traction control AUDI TT ROADSTER 2008 Owners Manual

Activating
The ESP is automatically activated when the engine is started and it
performs a self-test. You can activate a deactivated ASR if required
by pressing the=>
page 184, fig. 142 button. When it is activated,
the message
ESP/ASR on appears briefly in the display. Vehicles
with front -wheel drive a deactivated ASR automatically re -activates
itself at a speed of 40 mph (70 km/h).
Deactivating
You can deactivate the ASR if required by pressing the button (for
less than 3 seconds)=>
page 184, fig. 142. With the ASR deactivated,
the ESP check light comes on, see=>
page 18. The message ASR off
appears in the display as well. On vehicles with front -wheel drive:
deactivation is possible only up to 30 mph (50 km/h) for safety
reasons. Vehicles with all -wheel drive : the ASR can be deactivated
at any speed.
The ASR should normally be activated all the time. Only in certain exceptional situations when some slip is desirable does it make
sense to deactivate the ASR. Examples:
• when driving with tire chains
• when driving in deep snow or on loose ground and
• when rocking the vehicle loose after it has become stuck.
When the abnormal situation is over, you should activate the ASR
again.
& WARNING
The increased safety afforded by ASR does not mean that you can
take safety risks. Always adapt your driving style to the road
conditions and traffic situation.
[ i J Tips
To ensure that the ASR works properly, all four wheels must be fitted
with identical tires. Any differences in rolling radius of the tires can
Intelligent technology
cause the system to reduce engine power when this is not desired.
See also ::::>
page 249, "New tires and replacing tires and wheels".
Rear spoiler
The rear spoiler improves vehicle handling and enhances
driver control.
Fig. 143 Switch for
rear spoiler
The rear spoiler deploys and retracts. Spoiler operation can be set
for automatic or manual operation .
Automatic mode (normal operation)
• Automatic deployment : At a speed of about 75 mph (120 km/h),
the rear spoiler deploys automatically.
• Automatic retraction: When speed drops below about 50 mph
(80 km/h), the rear spoiler retracts automatically.
Manual mode
• Manual deployment: Tapping briefly on the switch ::::> fig. 143
deploys the rear spoiler .
• Manual retraction: At speeds up to about 10 mph (20 km/h),
retract the rear spoiler by pressing and holding the switch
::::> fig. 143. At speeds between 10 mph (20 km/h) and 75 mph (120
km/h), retract the rear spoiler by tapping on the switch=> fig. 143 .
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

[ i ] Tips
• If the pow er st eering sy stem sho uld fa il, or if the e ng ine is not
running (for examp le , whi le being towed), you will stil l be able to
st eer the ve hicle . How eve r, more e ffort w ill be required to do so.
• I f the powe r steering system is not f unctioning pr ope rly, contact
your authorized Audi dea ler immediate ly.
Ap plies to vehicles : wit h A ll Wheel Driv e
Driving w ith your quattro®
With All Wheel Drive, all four w heels ar e dri ven.
General information
With All W hee l Dr ive, power is d is tr ibute d to all fou r whee ls . T his
happens automat ica lly depending on your driving style and the
r oad cond itio ns at the time. See also =>
page 186, "E lec tronic diffe r­
entia l lock ( EDU" .
Winter tires
When driving in the winter, your vehic le with All Wheel Drive has an
advantage, even wi th regula r t ir es . In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all -season tires) for improved
driveabi lit y an d braking : these tires m ust be mounted on
all four
wheels .
See also=> page 254 , "Win ter t ires" .
Snow chains
Where tire cha ins are mandatory on certain roads, this normally
a lso a pplies t o vehic le s wi th Al l Wheel Drive =>
page 255, "Sn ow
chains".
Replacing wheels /tires
Vehicles with A ll Wheel Drive must always have tires of the same
s iz e. Also av oid t ires w it h d iff eren t tr ead dep ths. For details see
page=>
page 249, " New tires and replacing tires and whee ls " .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Intelligent technology
Off
-Road driving?
Your Audi d oes not have en ough gr ound clea rance to be use d as a n
off -road vehicle. It is therefore best to avoid roug h tracks and
u neven terrain as much as possible. A lso refer to=>
page 194.
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to road and traffic conditions. Do not
let the extra safety afforded by All Wheel Drive tempt you into
taking extra risks .
• Although the All Wheel Drive is very effective , always
remember that braking capacity is limited by tire traction. You
should therefore not drive at e xcessive speeds on icy or slippery
road surfaces.
• On wet road su rfaces , be careful not to dr ive too fast because
the front wheels could begin to slide on top of the water (aqua ­
planing ).
If this should occur , you will have no warning from a
sudden increase in engine speed as with a front -wheel drive
vehicle . Always d rive at speeds which are suited to the road condi­
tions. -risk of cra sh. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Safety Standard No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher leve ls of
performa nce on th e la boratory test w hee l tha n the minim um
requ ired by law .
& WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this t ire is based on straight-ahead
braking traction tests , and does not include acceleration ,
cornering , hydroplaning or peak traction characteristi cs.
& WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire th at is
properly inflated and not overloaded. Exces sive speed , underinfla­
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or in combination , can
cause heat buildup and possible tire failure. •
Winter tires
Win ter tires can im prove veh icle ha ndl ing on sno w and
i c e. A t te mp eratu res belo w 4 5 °F (7 ° C) w e r eco mme nd
c ha ng in g to winter tir e s.
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
should only be used in pairs and be insta lled on a ll four wheels .
M ake s ure you p urchase snow ti res that are the same s ize and
construct ion type as the other ti res on your vehicle.
If your vehic le is equipped with al l-wheel drive *, this will improve
t rac tion dur ing winter dr iv in g, eve n with the standard tires .
However, we strongly recommend that you a lways equip all four
whee ls on y our vehicle with correc tly fitted winte r tires or all-seas on
tires, when winter road conditions are expected . Th is a lso improves
t he ve hic le 's brak ing perfo rmance an d reduces s top ping distances .
Summer ti res p rovide less grip on ice and snow. Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on all four whee
ls .
Compatible ti re p ressure monit oring senso rs must be instal led on
a ll four w inter tires for the tire pressure monitoring system to func ­
tion proper ly :::::> page 251.
Ask your aut hori zed Audi deale r or quali fied w orksho p for perm itte d
winter tire size s. Use only radial winter tires.
Wi nter tires lose thei r effec tiveness when the tread is worn down t o
a depth of 0. 157 inch (4 mm).
On ly drive with winter tires under winter conditions. Summer tires
h an dle better when there is no s now or ice on t he roads a nd th e
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °C) .
I f you have a flat tire, see n otes on spare w hee l :::::> page 249.
Please a lways remembe r that w inte r tires may have a lower speed
r ating than the tires original ly instal led on your vehic le at the time
i t was manu fac tured. Please see:::::> page 251, "Speed rating (letter
code)" for a listing of the speed rating letter codes and the
m ax imum speed at which t he ti res ca n be drive n.
T he speed rating letter code(:::::, page 241) is on the side wa ll of the
ti re :::::> page 2 49. & WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits that may be lower than
your veh icle's ma ximum 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 accident and serious personal injury to you and your
pa ssengers.
& WARNING
Driving faster than the ma ximum speed for whi ch the winter tires
on your vehicle were designed can cause tire failure including a
blowout and sudden deflation , los s of control , crashes and serious _.,