brakes AUDI TT ROADSTER 2011 User Guide

152 Intelligent technology
Corrosion
There may be a tendency fo r dirt to bu ild up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not driven regularly or
only for short trips with little use of the brakes .
I f the b rakes are not used frequen tly, or if cor ­
rosion has fo rmed on the discs, it is advisab le
to clean
off the pads and discs by b raking
firm ly a few times from a moderate ly high
speed
c> .& .
Fault s in the bra ke sy ste m
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake peda l travel, then one of the two brake
circu its may have failed¢.& .
Low brake fluid level
Malf unc tions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fl uid level is too low. The b rake fluid
l eve l is monitored electronica lly .
Brake lining wear status
Brake lin ing wea r may be c hecked by visual i n­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the whee l. If neces ­
sary, the whee l may be removed for this in­
spection ¢
page 222, What should I be
aware of when changing a tire?.
Brake power assist unit
The brake power assist un it increases the
p ress ure th at yo u genera te with the b rake
pedal. It works on ly when the engine is run­
ning.
& WARNING
- Yo u should perform braking maneuve rs
for the purpose of clean ing the brake
system on ly if road condit ions permit.
Other road users must not be put at r isk -
you may cause an acc ident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmiss io n into a lowe r
gear or lowe r driving position . Do not
ride the brak es or ho ld the pedal down
too long or too ofte n. This cou ld cause the brakes to get hot and dimin
ish b rak­
ing efficiency.
- Do not " ride the brakes" by rest ing you r
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake. This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance .
- Under certain cl imatic and ope rat ing
conditions such as passing through wa­
ter, dr iv ing in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the
b rakes can be reduced . In wi nte r, ice can
a ccumu late on the br ake pads , lin ings,
d iscs and drums. Cautiously app ly bra kes
for a test . Brakes wi ll dry and ice coat ­
ings wi ll be cleaned
off after a few cau­
tious b rake app lications .
- Driving for an exten ded period of t ime on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can a lso affect bra king efficiency.
Clean
off accum ulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few cautious
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a diffe rent spoiler, be sure the a ir
f low to the front b rakes is not obs truc t­
ed. Otherwise the bra ke system could
overhea t redu cing t he effectiveness o f
the entire brake system.
- Fai lure of one b rake circuit will impa ir
the braking capa bility result ing in an in­
cre ase d stopping dist ance. Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it towed to the near ­
est A udi dealer or qualified workshop .
- Never let the vehi cle roll to a s top with
the engine sh ut
off .
- If t he bra ke booste r is no t working, for
examp le when towing yo ur vehicle, or
because the brake booster has somehow
been damaged, the bra ke peda l must be
pressed considerably harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance .

Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking under braking.
The anti-lock brake system (ABS) makes a ma­
jor contribution to increasing active dr iving
safety. You should not expect that braking d is ­
tances will be
shortened under all circumstan­
ces with ABS. Braki ng d istance may even be­
come somewhat
longer, for example, on grav­
e l or in new snow on slippery g round, even if
you are driving care fully and s low ly.
ABS operation
When a vehicle speed of about 10 mph (20
km/h) is reached, an automatic test sequence
is run. Some noise from the pump may be au­
d ible.
I f the speed of a wheel slows down too much
r e lative to veh icle speed and it starts to lock,
brake pressure to this wheel is reduced. This
ad justment process can be felt as a
pul sin g
moti on of the br ake pedal , accompanied by
some noises. You as the driver are intentiona l­
ly being given the information that the whee ls
are tending to lock (ABS control range). In or ­
der for ABS to be able to operate optimally in
this range, you must keep the brake pedal de­ pressed - do not "pump the brakes ".
Brake a ssist ant
The brake power assist unit increases the
pressure that you generate with the brake
pedal. It works only w hen the eng ine is run­
ning .
Automatic full br ak ing
This function allows full brak ing in spite of
high brake pedal forces (e.g. when the brakes
are severely stressed because the vehicle is
fully loaded) . The driver notices th is function
throug h a reduction of pedal force and in ­
creased pedal travel. When the brake pedal is released, fu ll braking assist switches off again
automatically .
Intellig ent technolog y 153
If there is an ABS failure, the b rake assistant
and automatic fu ll braking assist are not avail­
able.
A WARNING
- ABS cannot suspend the laws of physics.
You should keep th is in mind in particu­
lar on an icy or wet road . If ABS control
of braking intervenes, you should adjust
your speed immed iately to road and traf­
fic conditions. Do not be tempted by the increased safety provided to take risks -
danger o f an accident .
- Please keep in mind tha t the risk of an
accident is increased by driving too fast,
particularly in bends and on icy or wet
roads, and by driving too close to the ve­
hicle ahead . The increased risk of an acci­
dent cannot be reduced by the brake as­
sistant - danger of an accident.
(D Tips
If a malfunction occurs in the ABS, this is
s ignalled by an indicator light, see
<=:> page 17.
Electro-mechanical
power assist
The electro-mechanical power assist helps
the driver when steering .
The degree of power assist is electronically
matched to vehicle speed.
The power steering system assists the driver
so that he can steer the vehicle with reduced physical effort .
Power steering will not work if the engine is
off . As a result, the steering wheel will be hard
to turn .
A WARNING
If the system develops a problem, you
must seek qualified professiona l assis­
tance.
•
•

Driving and
environment
The first 1
1000
miles
(11500 km) and
afterwards
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1 ,500 km) .
For the fir st 600 mile s (1,000
kilometre s):
.,. Do not use full throttle .
.,. Do not drive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the max imimum permitted
RPM .
.,. Avoid high engine speeds.
From 600 to 1,000 miles (1 ,000 to
1,500 kilometres):
.. Speeds can gradually be increased to the
maximum pe rm iss ib le road or eng ine speed .
During and after break-in period
.. Do not rev the engine up to high speeds
when it is cold . T hi s applies whether the
transmission is in N (Neutral) o r in gear.
After the break- in period
.. Do not exceed max imum eng ine speed un­
der any circumstances .
.. Upshift into the next hig her gear
before
reaching the red area at the end of the tach­
ometer scale
<::;> page 10.
During the first few hours of driving, the en­
g ine's inter na l friction is higher tha n later
when all the moving pa rts have been broken
i n. How well this break-in p rocess is done de­
pends to a considerable exten t on the way t he
veh icle is driven d uring the first 1,000 miles
(1, 500 kilome tres) .
(D Note
Extremely high engine speeds a re auto­
mat ic al ly reduced. However, t hese RPM-
Driving and environment 157
limits were programmed for an eng ine
well run-in, not a new eng ine.
@ For the sake of the environment
Do not d rive wi th unnecess arily h igh en­
gine speeds -upshifting ear ly saves f uel,
r educes noise and protects the environ­
ment.
New tires
If your vehicle is running on new tires, drive
particularly carefu l for the first 350 miles
(500 ki lometres) after fitting .
A WARNING
-New tires tend to be s lippery and must a l-
so be "b roken-in". Be s ure to remembe r
this dur ing t he firs t 35 0 m iles (500 kilo­
me tres) . Brake gent ly . Avo id following
closely behind other vehicles or other sit­ uations that m ight require sudden, hard
b raking.
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a
full brak ing effect during the first 250 m iles
(400 kilometres) after they are installed.
New brake pads have to be "burnished in" be­
fore they have optima l grab¢ .&..
D uring the break-in period, yo u should avoid
putting seve re loads on the brakes . Severe
l oads include, for example, su dden hard brak­
ing, in particular at very h igh speeds or, for
example, on mou nta in passes.
A WARNING
Until t hey develop the maximum "bite" for
best stopping power, the s urfaces on new
b rake pads requ ire some "brea king- in" dur­
in g the initial 10 0 to 150 miles (15 0 to
20 0 kilome tres) of normal c ity dr iv ing. Yo u
can compensate for this by press ing the
b rake peda l more f irm ly . This applies
whenever new pads are installed.
•
•

158 Driving and en vi ro nm ent
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc ., make certain that
low-lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust
system parts do not bottom out and get dam­
aged.
This is especially true for vehicles with low­
slung chassis (sports chassis) and fully loaded
vehicles .
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- T he water must not be any highe r tha n the
bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not d rive faster than wa lking speed.
_& WARNING
After d riving through wate r, m ud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because o f wet brake rotors and pads . Dry
the brakes first by braking carefully to re­
store the full braking effect.
(]) Note
Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmiss ion, suspension or electrical sys ­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Check the depth of the water before driv ­
ing through it.
- Do not stop the veh icle, drive in reverse
or switch the engine
off when driving
through water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep for your vehi­
cle to drive through safely.
- Avoid driving thro ugh salt water because
it can ca use corrosion.
-
Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission con­
trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner.
.. Always use lead-free gasoline ¢ page 17 4,
Fuel supply .
.. Never run the tank down all the way to emp­
ty.
.. Never put too much motor o il in your eng ine
r::;> page 183, Adding engine oil~-
.. Never try to p ush- or tow-sta rt your vehicle.
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean­
up" dev ice built into the exhaust system of
t h e vehicle. The cata lytic conve rter bu rns
many of the pollutants in the exha ust gas be ­
f ore they are re leased into the atmosphere.
T he exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critically
impor tant for the life of the catalyt ic convert­
er and prope r funct ion ing of the engine.
A WARNING
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exha ust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fue l spill or other material wh ich can
cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additiona l undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat sh ields. Dur ing driv ing, the
substance used fo r undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
(D Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already ser iously de-
grade the performance of the catalytic
converter .
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢page 183.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty . The engine could mis-
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into ..,.

the exhaust system and this could cause
the catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not turn off the ignition while the ve ­
hicle is moving .
- Do not con tinue to operate yo ur vehicle
under these conditions, as otherwise fuel
can reac h the cata lytic converter . This
could result in overheating of the con­
verter, requ iring its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­
sion Control System:
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in acco rdance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Wa rranty
&
Ma intenance booklet.
- La ck of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impa ir
t he funct ion of the emission control
system and cou ld lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Contro l System is
operating p roperly, t he exhaus t gas can
have a s ulfu r- like exhaust gas smell under
some operating states. This depends on
the s ulfur content o f the fue l being used.
Using a different brand of fuel may help,
or filling the tank w ith lead-free super
grade gasoline .
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex­
haust and noise levels .
Fuel economy, environmental impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and t ires largely
depend on three factors :
- your persona l driving style
- operating conditions
- technical lim itations
I f you anticipate w hat you need to do nex t and
d rive economically, you can eas ily cut your
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 159
fuel consumption by 10 -15 percent. This sec ­
tion w ill give yo u some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your pocketbook .
(D Tips
The cons umption estimates as publishe d
by ENVIRONME NTAL PROTEC TION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the road, which will vary depending upon vehi­
cle load and speed, road and weather con­
dit ions, trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating.
Avoid unnecessary accelerat ing and braking .
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
ce lerat ing . If you anticipate what is going to
happe n next, you will need to brake less and,
th us, accele rate less . Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible -for examp le when you see
that the next t raff ic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
"' Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed.
Acce lerat ing gently reduces fue l consump­
tion, eng ine wear, and does not disturb the
environment.
Fuel consumpt ion, exhaust emiss ions and en­
gine noise increase disproportionately at high
speeds. If you drive at app roximately three
quarte rs of top speed, fuel consumption w ill
be reduced by one half. Nev er drive faster
t h an the posted speed limit and weathe r con­
ditions perm it.
•
•

162 Cleaning and protection
Cleaning and
protect ion
General information
Regular care preserves vehicle value .
Any automobile is exposed to industr ial
f umes, corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after pu rchase . Regula r and correct care w ill con­
tr ibute to maintain ing the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
Furthermore , good care may be a condition
for substantiating a warranty claim should
corrosion damage or paint de fects occur.
Your authorized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedicated vehicl e-care products and can ad­
v ise wh ich ones to use for cleaning the exter i­
or and inte rior of your vehicle .
Whether you use produc ts recommended by
Aud i or other commercially ava ilable clean ing
agents, please make sure you apply t hem cor­
r ectly .
A WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them o ut of t he rea ch of childre n.
- Heed a ll ca ution labels.
- Always read directions on th e co ntai ner
b efore using a ny product . Follow the di­
rec tions caref ully.
- Most chemical cleaners a re concentrat ed
and have to be diluted.
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail pol is h remover or ot her volati le
fluids. They may be toxic, flammab le or
h azar dou s in other w ays. Do not was h,
w ax or dry the vehicle wi th the ig nit ion
on or the eng ine running .
- D o not cl ea n the under sides of ch assis,
f en ders, wheel cove rs , etc. without pro­
tectin g your hands and a rms. You may
c u t yourself on s harp-ed ged metal parts . -
Moisture and ice on b rakes may impair
brak ing eff ic iency
c::> page 151 , General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash t he vehicle .
@ For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environ mentally friendly clean ­
i ng products. Leftover cleaning products
s hou ld not d isposed of in the househo ld
waste .
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle .
The best p rotection against environmen tal i n­
fluences is
frequent wash ing and waxing . How
often t his is requi red depends o n:
- How much t he ve hicle is used
- Whe re the veh icle is parked (garage, i n the
open under trees, etc.)
- The seasona l and weather conditions
- Environmental infl uences
T he longer b ird d roppings, inse cts, tree res in,
r oad and indus trial grime, ta r, soo t, road salt
and other mater ials remain on the vehicle
paint, the more lasting t heir destr uctive ef­
f ects w ill be .
Hig h tempera tures, as from e xpos ure to in­
tense sun light, intensify the co rrosive e ffect
part icu lar ly when humidity is high as well.
Un der certa in ci rcumstances,
weekly w ashing
may be ne cessary. Un der othe r cond it ions , a
mon thly washing and waxing may be a de­
quate.
After the winter, the unders ide of the vehicle
sho uld be thoro ughly washe d pre ferab ly in a
pro fessional ca r wash.
A WARNING ~
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS a nd
the information
c::> page 162.

Never dry windows with the same chamois
that you use to dry painted surfaces . Wax resi­
due on the chamois can impair vision through
the windows.
_& WARNING
- The windshield must not be treated with
water-repellent materials. They can in­
crease glare under poor visibility condi­
tions such as wetness, darkness, or when
the sun is low on the horizon. In addi­
tion, they can cause the windshield wip­
ers to chatter.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information <=;>
page 162.
([) Note
-Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow and ice from windows and mirrors.
This could cause the glass to crack.
- To prevent damage to the wires of the
rear defogger, do not place any adhesive
stickers on the inside of the rear window
over the wires.
- To help prevent dirt from scratching the
window, always scrape in a forward di­
rection -pushing the scraper away from
you -never back and forth.
Weatherstrips
Complete car care includes the weatherstrips
as well.
.,. Apply a suitable rubber conditioner to the
weatherstrips from time to time.
To be able seal properly, the weatherstrips
around the hood, doors, rear lid, etc. must re­ main pliable . Spray the weatherstrips with sil­
icone or coat them with talcum powder or
glycerine to retain the flexibility of the rubber
and to protect them against freezing in the
winter .
_& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
¢page 162.
Cleaning and protection 167
(D Tips
Keep silicone sprays off the windshield to
avoid wiper smear in rain.
Steel wheels
App lies to vehicles : wit h stee l w hee ls
The wheels also have to be cleaned.
.,. Always include the hub caps and wheel rims
when washing your vehicle to remove road
dirt, salt sprays and brake dust.
If necessary, use a commercial wheel cleaner
to remove accumulated brake dust.
The wheel rims are easier to keep clean if they
are regularly coated with liquid wax.
Paint scratches should be touched up as soon
as possible to prevent corrosion
¢ page 166,
Touch-up paint .
_& WARNING
-Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency-
¢page 151, General
information. Test the brakes carefully af­
ter each vehicle wash.
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information¢
page 162.
Cast (light) alloy wheels
Applies to vehicles : wi th Cas t alloy w hee ls
-
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care .
.,. Wash the wheels with a sponge or hose
brush every other week .
.,. For deep cleaning afterwards, use only a
dedicated
acid-free cast alloy wheel cleaner .
.,. Rub a coat of
liquid wax onto the rims every
three month. Be sure to reach and treat all
parts of the rim.
To preserve the decorative appearance of the
cast alloy wheels, some special care is neces­
sary. In addition to road dirt and salt, brake
dust is also corrosive. If left on for too long,
brake dust can cause pitting. .,..
•
•

168 Cleaning and protection
Use only special acid -free cleaners form ulated
for a lloy rims. Safe products are available at
your Aud i dealer. Never leave the cleaner on
the r ims longer than spec ified on the label. If
not rinsed
off promp tly, the acid conta ined in
some cleaners can attack the threads on the
wheel bolts .
Never use abras ive or metal polishing clean ­
ing agents. If the protective coating has been
chipped, e .g . by k icked up road dirt, touch it
up as soon as poss ible.
A WARNING
- Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency ¢
page 151, General
information.
Test the brakes c aref ully
each t ime you wash the veh icle.
- Always read and heed all WARNI NGS and
other informa tion ¢
page 162.
Body cavity sealing
-
The body cavity sealing does not need to be
checked.
A ll body cavities wh ich could be affected by
corrosion have been give n thorough protec­
tion at the facto ry.
T his sea ling does not require any inspection or
addit io nal treatment. If any wax should seep
out of the cav ity when the ambient tempera­
ture is high, it can be removed w it h a plastic
scrape r and a su itab le so lven t.
A WARNING
So lvents can be dange rous.
- B enzine is flammable and t oxic.
If you
use benzine for removing the wax, keep
spar ks, flame and lighted c igaret tes
away. Never dump benzine on t he
ground, into open streams or down sew­
age drains.
- Be sure to observe all safety and env iron­
menta l regulations . Follow all instruc­
t ions on the container.
- Always read and heed all WAR NIN GS and
the in format ion
¢page 162.
Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time.
The lower body shell of your Aud i is also thor­
oughly protected against cor ros io n.
Any damage to the unde rcoating ca used by
road ha zards should be repaired prompt ly.
A WARNING ....__
Too much undercoating in the wrong p la­
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additional undercoating or
r u stp roof ing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
ver ter or heat shields. While driving, the
substance used fo r undercoating could
overhea t and cause a fire.
- Always read and heed all WAR NINGS and
o ther info rmation
¢ page 162.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and o ther co rrosive materials w ill
damage the mate ria l in the e xhaus t tail pipes
i f they are not cleaned regular ly . Do not clean
the tail pipes with w hee l cleaner, pa int polish,
c h rome polish or other ab rasive cleane rs .
Clean the tail pipes with car care products
t h at are suitable for sta inless steel.
Your a uthorized Audi dea ler can prov ide clean ­
ing products that have been tested and ap­
proved for your vehicle .
Care of interior
Radio-/Navigation* display
.. Clea n the dis play wi th a soft clean clo th and
a n LC D cleaner.
T he disp lay can be cleaned with a profess io­
nally ava ilab le " LCD clea ner". The clot h should
be s ligh tly d ampened wit h the cleaning flui d
to clean the disp lay. .,..

188 Checking and filling
If the brake fluid level falls considerably be ­
l ow the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indi­
cator light (U .S . mode ls: . , Canadian
models: .) will come on
¢ page 16 and
¢ page 30. Do not continue to operate the ve­
h icle . The complete brake system shou ld be
thoroughly checked by an authorized A ud i
dea ler o r othe r qualified facility and t he cause
corrected. If the bra ke fluid level is too low,
the bra ke warning/ind ic a tor ligh t will illum i­
nate . Contact an authorized Aud i dea ler
im­
mediatel y.
Changing brake fluid
Hove the broke fluid changed by on experi­
enced technician.
B rake fl uid abso rbs mois ture from the a ir. If
the water content in the b ra ke fluid i s too
h igh, corros ion in the brake sys tem may result
after a period of t ime . The boi ling point o f the
b rake fluid wi ll also decrease considerab ly and
decrease braking per formance.
T herefore, the brake flu id mus t be changed
every two year s. Always use new b rake fluid
which conforms to Fede ral Motor Vehicle
Standard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
T he brake flu id rese rvoi r can be difficul t to
reach, therefo re, we recommend that yo u
have the brake f luid changed by yo ur autho r­
ized
Audi dealer . Your dealer has the correct
too ls, the right b rake f luid and the know-how
to do this for you.
A WARNING
- B rake fluid is poiso nous . It mus t be stor­
ed only in th e closed orig inal con tainer
o ut of the reac h of children!
- Brake fa ilure can result from old o r inap ­
propriate b ra ke fluid. Observe these pre­
c aut ions:
- Use o nly brake fluid t hat meets SAE
specif ication
J 1703 and confo rms to
Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116.
Always check with your a uthorized Audi
dealer to make s ure you are using the
correct brake fl uid. T he correct type of brake flu
id is also ind icate d on the
brake f lu id rese rvoir.
- The brake fl uid must be new . Heavy use
of the brakes can cause a vapo r lock if
the brake fluid is left in the system too
long . This can se riously affect the effi ­
c iency of t he brakes as well as your
safe ty. This co uld resu lt in a n accide nt.
([) Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your
vehicle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because o f the prob lem of prope r disposal
of brake fluid as well as t he spec ial too ls
required and the necessary expertise, we
recomme nd t hat yo u have th e brake flu id
cha nged by yo ur autho rize d Au di dea le r.
Battery
General information
Your ve hicl e is equipped with a specia l bat ­
tery, an
ACM battery. This battery is located
in t he luggage compartment and must be re­
placed with an origina l equipment battery.
U nder normal opera ting condit ions, the bat­
te ry is
maintenance-fr ee .
Have the battery checked when you take your
vehicle in for se rv ice . You a re well advised to
replace a battery that is o lde r th an 5 years .
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power window reg u­
lators, for example) are lost if the battery te r­
mina ls are disconnected. T hese functions have
to be relearned after the battery termina ls are
connected aga in . T o prevent t his, t he battery
shou ld only b e disconne cted from the ve hicle
ele ct ric al sy stem w hen abso lutely ne cessary
f o r rep air s.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you are go ing to let your vehicle stand for a
long time a nd not drive it, you should remem­
ber there are elect rical components which a re
Ill-

196 Tires and wheels
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity we ight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressu re
to which a tire may be inflated. Also called
"maximum inflation p ressure."
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 overa ll diameter of an inf lated new
tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri­
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ­
ing e levations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a laye r of rubber-coated parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the comb ined we ight 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, r ide leve lers, heavy duty
battery, and special trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tir e in which the p ly cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan­
tially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread . Recommended inflation pressure
see
~
page 195, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire designed to operate at higher
loads and at higher inflation p ressures than
the corresponding standard tire. Reinforced
ti res my be ident ified as "XL" "xl" "E XTRA
, ,
LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a t ire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are seated.
Rim diameter
means nominal d iameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you w ill have to
purchase new tires to match the new r im di­
ameter .
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges .
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire is designed to
be driven for extended periods of time. The
r atings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h)
~ page 206 . You may
not find this information on all tires because
it is not requ ired by law.
T he speed rating letter code, where applica­
ble, is molded on the tire sidewall and indi­
cates the maximum perm iss ibl e road speeds
~ A in Winter tires on page 209 .
Tire pressure monitoring system
means a system that detects when one or
more of a veh icle's tires are underinflated and
i lluminates a low tire pressure warning tell-
tale. ..,_