ d ___ p ___ r_ o _t _e _c_ t_ i_o _ n _____________________________________________ _
Cleaning and protection
General information
Regular care preserves vehicle value.
Any automobile is exposed to industrial fumes, corrosive road salt,
muddy dog feet, etc . A wel l cared for Audi can look like new many
years after purchase. Regu lar and correct ca re will contribute to
maintaining the beauty and value of your Audi.
Furthermore, good care may be a conditi on for substantiating a
war ranty claim should co rros ion d amage or p aint defec ts occur .
Your authorized Audi dealer has a variety of dedi cated vehicle- care
product s
and can advise whic h ones to use for cleaning the exterior
and interior of your vehicle.
Whether you use p roducts recommended by Audi or other commer
cially availab le cleaning agents , please make sure you apply them
correctly.
& WARNING
• Cleaning agents may be poisonous . Keep them out of the reach
of ch ildren .
• Heed all caution label s.
• Alway s read directions on the contai ner before u sing any
produ ct. Follow the di rection s carefull y.
• Most chemical cleaner s are concentrated and have to be
d iluted .
• Use s pot removing fluids only in well ventilated area s.
• Do not us e gasoline , ker osene , die sel fuel , nail polish rem over
or oth er volatile fluid s. They may be toxi c, flammable or ha zardous
in other way s. Do n ot w ash, wa x or dry the vehicle w it h the igni
tion on or the engine running.
& WA RNIN G (conti nued)
• Do not clean the under side s of chassis , fe nder s, wheel cove rs,
etc . without protecting your hands and arm s. You may cut yourself
on sha rp -edg ed metal part s.
• Moisture and ice on brakes may impair braking eff iciency
=> page 188 , "General info rm ation ". Test the brake s carefully each
time you wa sh the vehicle.
~ For the sake of the environment
Se lect only environmenta lly friend ly c leaning products . Leftover
clean ing products should not disposed of in the household waste. •
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle.
Th e best protection against envi ronmental influences is frequent
washing and waxing .
H ow often t his is required depends on:
• H ow much the vehic le is used
• Where the vehicle is pa rked (garage, in the open under t rees,
etc.)
• The seasonal and weather conditions
• Environmental influences
T he longer bird droppings, insects, tree resin, road a nd industrial
grime, tar, soot, road salt and other materials remain on the vehicle
p aint, the more lasting their dest ructive effects will be . _,,,
Page 208 of 316

___ C_ le_ a _ n_i_n ~g _ a_ n_ d __ p_r _o _t _e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
Never dry windows with the same chamois that you use to dry
painted s urfaces. Wax residue on the chamois can impair vision
through the windows .
& WARNING
• The windshield must not be treated with water-rep ellent mate
r ial s. They can increa se glare under poor visibility conditions such
a s w etne ss, darkne ss, or when th e sun i s lo w on th e hori zon. In
addition , they can c ause the wind shield wipers to chatter .
• Alw ays re ad and heed all WARNINGS and oth er infor matio n
=>
pa ge 200.
0 Note
• Never use warm or hot wa ter to remove snow and ice from
windows and mirrors. This could cause the glass to crack.
• To prevent damage to t he w ires of the rear defogger, do not p lace
any adhesive stickers on the inside of the rear window over the
wires.
• To he lp prevent dirt from scratching the w indow, always scrape
in a forward direction - pushing the scraper away from you -never
back and forth .•
Weatherstrips
C omplete car care includes the weatherstrips as well.
- App ly a suitable rubber co nditioner to the weat herstr ips
f rom t ime to t ime .
To be able sea l properly, the weatherstrips around the hood, doors,
rear lid, etc. must remain pliable . Spray the weath erstrips with si li
cone or coat them w ith ta lcum powder or glycerine to retain the
flexibili ty of the rubber and to protect them against free zing in the
winter .
& WARNING
Always read and he ed all WARNINGS and the inf orm ation
=>
page 2 00 .
[ i ] Tips
Keep si licone sp rays o ff the windsh ield to avo id wiper smear in
rain .•
A pplies to vehi cles : w it h s tee l w hee ls
Steel wheels
The wheels also have to be cleaned.
Always include the hub caps and wheel rims when
washing your vehicle to remove road dirt, sal t sprays and
brake dust.
If necessary, use a commercial wheel cleaner to remove accumu
l ated brake dust.
The wheel rims are eas ier to keep clean i f they are regularly coated
wi th liquid wax .
Paint scratches should be touc hed u p as soon as possible to prevent
corrosion=>
page 205, " T ouch -up paint".
& WARNING
• Moisture and ice on brakes m ay affe ct br aking efficie ncy -
=>
page 188 , "Gene ral information ". Te st the brake s carefull y after
e ac h vehi cle wa sh .
• Alway s read and heed all WARNINGS and the information
=>
pa ge 200. •
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![AUDI TT ROADSTER 2008 Owners Manual _______________________________________________ C_l_e _a_ n_ in _____ g ___ a_n_ d ___ p_r _o _t_ e_ c_ t _i _o _ n __ lfll
•
[ i ] Tip s
Open Ve lcro fasteners on your cloth ing can d AUDI TT ROADSTER 2008 Owners Manual _______________________________________________ C_l_e _a_ n_ in _____ g ___ a_n_ d ___ p_r _o _t_ e_ c_ t _i _o _ n __ lfll
•
[ i ] Tip s
Open Ve lcro fasteners on your cloth ing can d](/img/6/57671/w960_57671-210.png)
_______________________________________________ C_l_e _a_ n_ in _____ g ___ a_n_ d ___ p_r _o _t_ e_ c_ t _i _o _ n __ lfll
•
[ i ] Tip s
Open Ve lcro fasteners on your cloth ing can damage the seat cover .
Please make sure that Ve lcro fasteners are closed .•
Plastic parts and instrument panel
Always use a c lean cloth moistened in clear water to clean these
areas . For persis tent dirt use an Audi approved
solvent -free plastic
cleaner/protectant.
& WARNING
Solvents can change the propertie s of some plastics and make it
harder for the airbag to deploy .
• Never clean the instrument p anel or the surface of Airbag
modules with cleanin g prod ucts that contain solvents .
• Products containing solvent s will make the surface of th is part
poro us.
• Serious injuries can re sult if pla stic parts come loo se when the
airbag is deployed .
• Alway s read and heed all WARNING S and the i nformation
~ page 200 .
0 Note
Cleaning agents containing solvents wil l attack the material and can
change the way it behaves. •
Instrument cluster glass
-Clean the g lass w ith a soft, damp cloth.
I n order to preserve the anti -glare properties of the instrument
c luster glass, it should o nly be cleaned wi th a so ft. dam p clot h.•
App lies to veh ic les: with nat ural leat her
Natural leather
Aud i m akes gre at effo rts to maint ain th e pr oper ties,
n atur al look and feel of interi or le ather.
Gener al
We offe r many d ifferent types of leathe r on our vehicles. Mo st are
different types of nappa leather , which has a smooth surface and
comes in various co lo rs.
The intensity o f the color determ ines the visua l characteristics and
appearance. If the surface of the leather has a typical natura l look,
then t he leather is a nappa lea ther that has bee n left in a re latively
natura l condition. This leather offers particu lar ly good comfort and
b reathes well. Fi ne veins, closed g ra ins, insect bites, skin folds, an d
subtle variations in co lor remain visib le. These characteristics
dem onstrate that the mater ial is natural.
Natura l nappa leather is not covered by a co lor finish . It is therefore
more sensitive to soil ing and wear, which is something you need to
consider if chi ldren, animals or other fac tors might prove to be
particularly hard on the leather.
By con trast, leather types that are covered by a colo red fin ish layer
are more durable. This has a positive effect on the leather's resis
tance to wea r and s oiling i n daily use . On the ot her hand, the typical
characteristics of natura l leather are barely or not apparent .
However, this does not mean that the leather itself is of inferior
qua lity .
Care and handling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of leather that Audi
u ses and thei r unique p rope rties (suc h as sens it ivity to oi ls, g rease,
soi ling, etc .), you wi ll need to be somewhat careful w ith these
leathers, and a certain type of care is required. For example, dark .,.
Vehicle care I t •
Page 225 of 316

Checkin g and fillin g -
--------------~-
•
At the time of printing, engine oils available in the U.S . and Canada
t hat meet the exacting specifications of Audi oil standard VW 502 00
are synthetic engine oils . This does not mean, however, that every
synthetic engine oil will meet Audi oil standard VW 502 00. So
always be sure that you use an approved oil.
To help prevent the formation of harmful deposits use only oil with
the follow ing spec ifica tions pr inted on the oil container:
Au di oi l stan dar d VW 502 00
Oil container labels may carry the specification singly or in combi
nation with other designations and o il quality standards.
V isc osit y
Engine oils are graded according to their viscosity . The proper
viscosity grade oi l for your engine depends on climactic or seasona l
conditions where you drive . You can use oil with a v iscosity grade of
SAE 5W40 across all temperature ranges for normal driving condi
tions.
However, if eng ine oil viscosity grade SAE 5W40 is not available, you
can a lso use viscosity grade SAE 5W-30 or SAE 0W-40 as long as it
meets Audi oil qua lity standard VW 502 00 specifications .
Because engine oil that meets the Audi oil standard may not be
available everywhere when you need it, we s trong ly recommend
that you a lways carry with you an extra quart ( liter) of oil that
expressly conforms to the VW 502 00 specification, in case you have
to top off the o il while on the road.
On ly if the level of the oil is at or below the minimum mark on the
oi l dipstick -and no oil that express ly conforms to Audi oi l standa rd
VW 502 00 specifications is available -may you top off with a high
qual ity engine oi l, preferably synthetic -based, t hat meets ACEA A3,
ACEA A5 or ACEA 85, API SL or ILSAC GF -3 specifications, but even
then, only in viscosity grades SAE 5W -40, SAE 5W -30, or SAE 0W -40.
However, dur ing the entire time between oi l change intervals, never
top off w ith more than a total of 0.5 qt/liter engine oil that does not
confo rm to Audi oil specificat ion VW 502 00. For more information about engine oil that has been approved for
your vehicle, p lease con tac t ei the r your authorized Audi dea ler or
Aud i Customer Relations at 1 (800) 822-2834 or visit our web site at
www .audiusa .com or www .audicanada.ca. Here you will a lso find a
current list of oils (manufacturers, brand names etc.l that conform
to Audi oi l standard VW 502 00 .
Changing the engine oil
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed according to the
mi leage (k ilometers) and time intervals specified in your vehic le's
Maintenance
& Warranty booklet. Do not exceed these intervals -
harmfu l deposits from old engine oil can reduce engine perfor
mance and can lead to expens ive eng ine repairs.
Changing the oil at the recommended interva ls is so very important
because the lub ricating properties of oi l decrease gradua lly during
normal vehicle use. If you are not sure when you have your oil
changed, ask you r authorized Audi Service Advisor .
Under some circumstances the engine oil should even be changed
more frequently. Change oi l mo re often if you drive mostly short
distances, operate the vehicle in dusty areas o r mostly under stop
and -go traffic conditions, or when you use your vehicle where
temperatures stay below freezing point for long per iods.
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh oi l look dark after the
engine has been running for a sho rt time. Th is is normal and is not
a reason to change the oil more often than recommended.
D amag e or malfun ctions due to la ck of mai nten ance
It is essential that you change your oi l at the recommended interva ls
using on ly engine oil that complies with Audi oil standard
VW 502 00. Your Limited New Vehicle War ranty does not cover
damage or malfunctions due to failure to fol low recommended
maintenance and use requirements as set forth in the Audi Owner's
Manual and Maintenance
& Warranty booklet . Your dealer wi ll have
to deny warranty coverage unless you present to the dealer proof in
the form of Service or Repair Orders that all scheduled maintenance
was performed in a timely manner. •
Vehicle care I t •
Page 229 of 316

_____________________________________________ C_h_ e_ c_k _in ____ g_ a_n _d_ f_il _li _n __ g ____ fflllll
•
0 Note
Never mix oil additives with your engine oil. These additives can
damage your engine and adversely affect your Audi Limited New
Vehicle Warranty .
W For the sake of th e environm ent
• Before changing your oi l, first make sure you know where you
can properly dispose of the used oil.
• Always dispose of used engine oil properly. Do not dump it on
garden soil, wooded areas, into open streams or down sewage
drains .
• Recycle used engine oi l by taking it to a used engine oil collec
tion fac ility in your area, or contact a service station. •
Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it keeps the
engine from overheating and it protects the engine from
freez ing in the winter.
The coo ling system is sealed and generally requires little attention.
T he coo ling system has been filled at the factory with a permanent
coolant which does not need to be cha nged . The coolant consists of
a mixture of water and the manufacturer's glycol-basedcoolant
addit ive G 12 + antifreeze with an ticorrosi on addit ives (50% for USA
models; 60% for Canadian models). This mixture both assures the
necessary frost protection and protects metal components in the
engine's cooling system from corrosion and scaling . It a lso raises
the boiling point of the coo lant .
Do not reduce t he concentration of the coolant in the summer by
adding plain water.
The prop ort ion of coolant additi ve mu st be at le
as t 50 % but not more th an 60 %
to maintain antifreeze protection
and co oling effic iency . If the coo lant fros t protect ion is too low, the
coolant could freeze and damage the vehic le heating and engine
coo ling system.
For year-round driving, antifreeze is added at the factory for temper
atures down to:
• - 31 °F ( - 35 °C) USA
• -40 °F ( -40 °C) Canada.
You can mix the G12 + coo lant additive with other additives (f or
examp le G11 or G12l. Always check with your authorized Audi
dea ler .
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment , alway s
read and heed all WARNIN GS
=:> & in "Working i n the engine
c ompartment " on
page 220.
0 Note
• Before winter sets in, have the coolant checked to see if the
coolant additive in your vehicle is sufficient to meet the climate
conditions . This is especia lly important if you live in a region where
the winter is extremely cold. If necessary, increase the proport ion o f
coo lant additive to 60%.
• When adding coolant additive to your coo ling system,
remember :
- We recommend using only coolant additive G12+ (check the
label) for your vehicle. This coolant additive is avai lable at autho
rized Audi dealers. Other types of antifreeze can significantly
reduce corrosion protection. The resulting corrosion can cause a
loss of coolant and serious engine damage.
• Do not add any type of radiator leak sea lant to your vehicle's
engine coolant. Adding radiator repair fluid may adverse ly affect the _.,
Vehicle care I t •
Page 233 of 316

Checkin g and fillin g ---------------~-!':WIii
•
& WARN ING (co ntinued)
- Use only br ake flu id th at m eet s SAE spec ificati on J 1703 and
c onf orms to F ed eral Motor Vehi cle St and ard 11 6. Always ch ec k
w ith your a uthori zed A ud i de aler to m ake sure you are u sin g
the corre ct brake fluid . Th e co rrect typ e of br ake fluid i s also
indic ate d on the br ake fluid res ervo ir .
- The br ake fluid mu st be ne w. Heavy u se of the br ake s c an
c au se a vapor lo ck if the brake fluid i s left in the s yste m too
long. Thi s ca n seriou sly affe ct the eff iciency of the brake s as
w ell as your safety . This could resu lt in an a ccident .
0 Note
Brake fluid wi ll damage the paint of your vehicle.
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal of brake fluid as well as
t he special too ls required and the necessary expertise, we recom
mend that you have the brake f luid changed by your authorized Audi
dea ler .•
Battery
General information
Your vehicle is equipped with a specia l battery, an AGM battery. This
battery is located in the luggage compartment and must be
replaced with an origina l equipment battery. Under normal oper
ating conditions, the battery is
maintenan ce-free .
Have the battery checked when you take your vehicle in for service.
You a re we ll advised to replace a battery that is olde r th an 5 years .
Disc onn ectin g th e batt ery t erm inal s
Some vehic le functions (power window regulators, for e xample) are
lost if the battery terminals are disconnected. These functions have
to be relearned after the batte ry term inals are connected again. To
prevent this, the battery should only be disconnected from the
vehicle electrical system when abso lutely necessary for repairs.
V ehi cle s not dri ven for long period s
If you are going to le t your vehicle stand for a long t ime a nd not
drive it, you should remember there are electrica l components
which are still functioning and they will draw energy from the
battery and drain it, for examp le, the engine immob ilizer. To prevent
this, you can either charge the battery occasionally to keep it in
good working condition or you can d isconnect the negative cab le
on the battery.
W inter op era ti on
During the winter months, battery capacity tends to decrease as
temperatures drop. This is because more power is a lso consumed
while starting, and the headlights, rear window defogger, etc., are
used more often .
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, particularly in city traffic or
when trave ling on ly shor t distances . Let your au thorized Audi dea ler
check the capacity of the vehicle battery before winter sets in
=>
page 235 . A well charged battery will not on ly prevent start ing
p rob lems when the weather is cold , but wi ll a lso last longer .
Replacing battery
The new battery must h ave the same capacity, voltage (12 volts},
amperage, construction and p lug sea ling, as the origina l battery.
Specifications are l isted on the battery hous ing. Batteries specially
developed by Audi fulfill the ma intenance, output, and safety
requirements.
When installing the battery, make sure the ignition and all electrical consumers are switched off=>
0. .,_
Vehicle care I t •
Page 245 of 316

__________________________________________________ T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ __
•
ating the vehicle at ma ximum load , you must increase the t ire pre s
sures to those specified for maximum vehi cle load
~ & .
Bear in mind that the t ire pressure mo nitoring system can only
monitor the tire pressures you have stored . The system does not
reco gnize the load cond itio n of your vehicle.
T he effectiveness of the tire pressure monitoring system will be
impaire d if you stor e nor mal loa d pressures but then operate the
vehic le at its maximum load~&. See the
illustration~ page 242, fig. 160 for the location of the label
on driver's si de B -pillar (co lor of the ac tual label a nd exact loca tion
on the veh ic le will vary slightly).
N ote that the following tab le is accu rate at the time of going to
press and is subject to cha nge . In t he event o f discrepancies, the t ire
pressure label (on driver's side B -pillar) a lways takes precedence .
The table belo w lists t he r ecom mend ed cold tire i nflatio n pressures
for the Audi mode l covered by your Owner's Literature at the
vehic le' s capacity weigh t and the tire size s insta lled o n the respec
tive models as original equipment , or as a factory option .
Engine Tire designation
Tire pressure front II Tire pressure rear
(displace -
= " full load full load
ment in normal load
condition normal
load
condition
liter ) condition
(up to condition (up
( 2 oc cupants (2 occupants
2 o ccupants ) to 2 occupants)
plus luggage) plus luggage)
I
PSI II kPA PSI II kPA II PSI II kPA
PSI I[ kPA I
I
4-cylinder
225/50 R17 94H All Season 32 220 3 2 220 29 200 29 200
2.0
245/40 R18 93H All Season 32 220 32 220 29 200 29 200
245 /40 R18 93Y XL High Performance 32 220 32 220 29 200 29 200
255 /35 R19 95Y XL High Performance 32 220 32 220 29 200 29 200
6 -cylinder 245/45 R17 95H All Season 3 2 220 32 2 20 29 200 29 2 00
3.2
245/40 R18 93H All Season 32 220 32 220 29 200 29 200
245 /40 R18 93V XL High Performance 32 220 3 2 220 29 200 29 200
255/35 R19 95V XL High Performance 32 2 20 32 220 29 200 29 200
XL = reinforced
T he correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is located on a label on the tire p ressure label on your vehicle with the tires on your vehic le.
t he d river's s ide B -pilla r. Make sure that the tire s ize inf ormat ion on t he veh icle labe l is t he
Because technical changes may be made to vehicle equipment same as the si
ze of the tires on the vehicle. This is especially impor -
t ant if the ve hicle belongs to so meo ne else or you bought the
dur ing th e mode l year, always co mpare the tire size designa tion on
Vehicle care
I t •
.,
Page 252 of 316

.,,.___T_ ir_e_ s _ a_ n_d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s _________________________________________________ _
0
©
G)
U.S. DOT tire identification number
Sever snow conditions
Tire ply composition and materials used
Maximum load rating
Treadwear, traction and temperature grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pressure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the vehicle's design. The
tires and rims approved by Audi are specially matched to the char acteristics of the vehicle and can make a major contribution to good
road holding and safe handling when in good condition and prop
erly inflated =>& .
We recommend that al l work on tires and wheels be performed by
an authorized Audi dealer . They are familiar with recommended
procedures and have the necessary special tools and spare parts as
we ll as the proper facilities for disposing of the old tires .
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary information about tech
nical requirements for insta lling or changing tires and rims .
Rep lac ing t ires a nd w heels
Tires should be replaced at least in pairs and not individually (for
example both front tires or both rear tires together) .
Be sure to read and heed the information to the tire pressure moni
toring system =>
page 251.
Always buy replacement radial tires t hat have the same specifica
tions as the tires approved for your vehicle by Audi . Replacement
tires must always have the same load rating specification as the
original equipment or approved optional tires listed in the table
=>
page 242.
Audi -approved specification tires are specially matched to your
vehic le and its load limits, and can contribute to the important road- holding, driving characteristics, and safety of the vehicle
. The tab le
( =>
page 242) lists specifications of the tires approved for the Audi
models covered by your Owner's Literature.
The tire pressure labe l located on driver's side 8 -pillar (=>
page 242,
fig. 161) lists the spec ifications of the original equipment tires
installed on your vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to place standardized in for
mation on the sidewall of all tires=>
page 249, fig. 164 . T his informa
tion identifies and describes the fundamenta l characteristics, the
quality grade of the tire and also provides a tire identification
number for safety standard certification and in case of a recall.
T ire s pec ifica tio ns
Know ledge of tire specifications makes it easier to choose the
correct tires . Radial tires have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewal l, for example:
P 2 45 / 45 R 17 95 H
This contains the following information :
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars
24 5 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire from sidewall edge to side-
wa ll edge . In general, the larger the number, the wider the tire
45 Height/width ratio in percent (aspect ratio)
R Tire construction: Radial
17 Rim diameter code (in inches)
95 Load rating code
H Speed rating letter code
X L (or "xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF") indicates that the tire is a"Rein
forced" or an "Extra Load" ti re
M+ S (or "M/S") Indicates that the tire has some mud and snow capa
bility
The tires could also have the information of direction of rotation =>
page 238.
Page 253 of 316

Tires a nd wh eels -
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•
Tire manu fact uring da te
The manufacturing date is a lso indicated on the tire sidewall
(possibly only on the
inner side of the wheell:
"DOT ... 2207 ... " means, for example, that the tire was produced in
the 22th week of 2007.
S peed ratin g (let te r cod e)
The speed rating letter code on the wheels indicates the maximum
permissible road speeds=>
& in "Winter tires" on page 254.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R upto 106mph(170km/h)
S upto110mph(180km/h)
T upto118mph(190km/h)
U up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H upto 130mph(210km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)2>
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)2>
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)2>
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)21
Your vehicle is normally factory equipped with tires, which possess
excel lent driving characteris tics and give your Audi optimum
driving comfort. An e lectronic speed limiter=> page 26wil l normally
prevent your vehicle from going faster than the tire speed rating
=> & .
U.S . D OT T ire Ident ifi cation Nu mber (TIN ) and tire
m anu fac ture date
This is the tire's "seria l 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 where it was manufactured,
and the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufac-
21 For tires with a maximum speed capability over 149 mph (240 km/h), tire
manufacturers sometimes use the letters "ZR."
ture. For example, the numbers 2207 mean that the tire was
produced in the 22th week of 2007. 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.
Tir e ply c omp osition and m aterial s used
The number of plies indicates the number of layers of rubber-coated
fabric in the tire . In general, the greater the number of p lies, 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 L oad Rating
This number indicates the maximum load in kilograms and pounds
that can be carried by the tire.
Tir e qu alit y g ra din g for tr eadwear, trac tion, a nd
te mper atu re resi stan ce
Tread wear, traction and temperature grades=> page 253.
Max imum P ermi ssibl e Inf latio n Pre ssure
This number is the greatest amount of air pressure that should ever
be put in the tire under normal driv ing conditions .
Repla cing tires or rims on vehicl es equipp ed with tir e
pres sure monit orin g s yst em
The wheels on your vehicle are equipped with a sensor which
constant ly monitors the air pressure ins ide the t ire, and then trans
mits this information to the tire pressure monitoring system. If you
are going to replace the wheel rims on your vehic le, make sure the
new rims also have these sensors . The sensors must be compatible
with the tire pressu re monitoring system on your vehicle.
I f the sensors are to be installed on different rims, the sea l, washer,
and valve cap for each sensor must be replaced.
If you instal l rims, which do not have the sensors, or have sensors
which are not compatible, then the tire pressure monitoring system ..,_
Vehicle care I t •